The Scottish Independence Podcast

This new special short episode is either going to make you laugh or make you feel you've been dragged into a strange otherworld.

That's all I'm saying.

Hope you enjoy.

http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

For the 137th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I didn't speak to anyone.

It is instead one of those episodes where I am bringing you a bit of an interview by and with someone else because I think it is of importance and should be heard.

That someone else happens to be Manfred Weber, head of the largest group in the European Parliament. When pressed on Brexit by BBC Hardtalk, he took a fairly strong line, best summed up by the title of this episode.

He also had a few words about Scotland and the levels of (dis)organisation and (lack of) direction being shown the UK government.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS

http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07w9dnf/hardtalk-manfred-weber-mep-chairman-epp-group-european-parliament

For the 136th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I spoke with Robin McAlpine.

Robin is a political strategist and the Director of the Common Weal.

In the interview he doesn't waste any time getting on to what the thinks Yes supporters ought to be getting on with, and there is certainly a lot to chew on in interview.

We talked about both logistics and strategy and how they are both equally important. We also spoke of what messages we need to be sending out and how to react to the inevitable negative tactics we will face from the unionist side in the next referendum.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS

https://www.facebook.com/robin.mcalpine
http://www.allofusfirst.org/
http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

For the 135th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I spoke with Richard Walker.

Richard is now the consulting editor of The National, but was also involved in the formation of that paper and the decision made at the Sunday Herald to begin openly supporting Scottish independence.

We talked about those decisions and why they were made,and how The National has been getting on.

As well as that, we tried to get our heads around some of the unusual media appointments that have been made recently, and what could or should be done about the media in Scotland more generally.

And of course, I asked Richard why he supports Independence for Scotland.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS
https://twitter.com/richardwalker5
http://www.thenational.scot/
https://twitter.com/ScotNational
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

For the 134th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I spoke with Dr Craig Calzell.

Craig recently wrote a paper outlining the possible currency options for an independent Scotland. This is important work because an aspect of the Yes side that was much criticised during and after the 2014 referendum was the perceived lack of a strategy on what to do about currency. I say "perceived" because much of it came down to perception, not fact.

We talked about why the 2014 plan may or may not have been right at the time, but wouldn't be the correct strategy for indyref 2.

Would the Euro work? Scottish Pound? A crypto-currency?

We also talked about what the hell a crypto-currency actually is.

And of course, I asked Craig why he supports Independence for Scotland.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS
https://twitter.com/thecommongreen
https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/8920/explained-9-new-independent-scotland-currency-options-laid-out-new-report
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

"The next referendum will be won in the years from now forward, rather than the months running up to it." - Tommy Sheppard

For the 133rd episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I spoke with Tommy Sheppard, MP for Edinburgh East.

Tommy has been involved in politics in Scotland and the UK for a number of years in a number of different ways and as I'm sure you all know, is now standing to become the Deputy Leader of the SNP.

We talked about Tommy's earlier political activities and how he arrived at where he is now. We also got on to what, if elected (or even if not), he would like to see change within the SNP.

Finally, as ever with a first-time guest, I asked Tommy why he personally supports Scottish Independence.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS

https://twitter.com/TommySheppard
http://tommysheppardmp.scot/
http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

For the 132nd episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I got in touch with Danny McGregor.

Danny is a member of the Scottish Greens and is campaigning for Indyref 2. He also recently wrote an article for Bella Caledonia in which he talked about the various possibilities for the timing of the second independence referendum. There are those that think we have to seize the moment of uncertainty that exists now. Others suggest that we have to wait until the polls are steadily showing a large lead for yes.

These are difficult options to juggle, and they were the main focus of our discussion.

Also, if you remember episode 129 in which I interviewed lots of people at the March for Indy, I found some interviews that were accidentally not included in that special episode (they were in a different folder), and wanted to put them on one of the shows, so they are in this one. Those interviews include one Bob Duncan, who you may know from BBC Scotlandshire.

Hope you enjoy.

LINKS

https://twitter.com/dannym_1984
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2016/08/15/unleashing-scotland-resisting-the-chorus-of-caution/
http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheScottishIndependencePodcast

For the 131st episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I spoke with Sharon Dolan-Powers, who I suspect most of you will know by another, or indeed by one of her projects.

Sharon is not a native Scot, but came to the country and got involved in politics on the Yes side of the Indy debate.

We talked about those decisions and her reasons for them. We also discussed disability issues in the UK and Scotland as, due to family circumstances and her work, she has a good knowledge of the subject. Furthermore, as someone not from Scotland originally, she provides an interesting perspective on the Scottish cringeFinally, and at the risk of giving away where she comes from, we had a wee natter about Trump.

Hope you enjoy...

LINKS

https://twitter.com/patronsaintofca
https://twitter.com/mgreenwell
http://www.shop-scotland.com/thebonnybadgecompany.html
http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com/

For the 130th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I went along to the Glasgow office of the Common Space.

I tried to find out how the project got started, who works there, how they work and their plans for the future.

I spoke with Angela Haggerty, Ben Wray, Aidan McCrae, Stuart Rodger, Alice Muir, Maxine Blaine (who definitely isn't Robin McAlpine) and Tiffany Kane.

Listening to these conversations, I think you'll get a feel for who is working there and their motivations. Those motivations and ambitions are journalistic, political, economic, technological and others.

Hope you enjoy...

For the 129th episode of The Scottish Independence Podcast, I went along to the March For Indy in Glasgow on Saturday 30th July.

Somewhere north of 5000 people walked from the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow to George Square, where there were stalls, speeches and an appearance from Bikers for Indy. A fair few of them went to the pub afterwards too.

As I was walking along, I took the opportunity to ask the people marching why they had decided to come along for the day, and this podcast contains those answers.

As well as the many people that I didn't have time to swap details with, the podcast includes contributions from Veterans for Indy, Yes Midlothian, Simone Charlesworth, Robert Sommyne, Paul Kavanagh, CND Scotland, English Scots for Yes and Angela Haggerty.

These podcasts are independently minded and independently funded, you can help to keep them going by making a donation.