The Lesley Riddoch Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lesley Riddoch and Pat Joyce
Scottish politics dissected from a left, pro-independence stance. Each week, award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Lesley Riddoch chews over the week’s news with former media lecturer and Dundee United fan, Pat Joyce. If you like intelligent, quirky chat about Scottish society and culture, and Scottish, UK and international politics analysed from a Scottish perspective; this podcast is for you.
We certainly cover a lot of ground in this week's episode.
Kicking off ( pun definitely intended) with the retreat by Richard Turfitt on the draconian proposed restrictions on travelling Scottish football fans. The consultation document resulted in almost unanimous consensus in opposition right across the political spectrum.
The decision by the Lord Advocate Doroth Bain that it would “not be in the public interest to prosecute drug users” possessing drugs within a consumption room were one to be created." has also sparked surprising agreement among political parties with even the Scottish Tories supporting the ruling and the establishment of a pilot scheme in Glasgow. However Suella Braverman and the UK government seem set against the idea. Will this lead to a Scottish Tory rebellion?
The Conservatives staved off a backbench revolt,led by Alok Sharma, on maintaining the ban on on-shore wind farm developments. However the latest auction of offshore licences proved a predictable disaster.
One of several facing an increasingly chaotic UK government sailing in the face of expert and public opinion.
This followed on from the report by the Commons International Development Committee on the unitended consequences of the Illegal Migration Act,which we explore.
There has also been vehement and complete opposition to the Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy and Reconciliation Act from all Northern Ireland's political parties, the Irish government, victims' families and civic groups. Is the act a cover up for the so called "Dirty War"?
Meanwhile there's trouble at t'mill or at least the TUC Congress 2023 with Unite leading the campaign for Labour not to roll back on workers rights and public ownership. The level of trust in an incoming Labour government might be judged by the motion passed calling for employment law to be devolved to Scotland.
However, it does appear from all that's coming out of Labour HQ that all this has fallen on Blairite deaf ears.
If you're interested in the "Break Up of Britain" conference memtioned by Lesley you can find out more and book tickets here
https://thebreakupofbritain.net/
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thebreakupofbritain/936799
All this plus reports back on Lesley's Thrive tour, house sitting adventures, and Pat's technical demands.
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Humza Yousaf delivered the SNP's Programme for Government for the next parliamentary year and we give our immediate reaction to the major proposals he outlined.
Lesley was a speaker,and marcher,at the Edinburgh Believe in Scotland rally last Saturday. She talks about what it was like,the significance of the First Minister's attendance,and why it was about so much more than the numbers.
Sir Keir Starmer has just completed his Shadow Cabinet reshuffle and what appears to be the completion of his purging of any vestiges of the Labour left. Where does this leave Scottish Labour?
Rishi Sunak has also been rearranging the deckchairs on his own personal Titanic as the row over RAAC looks like another nail in Tory electoral hopes.
Lesley's Thrive tour continues.If you fancy popping along here's a list of upcoming events
https://www.luath.co.uk/thrive-tour
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Lesley's back frae film making in Denmark and the first part of this week's episode are her hame thochts frae abroad. Not giving the game away too much but safe to say she loved what she saw and reflects on what Scotland can and should learn from our Nordic neighbour.
One of the other benefits of being away and so busy has been her non exposure to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. So she missed the online stooshie over what exactly Kezia Dugdale said about Scottish independence at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Being one of the other guests at that event Lesley sets the record straight.
Yet another Land Reform Bill is about to be presented to the Scottish Parliament.Will it "turbocharge land reform" as Michael Russell claims it needs to? Lesley argues in her latest article in The National that land ownership and local democracy are not only the key to a fairer Scotland but are absolutely essential to creating confidence in independence.
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Seamas Carey is a Cornish artist/bloke best known for the podcast series The Reason Why, a humorous and thought-provoking exploration of the social issues and culture wars of contemporary Cornwall.
He's making his Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut, in a one-man comedy show about "second homes, xenophobia and bagpipes": Help! I Think I’m A Nationalist.
Seamas has watched a wave of gentrification sweep through his hometown in Cornwall. There’s nowhere to live - yet second homes stand empty. At a time when house prices are rocketing, tensions appear to be rising and full-time residents are quickly dwindling in numbers, he asks us if Cornwall is a nation in its own right, or just a holiday destination and playground for the rich?
Seamas is appearing at Lyceum Studio, Venue 593
Dates: 8 – 27 Aug (not 14, 21) Time: 14:30 (75 mins)
To buy tickets go tohttps://lyceum.org.uk/whats-on/production/help-i-think-im-a-nationalist
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In this week's episode we ask whether Humza Yousaf will live up to his promise of being "First Activist" and reach out to the broader independence movement,no matter how far out of the SNP comfort zone that takes him.
We also compare and contrast the differing fates of two SNP elected outliers,Fergus Ewing and Angus MacNeil.
Opprobium has been heaped on the Bute House Agreement and it has taken much of the blame for the fall in support for the SNP. Is this justified?
As the Bibby Stockholm lies empty due to Legionella when will the underlying issues fuelling the rise in asylum seeking and migration be tackled?
Former US Vice President and climate activist Al Gore did exactly that recently
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZC6da4mco
But,will either the Tories or Labour address these as the culture wars/stop the boats narrative is stoked in the run up to the General Election?
We also pay tribute to Sinead O'Connor as well as meandering on cycling and tangerine dreams.
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As Lee Anderson tells asylum seekers to "F###k off back to France", if they don't like living on a barge, and Sunak claims the opposition are mounting an attack on motorists we examine the developing culture war narratives the Tories will spin at the next General Election.
Grant Shapps on BBC Radio 4's World at One trotted out the line that the UK is leading the world on transition to Net Zero. Lesley looks at the reality behind the claim.
As the first asylum seekers take up occupation on the Bibby Stockholm ,barge and the Home Office issues threats to those refusing to board we try and go behind the media headlines and show why the asylum system is so broken and the sheer brass neck of the Tory attempts to deflect attention away from its failings and the fact they've been in charge of it for 13 years.
Along the way we talk, politicians at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, loch swimming, and appearing on the Jeremy Vine Show.
Lesley continues her Thrive tour. If you fancy popping along, here's the link
https://www.luath.co.uk/thrive-tour
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Rishi Sunak(private) jetted up to Scotland for his big announcements on UK energy strategy. We try and pick our way through Tory sleight of hand to analyse the reality behind his claims on the UK becoming energy independent,driving down energy prices,and increasing energy security all by granting 100s more oil and gas exploration licences. While still pursuing Net Zero.
