Madness, Jelly Babies & Council Decisions...What’s the Point?This week on What’s the Point?, Greg and Gerry dive into the madness at North Lanarkshire Council, including the Aquatec debate reaches the upcoming council budget meeting, who had the Aquatec saved and who didn't? We also unpack the moment we (loosely) decided a 7% Council Tax hike during a cost of living crisis was wholly appropriate. NLC Labour, standing shoulder to shoulder with you, its just you need to carry the load. Expect straight talking, a few laughs (including some jelly baby moments), and a proper look at how decisions affecting local communities are really made.

What’s the Point?This week on What’s the Point?, Greg Lennon is joined by co-host Gerry Brennan for a packed episode tackling some of the biggest decisions facing North Lanarkshire right now.🏊 Save the Aquatec – We continue the discussion for those fighting to protect this vital community facility. What’s really going on? What are the options? And who’s making the decisions?💷 North Lanarkshire Council Budget & Council Tax Setting (This Thursday) – What does the budget actually mean for residents? Where is the money going? And are households about to pay more while services continue to shrink?🏗️ Planning Enforcement in NLC – Is it being applied fairly? Why do some developments seem to face strict action while others appear to avoid scrutiny? We dig into transparency, consistency, and accountability.As always, we ask the questions others won’t — and yes, there’s a bit of humour along the way. Because if you don’t laugh, you’d cry.This episode covers:Community facilities under threatCouncil tax pressures on familiesBudget priorities and political responsibilityPlanning enforcement and fairnessIf you care about how decisions are made in North Lanarkshire — and how they affect your pocket, your services, and your community — this episode is for you.👇 Join the conversation:Like & subscribe for weekly episodesComment your thoughts (we actually read them)Share this with anyone who wants straight talking, not spinPolitics. Accountability. A bit of sarcasm.That’s What’s the Point?

On this weeks What’s the Point?,We’re joined by key representatives from the Save the Aquatec campaign, who explain exactly what’s at risk, how this decision has been handled, and why people across North Lanarkshire are saying enough is enough.And yes, we couldn’t resist turning the spotlight back on Jim Logue and the Labour administration, whose talent for ducking responsibility is matched only by their confidence in making bad decisions behind closed doors.In this episode:🔥 The real story behind the Aquatec closure🏛️ How North Lanarkshire Council keeps getting it wrong🎭 A few well-earned laughs at political incompetence🎤 Community voices you won’t hear anywhere elseThis isn’t party spin.It’s not polite politics.It’s people asking “What’s the Point?” and demanding answers.👇 Get involved:Like & subscribe for weekly episodesDrop your views in the commentsShare this with anyone who uses Aquatec or cares about local services

This week on What’s the Point? North Lanarkshire’s political drama hits boiling point or a mild boil.The Aquatec leisure centre in Motherwell is marked for closure buried in committee papers with a delayed webcast, outlandish costs, and no resistance at committee from any of the so called opposition.Meanwhile, the NLC SNP Group cries “anti-democratic!” not in the chamber but on Facebook, yet every one of them still happily accepts a wage enhancement from the Labour administration. Opposition on the books… And in national news, Anas Sarwar stepped up to challenge the PM— or did he? Was this a principled stand or a spectacular own goal? Should he resign as Scottish Labour Leader?We unpack all this and more, unfiltered, unafraid, and on air.📻 Listen live Tuesdays 7PM on 107.7FM (Listen Lanarkshire)📲 Catch the podcast Thursdays on Spotify, Apple, and all major platforms🎥 TikTok/YouTube: @whats.the.point.p#aquatech #NorthLanarkshire #AnasSarwar #snp #labour #counciltax #scottishpolitics #whatsthepoint

What’s the Point? Episode 37: "Regional Lists, Rogue Leaders & the SNP’s North Lanarkshire Problem"This week on What’s the Point? we’re lifting the lid on the SNP’s internal power plays from the corridors of North Lanarkshire Council to the regional list campaigns kicking off across the country.Greg and Gerry are joined by special guest Cllr David Crichton as they tackle the latest political storm:Why is SNP Group Leader Tracy Carragher launching a regional list campaign while still dodging questions about past scandals?Is the 1-2 SNP Strategy fooling anyone? Is North Lanarkshire Council a functioning democratic body or just a political puppet show?We also get into whether local parties are serving the public — or just protecting each other, as ex-Labour figures quietly help maintain the same old power structures.📱 Follow us on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram📺 Don’t forget to hit Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more unfiltered Scottish political chat.#WhatsthePointPodcast #ScottishPolitics #SNP #NorthLanarkshire #PoliticalSatire #IndependentCouncillors #RegionalList #TracyCarragher #LocalGovernment #CouncilTax #TiktokLive

This week on What’s the Point? we're joined by Cllr Graham Campbell from Glasgow City Council a longtime activist, internationalist, and voice of Scotland’s radical left.We’re asking some big, uncomfortable questions:Are our councils really working for the people… or just serving the party machines?What does democracy look like in Glasgow versus North Lanarkshire?Is it time to ditch party politics at the local level entirely?And with Holyrood elections on the horizon, is meaningful change even possible under the current system? Greg and Gerry don’t hold back, especially when the ghost of Big Jim Logue looms large in the North Lanarkshire chamber, where ex-Labour loyalists keep voting like they never left.We compare council functions, leadership cultures, and the real-life impact of centralised political control.Oh, and we’re LIVE on TikTok throughout, giving you the chance to jump in and challenge the spin.Real politics. Local power. No pre-approved scripts.This is What’s the Point?

