The Lesley Riddoch Podcast

Anas Sarwar has announced a U turn on Scottish Labour's stance on Winter Fuel Payments. If they form a Holyrood government in 2026 he has pledged to reverse the cuts and reintroduce the payments to pensioners on a universal but means tested basis. What lies behind this sudden change of heart. Political expediency in the light of recent polls and upcoming by elections? No matter his reasons it does present a challenge to the Scottish Government. How will it respond? How should it respond?

The row over Stephen Flynn, and other SNP MPs , plans to seek a dual mandate in 2026 and become MSPs rolls on. Lesley has always highlighted the accident of the election cycle for the absence of so many talented SNP politicians from Holyrood. Why is she so opposed to Stephen's bid?
How damaging are the revelations to the SNP of the use of ministerial cars to attend sporting events? How naive were these politicians to how this would look given the furore over Starmer's freebies?

A lot has been made over the proposed appointments Trump has made to his Cabinet with much of the focus falling on Robert Kennedy Jr and Matt Gaetz. However in terms of foreign policy the nomination of Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel has tended to go unreported. Who is Huckabee? What are his beliefs and why should  all who believe in a just peace be concerned?

Meanwhile the 30 day deadline imposed by the Biden administration  for Israel to take specific steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has come and gone with none of the promised "consequences" coming to pass.
This denial of genocide was not only echoed but amplified by Sir Keir Starmer at Westminster.  What is the UN definition of genocide?  Is Starmer a hypocrite given his stance on Serbian actions in Croatia before the ICJ in 2014?

The narrative of farmers under threat after the changes to include them in inheritance tax is picking up pace. What's the reality?

Talking of reality Femke Halsema the Mayor of Amsterdam has signalled her regret at claiming there was an anti-Jewish pogrom after the Ajax v Maccabi Tel Aviv football match.  A welcome retraction but is it too late?

It's the aftermath of the US Presidential Election and there are lots of questions.
Did Trump win or did the Democrats lose?
What do Trump's first appointments tell us about what to expect from his administration?
Will the next four years totally redefine the US?
What impact will a Trump Presidency have on Europe and the UK?

The reaction to the events before and after the Maccabi Tel Aviv v Ajax football match in Amsterdam laid bare the thrall in which the vast majority of the media and almost all world political leaders are held by the pro Israel lobby. We discuss.
Stephen Flynn has announced that he's put his name forward to stand as an MSP in 2026. How significant a decision is this ?
We're also joined by special guest Max Wiszniewski, Campaigns Manager for REVIVE to talk about last weekend's The Big Land Question Conference co-hosted by Lesley and actor David Hayman.
To take part in REVIVE'S survey and have your say follow this link
https://diffleypartnership.co.uk/the-big-land-question/

We pick over the detail of last week's UK Budget. Did it signal the "end of austerity" as Anas Sarwar claims? What's the reality of the increase in the Scottish Block Grant? What impact will it have on December's Scottish Budget and what challenges does it lay down for the Scottish Government?
It's election day in the USA. What's the state of the polls? Will early voting  decide the outcome again? Are the Republicans already laying the ground for another "stolen election" narrative?
Meanwhile the Tories have elected a new UK leader, Kemi Badenoch. The contest came down to a choice between two right wing candidates, Badenoch and Jenrick. Badenoch has now appointed her new front bench and among the ranks of " Who's that?" and "Never heard of them!" some old familiar faces are back signalling that shift even further to the right.
Stephen Flynn has been "given" a seat on the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster. What is this committee and why is the Labour Party so focused on it in the run up to the Holyrood elections in 2026?
Plus a tribute to Janey Godley an icon of Scottish popular culture.

As the US Presidential election enters its final days Donald Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden where speaker after speaker spewed racist, misogynist bile. Has this harmed or enhanced his campaign in those seven vital swing states where the presidency will be won or lost?

World leaders have condemned the overwhelming decision by the Knesset to ban the UNWRA from operating inside Israel,Gaza and the West Bank. Israel has claimed that UNRWA has colluded with Hamas in Gaza. This is the culmination of decades of  anti UNRWA activity by Israel.
The USA government has said it is "deeply concerned". Is it concerned enough to use legislation which allows the stopping of military aid to countries that restrict US humanitarian aid?

King Charles acknowledged “painful aspects” of Britain’s past while sidestepping calls to directly address reparations for slavery at the summit of Commonwealth leaders, saying “none of us can change the past, but we can commit … to learning its lessons”.
What lessons can we learn by examining the role of the Royal Family in the slave trade? Reparations are justified but who should pay them?

We look forward to Rachel Reeves' first Budget. Will there be any surprises? Just what is a "working person"?

Kemi Badenoch appeared on the Sunday Show and was skewered by Martin Geissler over the "voluntary" union and her plans-lack of- for reprogramming devolution. It looks likely that she will defeat Robert( Pensioners waking up with illegal migrants in their bedrooms) Jenrick to become Tory leader. No matter which of the two win it signals yet another shift to the Right in UK politics.

All this plus a surprise guest appearance of the Masked Postie!

Lesley's back from her trip to Iceland with lots to talk about and share including disturbing news about The Gulf Stream.
https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2024/feb/09/atlantic-ocean-circulation-nearing-devastating-tipping-point-study-finds

There seem to be more leaks from within this new Labour government than a set of Thames Water's pipes. This time on what might be in next week's Budget. BBC Scotland's Sunday Show focused on this. We look at who was on the show and what questions were asked. What questions weren't asked,especially  of Energy Minister Michael Shanks in terms of GB Energy and Carbon Capture and Storage.