Patrick Harvie was on GMS answering attacks,from Labour peer Lord Haughey, on the Scottish Government's heat pump policy. Lesley asks why the district heating solution so prevalent in the Nordics seems to be being shoved to one side.
The Protect Loch Tay petition has now received over 25000 signatures and a recent public meeting co-convened by Pete Wishart MP,John Swinney MSP and attended Mark Ruskell MSP, seems to have galvanised local and national opposition to the proposed development of a gated millionaires' community at Kenmore.But what does this dispute say about the broader issues of land ownership in Scotland?
If you want to sign the petition follow this link
https://www.change.org/p/protect-loch-tay
All this plus Barbie, the movie, where Lesley and Pat seem to disagree but......
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The recent English byelection results have thrown the possibility of a Labour government after the next general election into sharp relief.
We examine those results and the messages both Labour and the Tories seem to be taking from,in particular,Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Will they both jettison their Net Zero commitments for short term political expediency?
The Labour National Policy Forum,despite pressure from Unite and Momentum, endorsed Starmer's economic and social policies,rejecting,without a vote, amendments to abolish the two child benefit cap,institute a £15 per hour minimum wage, expand free school meals, and repeal anti-protest laws. Where,yet again, does this leave Scottish Labour?
We also ask if Scottish Labour will stand up for the Scottish Parliament against attacks on its powers emanating from Labour Lord George Foulkes with support from the Conservative government?
Chris Hanlon has,or has he,launched a bid to oust Humza Yousaf as leader of the SNP. What's behind the headlines and was his approach wise?
The snap Spanish general election has resulted not in the predicted victory for the Right/Far Right but a hung parliament where "regional" parties could flex their muscle to secure significant concessions in return for supporting the return of a Socialist government. What could all this mean for Catalonian independence?
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Lesley's back frae her grand tour and it's provided her with plenty of food for thought on Brexit,land ownership,rural housing and the power of story to reconnect us with Scotland's past and potential future.
Sir Keir Starmer is fond of repeating Harold Wilson's famous quote that Labour is a moral crusade or it is nothing. In the light of his abandonment of the pledge to get rid of the two child benefit cap, on top of all the other policy u-turns, we ask just what does Labour now actually stand for?
We also look at the contortions performed by Anas Sarwar,Jackie Bailie, and Douglas Alexander et al to maintain the fiction that they oppose the cap,support Starmer's position, and it's all the fault of the SNP.
The House of Lords caved in last night as all its amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill were defeated. The peers didn't even use their powers to delay the legislation for the permitted 12 months. Meanwhile a,mainly, Red Wall group of Tory MPs,The New Conservatives, have come up with a plan to circumvent the illegality of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.Ship them off to a "remote(sic) Scottish island".
There are thoughts on Thursday's three by elections, Dr Philipa Whitford's announcement that she won't be seeking re-election, and the September 2nd Indy rally.
If you're inspired to experience Dundreggan after listening to Lesley find out more here
https://visitdundreggan.co.uk/
And to buy tickets for the tour
https://treesforlife.digitickets.co.uk/tickets
Plus,yet another, Pat promises the last, chap at the door interruption.
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After the marathon political catch- up last week we have more of a meander through various topics this episode.
We reflect on Mhairi Black's announcement that she, along with currently six other SNP MPs, won't be standing for re-election,the toxicity and the allure of Westminster and its bubble.
Much is being made of tensions,even splits,in the SNP but all is not well in the Labour Party. It looks like left leaning candidates are not being selected and there's disquiet over shifts in policy over public ownership, green policies, and an acceptance of Tory fiscal policy. Despite the acceptance by Anas Sarwar of UK Labour's " No" will there be a Holyrood rebellion supporting the Scottish Government's decriminalisation of drug possession and use proposals?
Lesley reflects on her Scottish "Thrive" tour and her soggy Highland bike holiday.
Pat,meanwhile,manages to shoehorn Scottish independence into his house move.
Both wax lyrical on the great Saint Andrew and the Woollen Mill. Follow the links below to vanish into the world o Dundee rap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWOFK7M0QBM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c4l_T3KRNo&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T14t0Be4moU
Lesley completes the cultural exchange with an introduction to Gaelic poet Duncan Ban Macintyre and his epic nature poem In Praise of Ben Dorain
"Honour over every ben
has Ben Dorain;
of all I have seen beneath the sun,
I adore her:
long, unbroken moor,
storehouse of deer.
Upland that is clearly
worth talking of
coppices of boughs,
woodland where grass grows,
elegant are those
whose abode it is.
The hind with the taper-
head sniffing so keenly,
with sensitive sharp nostril
exploring the wind:
short-tailed and long-shanked
on mountainous summit
she stays in her fastness
lest gun-fire deceive her;
although when she hurries
she utters no wheezes.
The hind’s in the forest
as she ought to be,
where she grazes on sweet grass,
clean, fine-bladed,
heath-rush and deer-grass,
herbs full of substance
to put fat and tallow
upon her loins.
The hind is in this little glen,
and no unskilled fool
could stalk her if he did not know of
making contact with her quietly;
guarding against her warily,
drawing near before she stirs,
cautiously, most toilsomely,
lest she should sense him.
Honour over every ben
has Ben Dorain;
of all I have seen beneath the sun,
I adore her:
long, unbroken moor,
storehouse of deer.
Upland that is clearly
worth talking of
coppices of boughs,
woodland where grass grows,
elegant are those
whose abode it is."
To find out more go to
https://www.ardanaiseig.com/duncan-bans-monument/
Oh, and there's a surprise ending. Nae pauchlin and fast forwardin tae the finish noo.
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If a week is a long time in politics, what's a fortnight?
Yup, it's definitely a catch-up episode after the hiatus for the Joyce flit.
After a labyrinthine link from the Lord's test match to the SNP Independence Convention in Dundee we get down to analysing Humza's speech and strategy of "A vote for the SNP is a vote for independence", at the next General Election.
On a day when Orkney Council debated its future with the UK and Scotland we try and look behind the media feeding frenzy at the underlying issues of too much power being vested not only in Westminster and Holyrood but also in massive "local" authorities.
This American Independence Day also sees the “thanksgiving” ceremony at St Giles’ Cathedral where King Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland. Is it a piece of pointless vanity and should Humza attend?