This week on What’s the Point? we're joined by Cllr Graham Campbell from Glasgow City Council a longtime activist, internationalist, and voice of Scotland’s radical left.We’re asking some big, uncomfortable questions:Are our councils really working for the people… or just serving the party machines?What does democracy look like in Glasgow versus North Lanarkshire?Is it time to ditch party politics at the local level entirely?And with Holyrood elections on the horizon, is meaningful change even possible under the current system? Greg and Gerry don’t hold back, especially when the ghost of Big Jim Logue looms large in the North Lanarkshire chamber, where ex-Labour loyalists keep voting like they never left.We compare council functions, leadership cultures, and the real-life impact of centralised political control.Oh, and we’re LIVE on TikTok throughout, giving you the chance to jump in and challenge the spin.Real politics. Local power. No pre-approved scripts.This is What’s the Point?

EPISODE 36. Bonnie Prince Bob, North Lanarkshire vs Edinburgh CouncilsThis week on What’s the Point?, Greg, Gerry, and special guest Bonnie Prince Bob take the gloves off for a no-holds-barred look at local democracy or what’s left of it.We’re comparing Edinburgh City Council and North Lanarkshire Council, two very different beasts when it comes to public engagement, transparency, and serving the people. Are councils still working for communities, or have they become party-controlled fiefdoms?We ask:Is there any point in having political parties at local level anymore?Are Independents the last ones actually representing their communities?Is North Lanarkshire more like a council… or a political training camp for party loyalists?And with the Scottish Parliament elections looming, we dig into the bigger question: is change even possible when the same old party machines keep spinning?📱 PLUS: We go LIVE on TikTok to hear what YOU think, and no, we didn’t mute you like a certain council leader might.If you like satire, truth bombs, and calling out the nonsense, you’re in the right place.🟥 Don’t forget to like, follow and subscribe. Thanks

This week on What’s the Point?, democracy meets the Dark Side.In an episode inspired by a galaxy not so far away, we break down a chaotic week at North Lanarkshire Council, where procedure, power, and points of order took centre stage.We look closely at the widening budget crisis, and the growing concern that decision-making at NLC is becoming increasingly officer-led and tightly controlled through process.And yes, we also discuss events in the chamber this week, where multiple Points of Order were ruled out under Standing Order 14, before the basis of those points could even be heard.Presiding over it all was the Lord Provost himself, Kenny Duffy, “the Lord of the Dark Side”: wielder of the gavel, master of the instant ruling, and guardian of order… whether anyone finishes a sentence or not.Along the way, we cover:• The Audit Scotland report and what it really says about governance at NLC• A projected £136.9m budget gap and why a “strategic shift” is now unavoidable• Claims of officer-led structures and diminished councillor influence• Recent committee resignations and the fight to return power to Full Council• The growing tension between democratic debate and procedural controlThis episode uses satire, humour, and evidence-based discussion to explore a serious question:Is procedure being used to support democracy — or to manage it out of the room?🎙️ What’s the Point? is a political education show focused on transparency, governance, and how local democracy actually works.📻 Live every Tuesday at 7pm on Listen Lanarkshire 107.7 FM🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and TikTok📚 Full back catalogue from the past year available nowIf you care about how North Lanarkshire Council is run, and who really holds the gavel, this episode is for you.

This week on What’s the Point?, we dive deep into Audit Scotland’s damning report on North Lanarkshire Council and the picture isn’t pretty.

From a projected £136.9 million budget gap, to collapsing public satisfaction, to a Programme of Work described as heavily officer-led, this report raises serious questions about how the council is being run, who is setting the direction, and where accountability actually sits.

We break down the key findings, including:

• A £136.9m budget gap over the next five years after a 10% council tax rise
• Audit Scotland warning that a “strategic shift is now essential”
• A Programme of Work that was heavily officer-led, with limited member influence
• 243 transformation projects (including Town and Community Hubs) with no clear evidence of benefits
• 73% of satisfaction indicators declining in the last year alone
• 91% decline in satisfaction measures since baseline
• Major failings in adult social work, environmental services, culture and leisure
• A £12.2m underspend that still masks long-term financial risk
• Reserves at less than 1% of annual spend, with no clear target level
• A trading operation that failed its legal duty to break even for the third year running
• Concerns over senior officer early-retirement decisions that lacked proper documentation and scrutiny

If you care about transparency, accountability, and how your council is being run, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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Let’s talk about what’s really going on in North Lanarkshire.