Episodes
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Martin Geissler on the BBC's new Scottish news podcast.
A new episode of Scotcast is published every Monday to Wednesday by 5pm.
Get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected]
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In our final episode, the team look back at 6 years of change and chaos in politics. How does this week's row over WASPI women and Labour's new government link back to former PM Theresa May trying wrangle a Brexit deal through during her premiership? How did the constitutional debate develop, and where did that leave parties like the SNP? The team reflect on half a decade of intense politics, from pandemics to protests, supreme court wrangling to parliamentary clashing.
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Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney sits down with Podlitical. The First Minister talks about becoming SNP leader right before the UK general election was called, how he worried his party faced a wipeout when the polls closed, and how he believed he was "the only person on the planet who could turn it around" for the SNP following a bruising period under former First Minister Humza Yousaf. Swinney talks about the realisation he'd entered a "government bubble", why he believes the SNP is back on the front foot post-Scottish budget, and how he wants to make Scottish independence a "compelling proposition".
For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.
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The team discuss Labour's "reset" plans, and politicking ramping up in Holyrood. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Labour's "Plan for Change", but how has it gone down with the electorate, and Scottish Labour MSPs? As the 2026 Holyrood election continues to approach, the politicking ramps up in Holyrood, following the Scottish Budget, and polls suggesting Scottish Labour might not be on as sure footing as it may have hoped. And, with new leaders for both the UK and Scottish Conservatives, where do they fit into the upcoming electoral picture, as Nigel Farage's Reform UK threatens to make waves in the upcoming elections?
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Was the pound in your pocket or politicking at the heart of the Scottish budget? The team are joined by economist Dr João Sousa, Deputy Director at the Fraser of Allander Institute, at the University of Strathclyde, to deep dive into the Scottish Government budget this week. From surprises over the vow to scrap the two child benefit cap, tinkering with tax, and scrutiny over spending priorities, the team discuss both the financial and political implications of the budget, as the SNP hope to woo voters ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election, and win over opposition parties to enable the budget to be passed.
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As MPs back proposals for assisted dying in England & Wales, what's next for Scotland? Podlitical's Rajdeep Sandhu sits down with two MPs and two MSPs who are split on support/opposition for assisted dying - Scottish Labour's Graeme Downie MP, Scottish Conservative Murdo Fraser MSP, Scottish Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur MSP, and the SNP's Seamus Logan MP - to discuss the implications of the assisted dying vote in Westminster on Scotland, and the upcoming bill in Holyrood on assisted dying, as well as what it was like to be in the room of such an important vote. What lessons can be learned from the Westminster debate, and will a devolved approach to assisted dying work?
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The team talk winter fuel payments in Scotland, immigration, and assisted dying. Ahead of next week's Scottish Government budget, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has told Holyrood that every pensioner in Scotland will receive a winter fuel payment next year. What does this mean for Scotland's finances and what does it say about the battlegrounds being laid for the 2026 Holyrood election? Plus, immigration figures are out, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer accusing the previous Conservative government of running an "open borders experiment", as Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage claims the party has hit 100 thousand members, and MPs are set to debate assisted dying in England and Wales.
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Farmers protest inheritance tax changes, and budget manoeuvres continue in Holyrood. This week saw thousands of farmers descend on the capital to protest Labour's changes to inheritance tax, while Labour claims the existing rules around inheritance tax aren't fair nor sustainable. In Holyrood, the row over Stephen Flynn's ambition to run as an MSP while staying on as an MP continues, and Scottish Parliament sees both the Scottish Government and opposition parties laying the political groundwork ahead of December's Scottish Budget. Plus, splits between UK Labour and Scottish Labour as leader Anas Sarwar pledges to expand eligibility for the winter fuel payment if they form the next Scottish government.
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The National Care Service is delayed and the build-up to Holyrood 2026 continues. With the announcement that the National Care Service has been delayed, but not dropped according to the Scottish Government, and the original vision set out by former First Minister Sturgeon looking further away, what might be the fate of the National Care Service in Scotland, and might there be a UK version like Labour set out in its manifesto? Plus, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has caused a stir by putting his name forward to stand as an MSP in the 2026 Holyrood election, while also hoping to stay on as an MP in Westminster, and the Labour government frets over potential Trump tariffs.
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What does the new US president-elect Donald Trump mean for Scotland and the wider UK? From threats of tariffs, to campaign clashes with the Labour leadership, the team discuss the implications of a Trump presidency on the UK, including the risk of export tariffs for Scotch whisky, and the kind of relationship the US and UK may have for the next four years. With new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch taking her post this week, and Trump ally Nigel Farage's Reform UK seeing success in the UK general election, what influence might Trump's politics have on the national conversation?