The Climate Change Committee has issued a report condemning the UK government's lack of action on implementing its policies on meeting Net Zero and missing key opportunities to reap the benefits of a Green Industrial Revolution. Is Sunak,and indeed Starmer, too focused on fiscal targets to see the big picture?
And it's your last chance to buy Thrive for two weeks while Lesley is off cycling in the mists of Lochaber. You need to get your order in tonight to hit the post before she's on her way up the road on Wednesday.
https://lesleyriddoch.com/books/thrive
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In this podcast extra we speak with Naz Miah and Cameron Coyne of the Dunfermline Yes Hub. Cam and Naz are definitely from the younger generation of indy supporters and, in addition to all their activism, have been producing videos of folk telling their stories of how they came to support independence.
Lesley features in one of these and was so impressed with their energy, enthusiasm, and commitment that she knew we had to have them on the podcast.
After listening to them I think you'll agree with her.
If you want to find their channel on YouTube follow this link
https://www.youtube.com/@YesintheCity/featured
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There's a definite fin de siècle feel about Westminster these days reminiscent of the last days of the Major government in 1997.
The Prime Minister, who last weekend got all tough over Johnson's honours nominations, bottled the debate and vote on the Privileges Committee report, as did another 285 of his MPs. It duly passed but revealed the weakness of Sunak, and the extent, excluding the SNP, of mutual cross-party self-congratulation that permeated Tory and Labour benches.
Westminster operates within the framework of a partially written, uncoded, constitution where it is supreme and as the spectacle of the Privileges Committee Report debate was unfolding Humza Yousaf launched the Scottish Government's latest independence paper outlining the path to a written constitution in an independent Scotland. We discuss.
We also look at the SNP Special Conference in Dundee this weekend. Is it yet another talking shop where non-allgned Yessers like Lesley are there as "licensed dissenters"? Or will it be an opportunity for SNP members to "take back control"?
Sunak wasn't the only missing party leader at Westminster, Sir Keir Starmer was in Edinburgh promoting Labour's Great British Energy Company, to be based in Scotland. Has he outflanked the SNP enough on this to sway Scottish voters?
As the video emerged of the "Jingle to Mingle" party at Tory HQ the first phase of the Covid Inquiry saw excoriating condemnation by Professor Sir Michael Marmot not only of the failure to prepare for the pandemic, but the critical damage done by austerity to the NHS and to the health of the population.
David Cameron, of course, "didn't accept that description". Osborne, the other architect of the policy, is up next.
All this plus fitba, and Twitter bans for Joyce.
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It was some 72 hours in British politics beginning with the resignation as an MP on Friday by Boris Johnson,Nicola Sturgeon being arrested on Sunday, and the internal Tory Party fall out over Johnson's honours list
We try and pick through all this beginning,naturally, with the latest on Nicola Sturgeon and analyse the reaction not just from the media but from within the SNP with calls for her party membership to be suspended.
Meanwhile at Holyrood Lorna Slater announced the delay of DRS until October 2025 claiming the scheme had been sabotaged by the UK government. While some Yessers argue over who's to blame, Lesley suggests that the real point is that,once again, the will of the Scottish Parliament in a devolved area has been thwarted by an increasingly hostile Tory Party.
Despite our distaste we had to plunge into the mire of the Johnson honours list,the roll call of supporters and sycophants ennobled in it,and the reaction(Yes you Nadine Dorries) of those whose promised peerages disappeared.
All this plus an update on Lesley's "Thrive" tour,and some other meanderings.
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Professor Adam Tomkins,erstwhile Tory MSP,reckoned he'd scored a gotcha with his independence referendum dead parrot claim. However,given the Conservative track record in government, isn't "No to indyref2" all his party has to offer in Scotland? We also explore Labour's pitch to voters in particular its Green Prosperity Plan. How does this tally with Scottish Labour's opposition to LEZs?
Meanwhile the UK government and Boris Johnson are playing internal party politics with the Covid judicial inquiry.Answers to what went wrong during the pandemic contained in Whatsapp messages being denied as both sides play hide and seek with the truth.
What hope for DRS given the stance of the UK government as expressed by Alister Jack? Should the Scottish government abandon it altogether or put in place an "imperfect" non- glass alternative?
It takes a lot to get islanders riled up enough to get out and demonstrate but the good folk of South Uist finally have had enough of the ferry,lack of, situation. Lesley explains why.
All this plus encounters at Lord's cricket ground, classic musicals,and legends in concert.
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It was definitely some weekend for us.
Pat suffered the ignominy of his beloved Dundee United being relegated and Lesley braved Radio 1's Big Weekend in Camperdown Park.
The music event certainly led us down down some interesting rabbit holes about fame,fans,and faux rock stars.
The National also published an extract from Lesley's new book Thrive which tackles that old Scottish sporting trope of ,"It's the hope that kills you." and how it has permeated the Scot's psyche when it comes to running our own affairs, the fear of making mistakes, and the belief that somehow the fowk in charge ken best. Lesley also makes a plea for Humza Yousaf in particular and the SNP in general to embrace the campaigning efforts of Yes groups like the Chain Of Freedom.
Chain of Freedom are currently putting together a website - but have a Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/5785858594826639/
And a great wee video explainer here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZ2AvmigR0
If you want to read Thrive the first print run has almost sold out, so it'll be a week before there are more in But still 50 to go on https://lesleyriddoch.com/shop-mobile/thrive
Lesley also took part in an Aye Write event with former Labour MSP Neil Findlay whose new book Hope and Despair which he describes as "Lifting the lid on the murky world of Scottish politics " has just been published. Her reflections on this and the position of a Corbynite socialist in a Starmer Labour Party are well worth the listen.
All this plus the Viking head lump,honest it is a thing, in this week's episode.
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The Supreme Court decided last Wednesday that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for an advisory independence referendum. The rationale? Any result would either weaken or strengthen the sovereignty of the UK Parliament as it would be an expression of the democratic will of the Scottish people.
We examine the court's decision and ask whether it has revealed the reality of the "voluntary" union.
We also reflect on the success of the 15 Time for Scotland rallies. What do they tell us about the health of the Yes movement and what lessons can be learned for the future?
Five other rallies supporting Scotland's right to choose took place across Europe and Lesley talks about these, her recent trip to Iceland and what she learned there about the importance of a sense of cultural self.
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The Supreme Court's verdict on whether the Scottish Parliament can legislate for a Referendum Bill will be reached this Wednesday. Lesley has been one of the major driving forces behind the ever-growing number of rallies across Scotland, and increasingly across Europe, supporting Scotland's right to choose.
