In this episode of Richardson’s Rubicon, I had a fascinating and often funny conversation with Bill Pautler, author of the book Awakening to Ourselves, The Practical Art of Building A Spiritually Aware Life.

Bill’s had quite an adventurous life, he’s done everything from hot-air ballooning and motorcycling to scuba diving, along with raising a family (twice!). But what stood out most was his unexpected spiritual journey, especially a quirky experience he shared: Liberally cussing and then spending two full days in uncontrollable tears. Turns out this reaction is considered a "gift of tears," something Bill now fully embraces, even if it means crying at awkward times.

We spoke at length about spirituality, as we are both at opposite ends of the spectrum it was an interesting, respectful, and at times a hilarious discussion!

We also dipped into a bit of quantum physics banter, discussing the gap between real quantum computers (cold, precise lab devices) and more speculative theories suggesting the brain itself might have quantum properties. We joked (or did we?) about whether quantum computing could someday give rise to true machine consciousness. We've all seen the films, dude!

Ultimately, Bill’s key message resonated clearly: beneath our fears and conditioned habits, we're all incredibly powerful beings. By letting go of trauma and showing compassion through simple actions, we can uncover joy, creativity, and community strength. I think listeners will find his unique stories both entertaining and deeply thought-provoking.

Visit Bill Pautler's site to learn about his book: Awakening to Ourselves, The Practical Art of Building A Spiritually Aware Life

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p.s. My video feed was awful, sorry!

In this week’s Richardson’s Rubicon, I sat down with Hannah Ashwell mental health whizz, PTSD specialist, and all-round change-maker to tackle two of the sneakiest modern addictions: porn and gambling. Trust me, these things fly under the radar far more than booze or smack, and Hannah’s got the stats to prove it.

We kicked off by digging into her story. She’s not just another talking head, she’s a counsellor, psychologist and entrepreneur who helps people flip their lives around. But the real eye-opener was when she told me more folks in the UK wrestle with porn and gambling habits than with alcohol and drugs. Mind-blowing, right?

Then we got into what over-consuming porn really does. It’s not just a cheeky pastime, Hannah showed me how it can wreck your wallet, your headspace, your relationships, even your plumbing downstairs (hello, porn-induced ED). And the kicker? Viagra is Pornhub’s biggest client. Industry solves the problem it creates, classic.

Next up: smartphones. We’re glued to these damn things, yet somehow we're lonelier than ever. Bullying, FOMO, shallow chatter, our pockets have become playgrounds for misery. My daughter’s brush with online nastiness only underlined how toxic it can get. Hannah’s fix? Apps like OurPact for the kids, plus clever habit-pairing, boil the kettle, do your physio; open the back door, take your meds. Small tweaks, big wins.

Of course, the conversation got darker when we talked human trafficking and illegal content, Hannah dropped some sobering stats about child-abuse material being the fastest-growing crime here. Grim stuff, but if we don’t talk it through, how will anything change?

Thankfully, she shared glimmers of hope, stories of folks who’ve clawed their way back, and how confession (think Sex Addicts Anonymous) can be the first leap toward recovery. We wrapped up by ripping into social media fakery, Hannah’s sworn off it for now, and I don’t blame her, and lamenting how stretched our mental-health services are.

Bottom line: if you want to laugh, cry, and learn how to wrestle your own demons, and maybe even ditch your phone for a night, this one’s for you.

Quit Porn - Hannah Ashwell

https://quit-porn.com

The Balance Phone

https://www.thebalancephone.com/

Our Pact

https://www.ourpact.com/

Buy John a Ko-Fi

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Visit the show!

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Welcome to this episode of Richardson's Rubicon, where I dive into a topic that might not be on your radar, but will certainly grab your attention. Today, we're welcoming John Forbes from the Freeport Campaign Group, which is part of Salvo. John joins us for an eye-opening discussion about Freeports and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Scotland. Despite their promising names, these zones come with complexities and concerns that many are unaware of, including secretive dealings, potential for deregulation, and impacts on local communities and economies. We explore these facets, shedding light on the roles that both the UK and Scottish governments play in these zones, as well as the influence of private companies. Join us as we dissect the potential risks and realities of Freeports and SEZs, and learn about what can be done to raise awareness and provoke action. Stay tuned, as this conversation could change the way you view economic development and regional planning.

