With 3 weeks until the Scottish Parliament Elections 2026, leading pollster, Mark Diffley, joins Bernard and Alex with the latest insights.

• What are the latest polls saying?
• Why there is much to play for in marginal seats?
• How vote share translates to seats and the big changes that can come from small margins
• Which seats to watch for upsets?

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.

• New polls suggest the SNP remains on course to win comfortably, but key questions remain over whether John Swinney secures a majority or must rely on support from other parties.
• Is Reform UK Scotland losing some momentum, with recent polling and campaign controversies raising doubts about whether it can sustain earlier advances.
• Sunday’s televised leaders’ debate is especially high-stakes for Malcolm Offord, while Anas Sarwar, John Swinney and Russell Findlay each face different political and performance pressures.
• After the election the real challenge may be Scotland’s fiscal crunch, with all parties accused of avoiding hard truths about spending, deficits and the affordability of manifesto promises.

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.

The Scottish Parliament is winding up ahead of the election in May. Is there any chance of a real upset ofr is it another SNP shoo-in?

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.

• Reform UK Scotland manifesto launch
• Presented as the first major manifesto of the 2026 election campaign
• Framed as more about political messaging than a detailed governing programme
• Tax cuts versus reality
• Big promises on cutting income tax
• Strong scepticism about whether the sums add up or the savings are deliverable
• Manifestos as political branding
• Discussion that modern manifestos are often just headline documents
• Costings are often vague once properly examined
• Law and order agenda
• Reform proposals on tougher sentencing, more prisons, ending early release, and scrapping hate crime laws
• Argument that these policies are popular-sounding but very expensive
• Pressure on Scottish public finances
• Wider discussion that all parties face a difficult fiscal backdrop
• Concerns about long-term affordability of spending promises and welfare growth
• Reform’s electoral strategy and vulnerabilities
• Reform portrayed as a home for angry or disillusioned voters
• But also as vulnerable to scrutiny, weak candidates, and campaign mistakes
• Candidate controversy
• Mention of a Reform candidate being suspended over alleged Covid loan misuse
• Used as an example of how election campaigns expose candidate problems
• Assisted dying vote at Holyrood
• Review of the bill being defeated
• Focus on lobbying, safeguards, and why MSPs may have changed position
• Parliament doing its job
• Argument that rejecting a bill after detailed scrutiny is part of how democracy should work
• Emphasis on lawmakers judging the actual legislation, not just the principle
• War in Iran and economic fallout
• The conflict presented as the biggest external event shaping politics
• Concern about its effects on oil, gas, inflation, and wider economic stability
• Risk of a new cost-of-living crisis
• Discussion of rising energy bills, persistent mortgage pressure, and fewer hopes of interest-rate cuts
• Question of whether the UK is heading into “cost of living crisis part two”
• Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Labour instability
• Discussion of shrinking fiscal headroom and pressure on the government
• Speculation about Starmer’s future and Angela Rayner positioning herself for a leadership move
• A broader failure of political honesty
• Final theme that politicians are not being frank with voters about the scale of the economic problems
• Suggestion that leadership across politics is avoiding hard truths

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.

On the eve of the SNP's one day conference ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May, the party looks like winning on around a third of the vote but with little talk of Independence. What now for the SNP? Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie discuss.

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.

The conflict in Iran has given cover to a lot of stories in the news this week but Bernard and Alex are on watch. Sally Donald has stood down as an SNP candidate amid allegations and the candidacy and position of Irshad Ahmad on the Labour Lothian list is drawing controversy. A warning for all parties that there may be more to come. Also, the challenges facing the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

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 new MRP "Mega Poll" is showing that the SNP are on track for a landslide victory in the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election with tactical voting working in their favour.

Plus, in the wake of Labour's By Election defeat (coming third behind the Greens and Reform UK) and refusing Andy Burnham's application to be a candidate, was Anas Sarwar right all along to call for Keir Starmer to resign?

Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie discuss.

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 discuss political accusations made of the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC. They explain the nature of her role, the controversies and pontential conflicts of interest and ask if it's time for reform of the Lord Advocate's position.

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.

What a week in politics

Bernard and Alex discuss the newspaper reports on the charges Peter Murrell (Nicola Sturgeon's former husband) will face in court and analyse where Anas Sarwar's calls for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to resign in the wake of the Epstein / Mandelson scandal have left the Scottish Labour Leader in the run up to the Scottish Parliament Elections.

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.

Recorded on the morning of Friday 6th Feb 2026 (It may all have changed by lunchtime)

Includes a moment to reflect on the life of Alex's Father, Allan Massie, who died earlier this week.

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.