In the first part of the podcast, we focus on why these rallies, no matter the decision reached, are so important, and how Yessers can get involved'
If you want to know more about where and when you can join a rally click the link below
https://timeforscotland.scot/
"NHS leaders in Scotland have discussed abandoning the founding principles of the service by having the wealthy pay for treatment" was the headline on the BBC as James Cook broke the story that the idea of a "two tier service" had been discussed by NHS Chief Executives back in September during "brain-storming".
We pick apart the furore that erupted over the reporting, the faux outrage of the Tories,Labour, and Lib Dems, and try and get beneath that to the underlying pressures the Scottish NHS is under within the current constitutional arrangements.
Tory budgets seem to be like buses. You wait ages for one then two come along at the same time. Jeremy Hunt may seem like a "grown up" to the markets but what are the implications for ordinary folk of his Autumn Statement?
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There's been plenty speculation about the contents of Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement. Will there be tax rises? Where will the cuts in public spending fall?
Across most of the press, media, and other political parties(yes you Labour) it seems that Austerity 2 is not just inevitable but unavoidable. We question not just these implicit assumptions but also where that £50 billion "black hole" came from.
Dire predictions about a red Republican wave in the US mid-term elections were being made but the Democrats defied them and look like retaining a majority in the Senate though losing the House of Representatives. We reflect on the results and wonder if this is the end of Trump and his hold over the GOP.
Back in Scotland Labour MSP Alex Rowley has introduced the Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill which would force all new-build properties to meet the Passivhaus standards, include triple-glazed doors and windows, and increased insulation.
What chance of success does it have?
The campaign to hold rallies after the Supreme Court reaches its decision on Holyrood's ability to legislate for Indyref2 goes from strength to strength with eight now planned. If you want to sign up here's the link
https://timeforscotland.scot/
The football World Cup begins this weekend in Qatar. The buildup, Eh ken Scotland didnae qualify, has been distinctly underwhelming. Given the controversy surrounding the awarding of the tournament to Qatar, its record on LGBT rights, and treatment of migrant workers, is this any wonder?
Lesley also pays tribute to the late, great Mike Blackshaw
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23113972.mike-blackshaw-baton-passes-great-independence-campaigner-departs/
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After the "I've more important issues to deal with" Rishi Sunak has u-turned and gone to COP27. Greta Thunberg thinks the summit is about 'greenwashing, lying and cheating'. Is she right?
Meanwhile in Scotland a new generation of "green capitalists" is seeking to cash in on carbon offsetting. But at what cost to local communities, and has the resultant explosion in land values ruled out future community buy outs?
The UK government's handling of immigration and asylum seeking has done the unthinkable and united parliamentary voices from both the left and right in condemnation. Patel and Braverman have been playing the "invasion" and "overwhelming numbers" card but how well does that stand up to analysis?
Sir Keir Starmer redefined car crash interview with his appearance on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show. Why was he so woefully underprepared and poorly briefed? He, like Liz Truss before him, made it clear that even if the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament had the power to legislate for an independence referendum, he,if PM, would veto it.
If you want to sign up to be notified about the planned,peaceful,demonstrations to take place when the Supreme Court reaches its decision here's the link
https://timeforscotland.scot/
There's also a fabulous trad gig, With Love to Ukraine, on November 16th at the Eden Court in Inverness where the Highlands will pay tribute to Ukraine, its people and their struggle for freedom.
To buy tickets go to
https://eden-court.co.uk/event/with-love-to-ukraine
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After the "I've more important issues to deal with" Rishi Sunak has u-turned and gone to COP27. Greta Thunberg thinks the summit is about 'greenwashing, lying and cheating'. Is she right?
Meanwhile in Scotland a new generation of "green capitalists" is seeking to cash in on carbon offsetting. But at what cost to local communities, and has the resultant explosion in land values ruled out future community buy outs?
The UK government's handling of immigration and asylum seeking has done the unthinkable and united parliamentary voices from both the left and right in condemnation. Patel and Braverman have been playing the "invasion" and "overwhelming numbers" card but how well does that stand up to analysis?
Sir Keir Starmer redefined car crash interview with his appearance on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show. Why was he so woefully underprepared and poorly briefed? He, like Liz Truss before him, made it clear that even if the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament had the power to legislate for an independence referendum, he,if PM, would veto it.
If you want to sign up to be notified about the planned,peaceful,demonstrations to take place when the Supreme Court reaches its decision here's the link
https://timeforscotland.scot/
There's also a fabulous trad gig, With Love to Ukraine, on November 16th at the Eden Court in Inverness where the Highlands will pay tribute to Ukraine, its people and their struggle for freedom.
To buy tickets go to
https://eden-court.co.uk/event/with-love-to-ukraine
★ Support this podcast ★
After the "I've more important issues to deal with" Rishi Sunak has u-turned and gone to COP27. Greta Thunberg thinks the summit is about 'greenwashing, lying and cheating'. Is she right?
Meanwhile in Scotland a new generation of "green capitalists" is seeking to cash in on carbon offsetting. But at what cost to local communities, and has the resultant explosion in land values ruled out future community buy outs?
The UK government's handling of immigration and asylum seeking has done the unthinkable and united parliamentary voices from both the left and right in condemnation. Patel and Braverman have been playing the "invasion" and "overwhelming numbers" card but how well does that stand up to analysis?
Sir Keir Starmer redefined car crash interview with his appearance on BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show. Why was he so woefully underprepared and poorly briefed? He, like Liz Truss before him, made it clear that even if the Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish Parliament had the power to legislate for an independence referendum, he,if PM, would veto it.
If you want to sign up to be notified about the planned,peaceful,demonstrations to take place when the Supreme Court reaches its decision here's the link
https://timeforscotland.scot/
There's also a fabulous trad gig, With Love to Ukraine, on November 16th at the Eden Court in Inverness where the Highlands will pay tribute to Ukraine, its people and their struggle for freedom.
To buy tickets go to
https://eden-court.co.uk/event/with-love-to-ukraine
★ Support this podcast ★
Finland has a 1300 km long land border with Russia, fought two wars in the 1940s to defend then reclaim territory, and is now applying to join NATO.
There, most knowledge of the country ends.
Which is a shame.
Because a staple of Finnish life could offer a permanent solution to supply crises in Britain – using cooperatives not corporations to deliver.