Facebook.

/www.facebook.com/share/g/1EnH1ihusL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/freeport_sez_community_group?igsh=b2F3MXM4ZGtic2Jt&utm_source=qr

Bluesky.

https://bsky.app/profile/freeports.bsky.social

X.

@SalvoFreeports

Email address

[email protected]

In this episode of Richardson’s Rubicon, John Richardson talks with Colette Walker, leader of the Independence for Scotland Party, about the launch of Liberate Scotland and how it all links in with the UN decolonisation case.

Colette shares how she has always felt Scottish rather than British and how class divisions in period dramas first sparked her distaste for the Union. She explains the founding of ISP in 2020 as a way to capture regional list seats under the D’Hondt system and boost pro-independence representation in Holyrood.

Visit https://richardsonsrubicon.com/the-path-to-independence/ for more info!

They explore how the strategy of contesting both constituency and list seats backfired in 2021. Colette describes how unionist parties gained extra seats on list votes because pro-independence voters split their support. ISP’s plan is to stand under the Liberate Scotland banner on the list and in constituencies stand as ISP, ensuring a clear “indy party one” and “indy party two” ballot. This approach aims to build a super-majority of cross-party MSPs ready to claim a democratic mandate for independence.

John raises concerns about candidates who arrive in Parliament with only one issue, independence. Colette defends the approach with a tease that more details will come. Pointing to policies in their manifesto like universal basic income, she insists these are somel examples of what a sovereign Scotland could do. Real decision making would follow a Swiss-style model of direct democracy. Citizens would propose and veto laws via binding referenda, with MSPs serving as accountable representatives rather than distant rulers with a take it or leave it attitude.

They also discuss local government. Colette highlights how freeport schemes in England and privatisation of services shrink public spending and reduce Scotland’s block grant. She notes that seventy per cent of Edinburgh lies within a freeport zone and that council investments there have already jumped five-fold. Both agree that smaller, more transparent local bodies and local referenda could rein in unresponsive authorities.

On identity, Colette sides with Nicola Sturgeon’s civic definition: anyone who lives in Scotland and contributes is Scottish. No ethnic or birth criteria apply. She wants a broad inclusive nation built on shared values. John is relieved!

Looking ahead to Holyrood 2026, Colette promises a big launch of Liberate Scotland once logistics, crowdfunding, candidate selection and other details are set. She urges listeners to get involved with door-knocking, stalls and social media. Her call to action is clear: seize the moment to declare independence, or risk losing Scotland’s resources and services for good.

In this solo episode of Richardson’s Rubicon, I navigate a chaotic evening after my guest cancels last minute. Probably not my best episode, sorry! I reflect on the previous week's well-received interview with Alex Thorburn of Liberation Scotland and Salvo and share listener feedback.

I go into current affairs, questioning the BBC's framing of Scotland's performance, have a go at John Swinney's vague 2050 independence vision, and unpack the failure of wealth tax proposals. I also lays into the government’s approach to energy pricing and windfall payments to gas companies, all while urging listeners to call in (spoiler: they don’t). 😢

This candid and slightly chaotic episode touches on sovereignty, media bias, wealth inequality, and government energy policy.

This week, we're discussing Scottish independence with researcher Alex Thorburn from Salvo and Liberation Scotland, two civic movements developing their own strategy without waiting for approval from Westminster.

We explore Scotland's claim to nationhood through the Claim of Right, the Treaty of Union, and their significance in the 21st century. Alex walks us through a potential route to the UN via the Decolonisation Committee (C24), and makes the case that Scotland could assert its sovereignty.

We recall times when Scotland asserted its democratic power, such as the canceled fracking plans, the nuclear waste that was kept away from Ayrshire, and when 97% of Strathclyde opposed water privatisation. These aren’t just footnotes - they’re great examples of what happens when civic Scotland gets its boots on.

