Podlitical

Humza Yousaf wins the SNP leadership contest, so what next for the party? The team react to the result of the SNP leadership contest, which saw Health Secretary Humza Yousaf beat out Kate Forbes in the second round of voting, after Ash Regan was eliminated in the first round, pipping her to the post with 52.1% of the votes versus Forbes' 47.9%. As the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens looks to continue, it seems Yousaf's path to First Minister is clear, but with the vote so close, can he now heal a divided party? The team look ahead to the next steps Yousaf may take, how his cabinet may shape up, and what his victory means for the SNP and Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon faces a fiery final FMQs, and Boris Johnson is grilled by MPs. The team discuss the final FMQs for the First Minister, the 'robust' questioning she faced by opposition parties, and her last statement to Scottish Parliament as First Minister. In Westminster, Boris Johnson faced some robust questioning too, as MPs on the Commons privileges committee hear evidence to decide if the former Prime Minister did deliberately mislead Parliament over the Partygate scandal. What does this week tell us about political legacy, and how it can be built or broken?

SNP media chief Murray Foote and chief executive Peter Murrell resign over membership row. The team react to the news that happened over the weekend, and explore how a row over membership figures snowballed into these two major resignations for the party. What does it mean for the three candidates vying to be the next leader of the SNP, and for the party itself?

The SNP has a row over membership and Chancellor Hunt presents his Budget. After initially refusing to release figures, the SNP has confirmed its membership has fallen to just over 72,000. The team discuss why the row over membership transparency started and what impact it might have on the party going forward during the leadership campaigns to be the next First Minister. In Westminster, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presents his Budget, and confirms the UK will avoid a technical recession despite the economy shrinking. What do the announcements mean for Scotland?

The team discuss the SNP leadership debate and PM Sunak's small boats bill. During the televised SNP debate on Tuesday, the barbs became personal between the three candidates vying to be the next First Minister, as Kate Forbes launched an attack on Humza Yousaf's record in government, while the health secretary returned pointed comments about protecting equal rights, and Ash Regan wrote off her colleagues as "wishy washy" on independence. The team talk about the pitfalls of personal attacks, and why it might make governing more difficult for whoever the winner is. In Westminster, the Prime Minister and opposition leader Keir Starmer trade blows over the Conservative's new migrant plans, where anyone entering the UK illegally would be removed within 28 days and blocked from returning.

What's the shape of the SNP leadership race after the first hustings in Cumbernauld? The team talk about the first of the SNP leadership debates, what we learnt about the candidates' pitches to be the next First Minister of Scotland, and the row over media access. The Deposit Return Scheme is also causing headaches for the current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and the minister responsible Lorna Slater, with many producers yet to sign up to the controversial recycling scheme despite the original deadline passing this week. Meanwhile in Westminster, Prime Minister Sunak announces a Northern Ireland Brexit deal has been reached with the EU, but what reaction will the so-called Windsor Agreement get from his party and the opposition? The team also discuss the correct nomenclature for soft drinks.

Who are the candidates who hope to be the next SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland? The team discuss the leadership bids of Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf, and Ash Regan, and what we know so far about their vision for the future of Scotland, whether it's on independence, the NHS, or social issues such as trans rights. The first week since Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation has seen Forbes criticised for her comments on the Gender Recognition Reform bill and marriage equality, and Yousaf come under fire in FMQs for his performance as Health Secretary. Is this a sign of things to come for the next few weeks of campaigning?

Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is standing down after eight years as First Minister. The team react to the bombshell news which has sent shockwaves across Scottish politics. As the First Minister says she will stay on until a successor is chosen, she claims that the time is right for her to leave the top of Scottish politics. The team discuss why she's chosen to go now, what happens next, what it means for the independence movement, and who the potential candidates to her replace her might be, as well as reaction from opposition parties.

Does the narrative of leaders in Holyrood and Westminster under pressure match reality? This week, Phil Sim hosts Podlitical and gets down to brass tacks with the team to ask, despite pressures faced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, if their positions really are under threat? The team discuss the big issues in UK politics this week, from council budgets and cabinet reshuffles, to the continuing trans prisoners row in Scottish Parliament and the pitfalls of polling.

Tensions between the Scottish Government and councils continue as the budget is debated. The Scottish government says it has given councils an extra £570m for local services in its December budget, but local authorities are concerned that economic pressures will hit vital services like social care and education, and ring-fenced funds may lead to cuts in areas such as bin collections. Economist David Phillips, Associate Director of The Institute for Fiscal Studies, joins the team to explain some of the challenges facing the Scottish government and local authorities, what might be done to alleviate those pressures, and the economic outlook for Scotland and the UK going forward.