Sticking with energy Lesley takes the lid off a looming crisis particularly impacting Scotland over smart meters.

Meanwhile Labour held a swanky Investment Summit trumpeting a £63 Billion post-election boost in investment.What's the reality behind the boast, what have Labour promised the likes of Blackrock, and just how many new jobs will all this cash create?

All this plus the new movie about the early years of Trump's rise ,"The Apprentice" reviewed.

In this episode of Riddoch Questions Lesley spoke with Alex Salmond who had just led the SNP to become the largest party in the Scottish Parliament. He was literally in the throes of trying to form that first ever SNP government and spoke from the car park outside a pub in the pouring rain. 

This episode focuses on our  reflections on the life, career and  political legacy of Alex Salmond in the aftermath of his sudden death.
The great "What ifs". What if he hadn't resigned in 2014? What if he was re-elected to Holyrood in 2026?
Away from the political sphere Lesley talks about her personal encounters with him over the years.

In his final post on Twitter Alex criticised the attendance of John Swinney at UK Government’s first Council of Nations and Regions, “Of course the First Minister has the right to insist on bilateral JMC meetings with the Prime Minister. I am not sure in which world that correct business approach includes a convivial group selfie with the political opponent who is freezing Scots pensioners." “Part of becoming independent is about thinking independently, not subserviently. John should have politely declined the meeting with the words ‘Scotland is a country not a county.”
Was Alex correct? Does the creation of this Council signal a move from Labour to impose another layer of centralised "local" government  Metro Mayors on Scotland?
Lesley is off  to Iceland.If you want to get video updates on her travels subscribe to her Youtube channel here
https://www.youtube.com/@Lesley_Riddoch
All of this plus gratuitous references to former leaders of the TGWU and health updates.

 Lesley was at the Scottish currency group conference and like most of the audience, was struck by  Dr Jon Egilsson's contribution. He warned  against handing over control of a new Scottish currency by joining the euro - still a mandatory condition for new members of the European Union. saying that despite the mess Iceland landed in 2008, it was having its own currency that allowed the country to spring back.

Jon is the chairman and co-founder of Monerium and former chairman of the supervisory board of the Icelandic Central Bank. In addition to co-founding four software companies, he has also served as an adjunct professor at Reykjavik University, as a lecturer at the University of Iceland in the economics and engineering departments and as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York.

Jon holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics and a master's degree in Engineering.

Labour slumping disastrously in polls just 11 weeks after its General Election victory. The Tory leadership election becoming a who can move far enough to the Right to defeat Reform contest. Have all the SNP's Christmases come at once or should they beware a do nothing, fingers crossed, complacency?
Lesley appeared on Debate Night from Dundee where Kenny Farquharson pushed the need for a settled agreement between the UK and Scottish governments on a mechanism to allow a second independence referendum.
We examine the proposals contained in Glasgow University's "Scotland and the Constitution.Agreeing a Way Forward" report for just such a mechanism based on the Good Friday Agreement and a Northern Irish border poll.
Scotland’s minimum price of alcohol went up on September 30  by 15p, from 50p to 65p. Just how successful has  Minimum Unit Pricing  been in combating alcohol related deaths?
We ask, "Who is Russell Findlay?" in the aftermath of his election as leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

To find out more about and book tickets for Owning Our Futures-Autonomy Movements in Europe click below.
https://independenceconvention.scot/europes-independence-movements-come-to-scotland#:~:text=Conference%20and%20Ceilidh%20Tickets%20Major%20International

To listen to the marvelous "Hermless" by Michael Marra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F44WfZoIN4
As a proud "Arab" Pat couldn't resist adding this one-Hamish the Goalie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqoGqoFCi2A
If these have whetted your appetite the Michael Marra A Can Of Mind And A Tin Of Think So Book Boxed Set 2024 link
https://assai.co.uk/products/michael-marra-a-can-of-mind-and-a-tin-of-think-so-book-boxed-set-2024?_pos=1&_sid=5d7c312fb&_ss=r

It's been a big week, is there any other kind these days, in politics.
In Scotland we've seen events to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2014 independence referendum. Lesley was not only a central figure during that campaign but has also taken part in many of those events. We reflect on them and where the Yes movement and the SNP stand today.
Lesley also reports back from last weekend's Scottish Currency Group Conference. There were some stellar speakers with some surprising viewpoints on currency and the EU.
Check these two sites for possible future videos from the conference
https://www.spvr.org
https://www.reservebank.scot
Meanwhile in Liverpool it was the Labour Party Conference. We watched it so you didn't have to. Monday saw Rachel Reeves, Ian Murray, and Anas Sarwar( yup he showed up) take centre stage. We analyse their speeches , particularly what Labour's strategy for Holyrood 2026 will be,  and the "big one" on Tuesday from Sir Keir Starmer. Is there "light at the end of the tunnel", as he claims, or simply a train heading towards us?
Sarwar also appeared on Good Morning Scotland, two sightings in two days-we're blessed- where he was questioned on the means testing of the winter fuel allowance. Did he fare any better than Ian Murray in his interview with Martin Geissler on Sunday?
Much focus has been placed on Labour "freebies" but little has been said about the influence Lord Alli may have had within the party or the massive donation from Quadrature Capital which only became public post election. We redress that balance.