During a cycle on the Finnish-owned Aland Islands Lesley used cooperatively-owned ferries. This year, during a summer trip to the Sibelius Festival in the Finnish city of Lahti, she visited the cooperatively run Housing Fair, the Metsalitto Forest cooperative (which has 100 thousand members), stayed at the cooperatively owned Solo Sokos Hotel in Lahti - part of the huge S-Group cooperative with more than 3 million members and passed cooperatively owned shops, businesses and banks at every stage of her journey.
How does it all work?
Lesley Riddoch went to Finland's seventh largest city to find out.
With thanks to Risto Turanen, Kari Huhtala, VisitFinland, Finnair and Sokos Hotels.
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Rishi Sunak becomes Prime Minister and pledges to be a compassionate Conservative who will restore integrity,stability and trust. Do his Cabinet appointments bear this out?
We are highly sceptical to say the least as the old boys from the Johnson administration are back and Suella Braverman returns as Home Secretary.
The majority of the podcast is taken up with our reactions and reflections on the day of reshuffles as they happened and thoughts on the policies, not just the personalities, of the Sunak premiership.
We also look at Keir Starmer's doubling down on "making Brexit work", Labour's stance on immigration, and ask if he has thrown Scottish Labour under the bus.
All this plus our review of The Banshees of Inisherin.
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It took just four weeks for the Trussonomic revolution to collapse leaving the pound trashed, mortgages soaring, and the only folk smiling the hedge fund managers who, just like with Brexit, made a killing through their speculation.
After sacking her "in lock step with me" Chancellor,Truss was visible through her noticeable absence leaving Kwarteng's replacement, Jeremy Hunt, to be lauded by the media as the "safe pair of hands". We ask if there has been a political coup right under our noses and if Liz Truss is now merely a Prime Minister in name only.
The return of Hunt to not just the front benches but to the second most important office of state has been met with almost spectacular amnesia by most of the media and commentators on his disastrous spell as Secretary of State of Health.
We also look at the unedifying spectacle of Penny Mordant's performance during the Urgent Question debate where revenge for her defeat in the Tory leadership contest was a dish eaten not even half cold.
In sharp contrast the Scottish Government published its Building a New Scotland: A stronger economy with independence paper almost simultaneously. Is it an oasis of stability and calm in the midst of Tory economic chaos or a missed opportunity to flesh out a different economic path for an independent Scotland?
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The final speeches of Liz Truss and Nicola Sturgeon at their respective annual conferences threw into sharp relief not just their vastly different communication skills but the chasm in their beliefs and values.
Truss focused her attention on attacking the "anti-growth coalition" and those who would break up her precious union. All to the background of outright rebellion in her ranks, as her Home Secretary, Suella Braverman was reveling in her reactionary dreams of deportation to Rwanda.
Meanwhile in Aberdeen the SNP exuded rigid discipline with limited outbreaks of minor dissent particularly over land reform.
We compare and contrast those speeches and consider some of the motions that passed, in particular the raising of the school starting age.
However, the focus of the media at the conference was on that Laura Kuenssberg interview that the FM gave on Sunday where she stated that she detested the Tories.
We look at the reporting of Nicola Surgeon's comments by the BBC and the media feeding frenzy that followed.
Meanwhile back in the real world there's been a massive leap in interest rates. Lesley examines the growing crisis in housing fueled by soaring mortgages and its impact on folk.
The Supreme Court began its hearing on the right of the Scottish Parliament to hold an advisory referendum on Scottish independence. The Lord Advocate, on behalf of the Scottish Government, and the Attorney General for the UK Government, presented their cases for and against the ability of the court to even make a judgment on this.
Currently this is in the balance please sign up to https://timeforscotland.scot/ to rally and make our voices heard no matter the outcome.
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The disaster of the "mini-budget" nearly crashed the UK's pension funds and saw a massive drop in value of sterling with calls from Tory big beasts to reverse the plans to borrow to fund tax cuts and threats of a back bench rebellion. Truss and Kwarteng caved and u-turned on the cut to the top rate of income tax, but can they survive?
Will their refusal to raise benefits in line with inflation, unlike pensions, lead to another revolt?
We look at the current state of opinion polls, the mood music from Tory MPs worried about holding on to their seats and speculate on the imminence not only of a General Election but of yet another Conservative leadership coup.
We also consider the mental gymnastics now being performed by Scottish Tories who demanded the Scottish Government copy that top rate tax cut but who now totally support Kwarteng's U-turn.
Truss also signaled her complete opposition to another Scottish independence referendum even if the Supreme Court ruled in the Scottish Government's favour. Where would this leave Scottish Labour,Lib Dems, and Tories, in this blatant attack on democracy?
Focus has finally turned on the economics of Truss's plans for growth. Do they stack up?
The Tories also made great play on claims of Labour's economic incompetence. How well do these hold up in reality?
Labour gained great publicity on its plans to create the Great British Energy Company. This seemed to throw down a challenge,from the left, to the SNP. However, will this publicly owned company challenge the current privatised system in any meaningful form?
All this plus praise for STV's political coverage, BBC local radio presenters, and a couple of very different movie recommendations.
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Sir Keir Starmer closed the Labour Party annual conference as polls showed a 17-point lead over the Tories. He described this as a Labour moment harking back to 1945,1964, and 1997. What was his vision for a future Labour government, and what if anything did he have to say about Scotland?
We also wonder what impact his statements on the Green transformation and a publicly owned energy company might have on SNP policy.
Meanwhile the SNP has published its agenda for its annual conference in October. We take a look what's in there, and possibly more importantly what's not.
Lesley has been attending umpteen Yes meetings recently and reckons it's time for the movement to be proactive instead of waiting for the lead from the SNP to get out there and campaign.
Gordon Brown's much trumpeted review on the future of the Union has been leaked. Was it worth the wait? Does it live up to the hype?
When is a budget not a budget? When you don't want the OBR carrying out detailed analysis of its impact.
All this plus some thoughts from Pat on the recent Italian elections on his return from Tuscany.
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Pat is in conversation with fellow Lawsider, and Arab, Jim Spence about their home city, Dundee.
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Malachi O’Doherty is a writer and broadcaster based in Belfast, a columnist for the Belfast Telegraph and a frequent contributor to several radio programmes as a respected commentator on Northern Ireland. His last book for Merrion was a novel, Terry Brankin Has a Gun. It was hailed by critics as ‘a superb thriller’. Malachi was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing by Queen’s University Belfast and has received a Major Artist Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland .Malachi's new book "Can Ireland Be One" will be published by Merrion Press in September 2022.