Whether you're pro-indy, undecided, or just here for the constitutional gossip, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the routes ahead, not instead of political leadership, but alongside it.

We’re going live Thursday at 9pm (UK time) to talk it out — and you’re invited.

Book a guest slot or just hop in on the night.

👉 Take part: https://rubipod.link/live

Smart chat, real voices, and big questions.

Only on Richardson’s Rubicon.

Welcome to another episode of Richardson's Rubicon, where we dive into the absurd, tackle the unpredictable, and poke fun at the political circus!

This time around, I'm kicking off with the sport you never knew existed - underwater rugby. Flippers and salty balls!

But that's not all! We'll swim out of the pool and into the political kiddie pool where Nigel Farage is making waves by not showing up - classic Farage. And as if politics couldn't get crazier, we've got Elon Musk throwing Twitter grenades at his former bestie Donald Trump. There's more drama than a soap opera, and we're here for every juicy detail.

To top it all off, we'll take a peek into our listener confessions - more accurately, we don't for good reason - and dissect the nerve-wracking Hamilton by-election results that should have the SNP breaking into a cold sweat, if they know what's good for them.

More info: https://richardsonsrubicon.com/rugby-goals-and-political-holes/

In this episode of Richardson’s Rubicon, we dive head-first into the idea of a UK wealth tax on the super rich. Inspired by campaigners like Gary Stevenson and supported by groups like Tax Justice UK, we explore why this idea is gaining momentum – and why some people still think it won’t work.

Also, we’re diving into why this might be the key for Labour to outdo Reform UK. It’s all about rethinking the social contract and coming up with a way to tax the super-rich to make it work. It's a no-brainer.

We look at:

• What a 2% wealth tax could raise

• How it compares to other countries

• What went wrong in places like France and Sweden

• Why the UK might actually make it work

• What millionaires themselves are saying about it

Join the conversation, and if you think the super-rich should pay their fair share, sign the petition here:
👉 https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/tax-the-super-rich-to-stop-cuts-to-public-services-1

https://richardsonsrubicon.com/can-we-fix-britain-by-taxing-billionaires/

In this episode, I talk about Keir Starmer’s new deal with the EU and what it really means for the UK, especially for fishing, food exports, and everyday workers.

I start with fishing. For years, we were told that leaving the EU would give us back full control of our waters. But the truth is, a lot of our fishing rights are still in foreign hands. Over half of England’s quota is owned by companies from places like the Netherlands, Spain, and Iceland. These firms often run UK-registered boats, but the profits go abroad. Meanwhile, small local fishers, especially those with smaller boats, get very little of the catch.

Nigel Farage has slammed the new deal, saying we’ve given in to the EU. I look at it differently. Yes, EU boats will still be allowed in our waters until 2038, but in return, we’re getting less red tape when selling food to Europe. That’s important. Since Brexit, a lot of UK seafood businesses have struggled with delays and paperwork when trying to export things like langoustines and oysters. This deal could help fix that and bring some of the money back.

I also explain how fishing rights work. They’re not just handed out evenly. Over the years, they’ve been bought and sold like stocks. One Dutch company owns around 20 percent of England’s fishing rights. And five wealthy UK families own nearly a third of the UK’s total quota. That’s left many smaller boats and local communities out in the cold.

The deal could also help with labour shortages. It opens the door for more young people to work across the UK and EU, which might help farming and fishing businesses that are crying out for workers.

Towards the end, I talk about the politics behind it. Some people worry this means we’re still tied to EU rules. Others say it’s just common sense if we want to trade smoothly and avoid more damage. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do think we need less shouting and more talking.

We also touch briefly on defence and how working with the EU could open up new chances for British companies, especially as Europe increases spending on security.

As always, I invite you to call in and share your views. This isn’t just about fish or trade deals. It’s about how we look after our own industries and whether we’re being honest with ourselves about what we really got from Brexit.

Be part of the show and call in! https://richardsonsrubicon.com/be-on-the-show/