Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a live audience at the University of Glasgow Stevenson Trust for Citizenship, Bernard and Alex are join by Professor Chris Carman and questions from the floor, including Prof Sir John Curtice.

PONSONBY & MASSIE – STEVENSON LIVE PODCAST

00:00 – 00:01:16 | Intro & Format

00:01:16 – 00:03:34 | Early Predictions & Polling Landscape

00:03:34 – 00:05:55 | Labour’s Misread of Momentum (2010 vs 2024)

00:05:55 – 00:12:15 | Reform UK: Mood, Populism, Immigration

00:12:15 – 00:18:45 | Starmer’s Weakness & Impact on Scottish Labour

00:18:45 – 00:23:34 | Independence as Tactical Messaging

00:23:34 – 00:33:00 | 27 Years of Devolution: Has It Delivered?

00:33:00 – 00:40:00 | State Size, Means vs Ends, and 2026 Prospects

00:40:00 – 00:41:47 | Election Predictions

AUDIENCE Q&A (Chaired by Prof. Chris Carman)

00:41:47 – 00:44:48 | Q1 – What’s the Offer to Young Voters?

00:44:48 – 00:49:50 | Q2 – State Size & Social Democratic Mission (Sir John Curtice)

00:49:50 – 01:01:35 | Q3 – Scrutiny, Misinformation & Media Trust

Audience question.

01:01:35 – 01:09:20 | Q4 – Social Media, Democratic Innovation & Greens’ Prospects

01:09:20 – 01:20:29 | Q5 – Edinburgh vs Glasgow & Sustainability of ‘Free Scotland’ Model

01:20:29 – 01:27:00 | Q6 – Is Social Democracy Still Represented?

01:27:00 – 01:29:10 | Q7 – MSP Exodus & Legislative Overload

01:29:10 – End | Closing

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard and Alex dig into the editorial crisis at the BBC, Comcast/SKY's potential takeover of ITV and Bernard (STV's former Political Editor and longest serving journalist of 34 years) says he no longer thinks the company has a future.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard and Alex delve into one of the bigget topics of the modern political age. Why can't Westminster or Holyrood seem to manage our public finances?

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two, in marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Donald Dewar, Bernard and Alex reflect on the Office of First Minister and how it has changed since Dewar's time as the first office holder. Plus they rate every First Minister out of 10.

PART ONE

Donald Dewar

Henry McLeish

Jack McConnell

Alex Salmond

PART TWO

Nicola Sturgeon

Humza Yusaf

John Swinney

Summary and Ratings

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part One, as we approach the 25th anniversary of the death of Donald Dewar, Bernard and Alex reflect on the Office of First Minister and how it has changed since Dewar's time as the first office holder.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(00:05) Set-up: Tory & SNP conference week — immigration, ECHR, and whether the Conservatives are “doomed.”

(01:29) Are the Tories finished short–to–medium term? Leadership vs timing and arithmetic after a crushing defeat.

(03:59) What the Conservatives are trying to sell: contrition on net migration; mooted ECHR exit; welfare/PIP tightening (incl. ADHD/mental-health references).

(06:49) Both main parties “dancing to Farage’s tune” — the Reform UK gravitational pull on immigration policy.

(08:56) “Can you out-Reform Reform?” Why the answer is no — and why growth/economic confidence is the real antidote to populism. Threats to Labour from the left (Greens/Corbyn).

(11:18) Tory identity crisis: talk of repealing the Climate Change Act vs the real problem of UK power prices — headline-grabbing vs serious policy.

(13:18) What are the Tories for now? From coherent Thatcherism to today’s knee-jerk opposition.

(16:45) Scotland: Tory revival rode the constitutional (pro-Union) wave; with independence parked, what’s their offer?

(19:27) A quarter-century in devolved opposition and still no centre-right blueprint for Scotland (state size, tax, business, justice, “wokery”).

(23:31) Holyrood “fanning around”: dog-theft bill as a symptom; why brand toxicity blunts “common-sense Conservatism.”

(26:41) SNP conference preview: independence strategy debate; polls, minorities parliament, and why activists may not “rock the boat.”

(30:06) “Steady-as-you-go” Swinney: on ~35% the SNP could still be largest party (≈58–60 seats) due to fractured opposition and candidate churn.

(32:23) Voter mood: if “they’re all useless,” stick with “the useless ones we know” — SNP success as least-worst option.

(32:56) Longevity shocker: after 19–20 years in power, SNP still in pole position; next episode trail — Donald Dewar at 25 years.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

• Scottish polling: SNP still first; Reform’s rise fractures the unionist vote and could hand SNP an outsized seat haul on a modest vote share.
• Scottish Labour’s bind: must sell a credible policy offer while “owning” SNP record attacks — but Starmer’s unpopularity in Scotland limits Sarwar’s room.
• Reform dynamic: positioned as a “super protest vote”; mainstream parties risk losing if they try to outbid Farage on immigration.
• Electoral system: case made for shifting Holyrood to STV to avoid disproportional outcomes under a fractured party system.
• Approval ratings mood: Starmer underwater; Swinney seen as safer “adult in the room,” explaining SNP resilience despite policy discontent.
• Immigration: small boats symbolic of border control; debate increasingly about legal migration thresholds (ILR rules, salary/English requirements).
• Centre ground wobble: concern that political centre is collapsing, opening space for Reform beyond traditional limits.
• Leadership jeopardy: Starmer’s authority tied to Budget performance and spring elections; internal manoeuvring (incl. Burnham) noted.
• Fiscal outlook: expectation of a tax-raising Budget; VAT hike flagged as the most likely manifesto breach.
• Post-election arithmetic: conditional openness to SNP–Labour cooperation if both in mid-30s seats range.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big mixed bag of issues in this week's episode

“Deplore the Man. Respect the Office.”

→ How Starmer & Swinney played Trump for UK/Scotland gains

→ Moral vs national interest

“Love-Bombing Trump: Smart or Shameful?”

→ The realpolitik you weren’t told about

→ Starmer + Oval Office letter; subtle money/investment icons.

“The Real Opposition? The Auditor General.”

→ £2bn hole, welfare rules, and the bill coming due

→ Auditor General report

“Scotland’s Justice Pivot: What You Weren’t Told”

→ Not Proven scrapped — but did safeguards go too?

“Saloon-Bar Morality vs National Interest”

→ Engaging Trump: grown-up statecraft or sell-out?

“Buy Now. Pay Later. Government.”

→ Why Scotland’s books won’t balance by 2029

“Soft Words. Hard Bills.”

→ The welfare promise vs the budget reality

“Yellow Card Politics”

→ Hepburn v Ross, seagulls & standards at Holyrood

“Proven. Not Proven. Truth.”

→ Bernard’s case for how verdicts should really work

“Ego, Investment… and Whisky Tariffs”

→ How flattering Trump might pay Scotland

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.