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So, after almost two months of non-government at Westminster and a Tory leadership battle that filled the political pages and airwaves Boris Johnson finally left office and Liz Truss went to Balmoral to "kiss the hand" of the monarch
We look back at Truss's performances and examine her policies and find both wanting at so many levels.
Truss is focusing on tax cuts and breaks for the well off and big business and we ask if this is a return to debunked "trickle-down economics"?
There have been leaks aplenty over her plans to tackle energy price rises Do they stack up or are they simply kicking the pain further down the road until after a General Election?
Meanwhile back in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon laid out the Programme for Government with headline policies such as an immediate ban on evictions and a rent freeze while calling for a robust response by the UK government to the cost-of-living crisis.
But will the Scottish government be forced into yet more mitigations of Tory policies as the Truss economic policies kick in?
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As consumers and businesses real from the latest energy price rises where are not only the Tories but also the Labour opposition on tackling the root causes of the crisis?
Liz Truss, apparently waiting for the full briefing available only to a "functioning government", has pledged to tear up any semblance of a green energy policy to expand North Sea oil and gas exploration and restart fracking.
Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer, despite the growing popularity of renationalising public utilities, has abandoned his commitment to public ownership.
Labour, before Starmer's team rolled back on it and after being blasted by Welsh Labour, which is currently in coalition with Plaid Cymru, had signaled a potential change to Labour's rule book barring any deals with pro-independence parties such as the SNP. Was this a move which would, given Labour's willingness to do such deals with the Tories in Scottish local government, be an electoral disaster in Scotland at the next General Election?
Meanwhile Stephen Noon, chief strategist of the 2014 Yes campaign, urged Nicola Sturgeon to halt plans to use that election as a proxy independence referendum and enter a conversation to build a better Scotland within the UK. We ask just how practical this is given the embedded unionism of both major parties and the lack of any meaningful progress on enhanced devolution.
Emily Maitlis was excoriating in her condemnation of direct Conservative Party interference in BBC reporting in her MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival. We reflect on this, with specific insights from Lesley on her time with the BBC, and Pat looks back at Maitlis's involvement in the demonisation of Jeremy Corbyn.
Finally, delegates head to the SNP annual conference in Aberdeen this October and hopefully they will have a chance to vote on a transformational motion to raise Scotland's school starting age to six. As Lesley said in her recent Herald article," ..our children require a collective act of faith in their own innate ability to learn without judgement, uniforms, desks, formality, and tests when they're just four or five. Are SNP delegates ready to deliver?"
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If we've learned anything from this Tory leadership contest it's that muscular, unitary state unionism is back with a bang. We examine the statements by Truss and Sunak at the Perth hustings and the recent musings from Lord Frost and consider just how far the Tories will go in undermining devolution to stave off independence. We also speculate that given the polls on Scottish attitudes to the EU and the powers of Holyrood in terms of calling indyref2 just how successful that strategy will be.
The Perth hustings also provided an insight into the mindset of Scottish Tory members not just on independence and the powers of Holyrood, but also social issues. However much of the media coverage focused on the abuse BBC journalist James Cook received from a tiny group of protestors.
Does this indicate what's to come and the start of the anti-independence campaign for real?
As inflation continues to rise inexorably leading economists have pointed to Brexit as a self-inflicted trade war which accounts for 80% of core UK inflation. Yet the BBC continues to shy away from any meaningful analysis of its impact. Why?
Grant Shapps suggested that bicycles should have registration plates and cyclists should have compulsory insurance. A dead cat from a struggling Transport Secretary of yet another piece of the culture wars playbook?
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As Labour unveils its plans to tackle the energy price rises crisis are all political parties simply tinkering with a broken, privatised utilities system?
Keir Starmer looks as if he's ignored even the modest proposal from Gordon Brown to bring the Big Six energy companies into temporary public ownership in favour of a price cap freeze across the board.
Why has he rejected what, according to opinion polls, would be popular voters and what are the flaws in his plan?
Meanwhile, as the energy producers rake in massive profits and reap the benefits of the UK tax system no political party seems willing to back any form of public ownership.
Will the Scottish government bring us in line with all other developed countries and raise the age kids start school to six?
Check out how the Norwegian system works by visiting the Nordic Horizons podcast site
https://www.nordichorizons.org/soundcloud-podcasts/
The Tory leadership candidates are in Perth for their sole Scottish hustings.
Both have issued their challenges to the SNP focusing on greater "scrutiny" of both the civil service and the Scottish government.
These hardly seem rallying cries for the unionist faithful in fighting the drive towards independence. While in the wings two thirds of their supporters would welcome the return of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.
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As Boris Johnson is posted missing and suddenly discovers a set of Parliamentary rules that conveniently means he can't create an emergency budget the two Tory leadership candidates continue to punt themselves to their narrow constituency. Liz Truss's economic plans being rubbished by left and right both and Rishi Sunak letting slip the reality of "levelling up" in Tunbridge Wells.
Both claim to be the inheritors of the Thatcher legacy and both as Prime Minister would fail to tackle the root causes of the current economic crisis within privatised Brexit Britain.
However Truss's policies make even Sunak's appear logical and progressive.
Lesley questions whether any of this will have any impact on the 160,000 Tory members who will be deciding our next PM?
Great play has been made by both, that any public sector pay rises would fuel inflation. We look at what Tory economic policies have meant to working people over the last decade and just who the winners and losers are.
There's growing momentum behind the "Don't Pay" campaign demanding a reduction of energy bills to an affordable level. With another massive hike on October 1st and predictions of the cap rising to over £4000 in January is this a campaign whose time has come?
Meanwhile Angela Rayner in Edinburgh,once again, revealed quite how out of touch Labour is on the issue of indyref2. She ruled out working with the SNP in a hung Parliament, claiming that Scottish independence would lead to "perpetual Conservatism at Westminster". We ask what difference, if any, a Starmer Labour government would make.
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Liz Truss, the favourite to become the new PM, said that Nicola Sturgeon was an attention seeker who should be ignored. This went down a storm at the Tory hustings but was it a major tactical error?
Has she, despite what Murdo Fraser claimed, misjudged the mood of even non indy supporting Scots?
Truss still is the front runner in the leadership contest, but it looks like Sunak is gaining support in the big southern English branches. It might not be all over.
While both candidates have been making lavish tax cutting promises, are they on the horns of what economist David McWilliams calls a "Trilemma "? The attempt to have a balanced budget while cutting taxes and levelling up.