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Podlitical sits down with Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to talk budgets. Kate Forbes, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, and MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, chats with Podlitical following Labour's first budget in 14 years, discussing how she and the SNP-led Scottish Government feel it's a "step in the right direction" but worries for Scotland's pensioners, farmers, and the feeling of "betrayal" within the whisky sector. Forbes lays out how the SNP "took on the chin" the general election result, and how the minority SNP Government look to pass legislation like the Scottish Budget by "governing from the mainstream" and building consensus around plans such as a National Care Service. Plus, is she staying up to watch the US election results come in?
For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.
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Podlitical breaks down the tax and spend on Labour's first Budget in 14 years. What implications do Chancellor Reeves' announcements have for Scotland, and the upcoming Scottish Government budget later this year? The team are joined by Mairi Spowage, Director at the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde to deep dive into the taxation and spending plans, which Government departments see gains and which see cuts, and discuss at who might win, and who might lose out.
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With less than a week before the UK budget, is Chancellor Reeves playing fiscal chess? The team discuss the upcoming budget, and what it might mean for Scotland in terms of spending, cuts, and taxation, and if we can expect any "rabbits out the hat". Also, Scottish and UK politicians find themselves in an international row after Donald Trump accuses Labour of "foreign interference" following the news of Labour activists campaigning for the Harris-Waltz camp in the United States, and an anecdote on accidentally doorstepping a candidate in a bathroom as the Tory leadership contest continues.
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The team discuss the latest on Salmond's death, and the likelihood of big budget reveals. Following the news that former First Minister Alex Salmond's body is being flown back by a private individual, the team discuss the row (that perhaps wasn't a row) over using the RAF to return Salmond to the UK, and what the loss of Salmond means to the independence movement going forward. Also, in Westminster, journalists and politicians alike hold their breath as they wait to see the potential teases of what might be in Labour's first budget at the end of the month.
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Podlitical discusses the legacy, life, and career of former First Minister Alex Salmond. Phil Sim sits down with BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell and political correspondent David Porter, to share their memories of Alex Salmond, the interviews they did with him, how his career from the early days to Alba was defined by rebellion, his impact on Scottish politics, and more.
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The team get conspiratorial over the Tory leadership race, and discuss budget 'nuggets'. With the news that candidate for Conservative leadership James Cleverly was knocked out of the race, leaving Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick as the last two running, the team discuss what went wrong for Cleverly as conspiracies fly around the corridors of Westminster. Plus, what more do we know about Labour's first budget coming at the end of October, and the new Council of Nations and Regions is set to meet. What will Scotland's First Minister John Swinney focus on discussing, and is this the start of a closer working relationship between the administrations?
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The deputy leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats sits down with Podlitical. MP for North East Fife Wendy Chamberlain chats about her varied career, from working in the police force to becoming deputy leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, as well as chief whip and pensions spokesperson for the UK Liberal Democrats. Chamberlain explains how being an MP is the "best job" she's ever had, her background coming from a police family, how she joined the Lib Dems in 2015 after "crying at Nick Clegg on the telly", and the work of being a whip.
For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.
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The team talk conference contentment, the national care service, and Taylor Swift. Why did the Conservatives seem so upbeat during the Birmingham conference? Why is the Labour donations row still dominating the news cycle several weeks in? Podlitical discusses the week's news, including Prime Minister Starmer returning £6k in gifts following a continuing row over donations, the new Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay settling into the role, and the unusually upbeat Conservative Conference for a party who just faced defeat in the General Election. Also, what's happening with the national care service in Scotland after local authorities voted to withdraw support?
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The team dissect the weekend's Labour conference, and Douglas Ross' final FMQs. After delegates met in Liverpool, have we learnt more about what Labour will deliver? Have they managed to reframe the gloomy economic outlook as a message of hope? Rajdeep shares her experience at conference, and talks about the mood on the ground with the Scottish MPs. Also, the Scottish Conservative leadership contest is reaching its conclusion, and Douglas Ross takes part in his final FMQs as opposition leader. What does new leadership hold for the party, as Holyrood eyes up the 2026 election?
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Scottish Conservatives' leadership candidate Meghan Gallacher sits down with Podlitical. The MSP for Central Scotland sets out her vision for the Scottish Conservatives if she wins the leadership contest, including why she's calling for repair and unity after the contest because "broken parties don't win elections", the infighting reported on during the contest, her resignation as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives and how she felt she wasn't in the room when decisions were being taken by Douglas Ross. Gallacher also sets out her thoughts on a broader UK Conservative movement, which she hopes can come together "as a team" across devolved nations.
For a full range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.
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