Martin Lewis, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Monroe have become "people's heroes" with their single-issue campaigns. Lesley asks if they've become the unofficial opposition but one that will only be successful if not focusing on systemic political change.
The Tories looked to play the Thatcher anti-union card with their repeal of trade union legislation banning the use of agency workers to break strikes. Have they picked the wrong fight given the public mood?
All these plus thoughts on the England women winning Euro 2022, the proposal to raise the age Scottish bairns start primary school to six, and the Commonwealth Games.
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The final two standing in the battle to become Tory leader and Prime Minister faced off in the first televised debate last night, both vying to wear the mantle of Margaret Thatcher. We watched so you didn't have to,and reflect not only on the performance of Truss and Sunak but also what the BBC deemed to be the big issues.
Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer turned Labour's back on pledges to take public ownership of rail,mail,energy, and water. Does Starmer's "pragmatism" mark a complete surrender to and acceptance of Thatcherite privatisation? However on his visit to Liverpool he couldn't escape the justified anger of a veteran Labour socialist.
We also try and make sense of what Starmer means by "distinctively British".
An independent review into allegations of racism in Scottish cricket has found the governance and leadership of the sport to be institutionally racist. Folk on social media complained about what they saw as wall-to-wall coverage by Sky and others of the report as another attempt to talk down Scotland claiming that when related stories/reports emerged in English cricket no such blanket reporting took place.
Was this justified?
Things may be grim for many in Scotland - they're truly terrible for millions in Somalia with the Ukraine grain shortage & worst drought in 40 yrs. Powerful report on News at Ten by Peter Smith. If you can give, please do.
UNICEF link here
https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate/east-africa-crisis/
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As Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak emerge as the final two candidates for leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister, we pick over the debris of those debates and cast another eye over their policies and pitches to the Tory faithful.
The contest is being presented as a battle between Sunak-left, and Truss-right, but is there that much difference between the two? Our answer will come as no surprise. We reflect on the composition of that Tory electorate and what influence the right-wing press may have on them. We also reach the conclusion that, given the current polls, Liz Truss will soon be facing Sir Keir Starmer and Ian Blackford across the despatch box.
Starmer recently ruled out any reform to the outdated First Past the Post electoral system saying, "It's not a priority." is this not only an affront to genuine democracy but politically illiterate?
The Scottish Government has opened up its latest Land Reform Bill for public consultation. Is it so mired in technocratic speak that it's impossible for any non-expert to get to grips with it and is it even asking the right questions?
https://www.gov.scot/publications/land-reform-net-zero-nation-consultation-paper/#:~:text=The%20next%20Land%20Reform%20Bill,range%20of%20land%2Drelated%20issues.
Public Events
- Glenmoriston Millenium Hall, Invermoriston on Monday 25 July 2022 (EventBrite link)
- Timespan, Helmsdale on Tuesday 26 July 2022 (EventBrite link)
- Stornoway Town Hall, Stornoway on Wednesday 27 July 2022 (EventBrite link)
- Victoria and Albert Halls, Ballater on Thursday 28 July 2022 (EventBrite link)
The Minister will also be holding an online event between 6:30pm and 8:00pm on Thursday 21 July 2022 (EventBrite link).
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The Tory Party leadership contest following Boris Johnson's resignation is the only show in town this week and we have our own particular take on it. This involves our attempts to find any utterances on Scotland beyond, "You'll have had your indyref!" and a kind of trivia quiz for the politically obsessed.
Within this rather dubious framework we try and pick apart the candidates' platforms and chances of inheriting the throne. This means looking at the make up and attitudes of the Tory Party membership who'll have the final say. Not a pretty sight.
Much is being made, in the usual places by the usual suspects, about the blow to support for Scottish independence that Johnson's departure will mean. Lesley dismantles this piece of wishful thinking.
Having pinned the Labour Party's colours very definitely to the Brexit mast it really seems that Starmer has given up on Scotland to focus on winning back that "Red wall". Has he made a tactical error and is there a remote chance that their vote of no confidence motion before the Commons tomorrow will succeed?
Several of the leadership contenders have made much of their "rags to riches" immigrant back stories. This despite their vociferous support for reactionary immigration and asylum seeking policies. The shocking story of Mo Farrah's trafficked childhood throws this all into stark relief.
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Sir Keir Starmer tries to explain how to "make Brexit work". Anas Sarwar toes the new party line and claims he is going to "heal and unify" where the SNP and the Tories want to divide. We are not convinced.
As it becomes ever more likely that the route to an independence referendum will be through a single issue referendum we examine whether a grand Yes Alliance is a dead political duck, what kind of campaign will be fought, and if a new, feisty, digital rebuttal unit would combat the overwhelming negative flow of media coverage.
The Scottish Government has put its "transformative" Land Reform Bill out for consultation. Does it do what it says on the tin?
Boris Johnson and his Cabinet of nodding dogs have been lying and dissembling in equal measure over the Chris Pincher affair. Will this latest scandal make any difference to this shameless administration?
All this plus the usual meanderings, including a road to Damascus moment over Elvis Presley for one of us.
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We begin with taking a look at the most recent edition of Question Time and reflect on just how switched on the Yessers in the audience were and wonder if Angus Robertson should have taken a leaf out of their feisty book rather than his rather staid and formulaic approach to the unionist panelists lines of argument.
FM Nicola Sturgeon announced the Scottish Government strategy on securing a second independence referendum earlier this week so it's no surprise that we focus almost the entirety of the rest of the podcast in examining it.
Working on the not unreasonable assumption that no Section 30 order will be granted by Boris Johnson we look at the role of the Supreme Court, and the shape of a subsequent General Election fought in Scotland as a proxy indyref2.
We ask if it will be an SNP only campaign and whose voices within the party will be heard, what impact will UK General Election rules on voter eligibility have, and how can it be run and won.
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Lesley looks back at her recent appearance on BBC Debate Night and reflects on why the emphasis must be on the substance of the argument for Scottish independence rather than being drawn into sterile debates about process.
Mick Lynch the General Secretary of the RMT union has cut through to the wider public with a series of interviews where he has effectively destroyed the hackneyed ,and increasingly bizarre, line of questioning from broadcasters. What makes him such a powerful and effective voice for modern trade unionism?
Alex Rowley has floated the idea of devo max on an indyref2 ballot paper. All of this is dependent, of course, not only on Labour winning the next General Election but the willingness of a future Labour government to put in place meaningful devolution. We discuss.
When is an apology not an apology? We examine the fall out from the Patrick Grady affair and the response, in particular from Ian Blackford, to the leak of an audio recording of an SNP Parliamentary Party meeting.
June 23 was the day Scotland voted to Remain in EU while England voted Leave. The rest as they say is history. Join Lesley and folk from 6 European countries who explain why they want Scotland to rejoin the EU as an independent state.
Book at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-light-is-still-on-why-scotland-matters-to-europeans-tickets-362268283187
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Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie fire the starting gun on indyref2 with the launch of"Independence in the Modern World. Wealthier, Happier, Fairer: Why Not Scotland?".
We reflect on the press conference and the lines of questioning by the media, do they preview unionist attack stances? We also look back at indyref1 and consider what lessons the Scottish Government and the broader Yes movement can draw from 2014.
The UK Government published its Northern Ireland Protocol Bill yesterday. Does it have any chance of becoming law? Does it in fact break international law? And has Jeffrey Donaldson led his DUP troops up a hill that will be his party's downfall?
The Tory proposals to allow Housing Associations to sell off homes to tenants brought back memories of Thatcher's disastrous "RIght to Buy" policy for both of us. We examine the toxic legacy of the sale of social housing, and Lesley looks at innovative, community based solutions to Scotland's rural housing emergency.
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The political media was in a frenzy of excitement over the vote of confidence in Boris Johnson last night. We pick over the result and its implications while questioning the whole air of "Who's winning the game?" in the Westminster bubble.
The past four days also saw hours of coverage of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. We reflect on the apparent difference between Scotland and England in terms of the celebrations and Lesley wonders if a lot of the "jubilation" was simply folk having the first chance to have a communal knees up post lockdown. We also consider the criticism aimed at Nicola Sturgeon over her apparently enthusiastic participation in those celebrations.
Lesley reports back on the success of Manniefest over last weekend and the toxic inheritance of Scottish land ownership.
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After the week's hiatus due to Pat's bout of Covid we return wi hame thochts frae oor jaunts tae Orkney and Galway.
The big news was the final publication of the Sue Gray Report and despite all expectations/hopes Boris Johnson seems to have survived.
We reflect on the report and speculate on whether the Teflon PM can survive the summer and if he'll play the anti trade union card to his advantage with his populist base.
Lesley tears into the scandal of standing charges and the cost of prepayment meters which operate to the detriment to both poorest folk in the UK and to consumers outwith London and the South East of England.
YES groups have teamed up to organise a “first of its kind” independence" festival in the Highlands.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manniefest-golspie-tickets-312909509767
Indy supporters will gather for the three-day Manniefest event in Golspie, which will see a host of artists, poets and speakers perform in the Sutherland village.
It kicks off at 11am in Golspie to climb the hill, 2pm in school car park (there will be shins/stewards) for the talks/poetry/music and 6pm ceilidh.
Also there will be a 14 page supplement in the National about how the Highlands and Islands could look different with independence edited by Lesley.
Along the way there's plenty o chat aboot trad music, hurling ,and fishing .
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Andy Burnham says Universal Basic Income (UBI) is an idea ‘whose time has come’ - and since the Mayor of Greater Manchester might yet be a future Labour leadership contender - that's significant.
Last week, he told pupils and parents at a Wigan school;
“A culture of zero hours, casual hours, people doing three jobs and then spending every hour worrying because they can’t pay their rent, means living on the edge and that damages people’s health. A universal basic income will put a solid foundation beneath everybody so that they can have a life with security and stop worrying about everything."
But in a devil tak the hindmost society like Britain, implementing UBI is easier said than done. Even in Scotland, pilot studies are running into bureaucratic obstacles. And there've been criticisms that UBI lets employers off the hook for low pay.
Last year we spoke with Jamie Cooke, head of RSA Scotland, and Professor Mike Danson about Universal Basic Income.
We tried to tease out exactly what UBI is and if it's possible to introduce it in Scotland without independence.
https://www.thersa.org/reports/basic-income-scotland
https://www.kela.fi/web/en/news-archive/-/asset_publisher/lN08GY2nIrZo/content/results-of-the-basic-income-experiment-small-employment-effects-better-perceived-economic-security-and-mental-wellbeing#:~:text=In%20the%20basic%20income%20experiment,were%20actively%20looking%20for%20work
https://www.fininst.uk/events/get-your-free-digital-copy-of-our-comic-book-highlighting-social-innovations-from-finland-ireland-and-the-uk/
https://www.fininst.uk/events/anequalfuture/
https://nabig-conference-website.webflow.io/
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Shocking stuff this episode as Lesley and Pat fa oot oer Eurovision. Was it a glorious celebration of the human spirit or a festival of over hyped musical mediocrity? Guess which of us thought what!
As we await Liz Truss's statement which looks as if it will signal the ditching of the Northern Ireland Protocol we look at the threat this poses to stability and peace on the island of Ireland.
Cost of living crisis. Work longer hours. Get a better job. Claimed Conservative minister Rachel MacLean. Just how out of touch are the Tories?
Eilidh Barbour walked out of the annual Scottish Football Writers Association awards ceremony after 10 minutes of Bill Copeland's speech which she said was racist, sexist, and homophobic. The SFWA has since issued an "apology" promising to review and improve in the future. Was this an isolated mistake or is there still an underlying air of prejudice at the heart of journalism?
Nicola Sturgeon has been in the USA meeting Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and other top officials in the Biden administration. She made significant statements on NATO membership and the constitutional future of the UK. This was covered by The Times, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg, but not by the BBC.
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The Queen's Speech allied to the Times story of the failure of Liz Truss's latest negotiations give every indication that the Tories are prepared to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol. This despite the majority support in Northern Ireland for Remain in the Brexit referendum and the electoral success of pro Protocol parties in the recent Assembly elections. We look at the current state of Northern Irish politics,with particular focus on Sinn Fein, and the threats posed to the Good Friday Agreement by the UK government's stance.
I'll resign if fined. Is Starmer risking everything over Beergate? Can the alleged breach of Covid regulations in Durham be compared to the catalogue of parties at No 10? And just who is orchestrating the Labour leaks?
Disastrous results for the Scottish Conservatives but who'll take the leader's poison chalice from Ross? The candidates, just as with Boris Johnson, don't seem to be lining up to take on what looks like the worst job in Scottish politics.
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The local elections are upon us and we ask how democratic Scottish local government actually is.
When compared to our Nordic and European neighbours the answer is, not very. Lesley reflects on this and wonders if the SNP is not just missing an opportunity to create genuine local democracy but fertile ground for independence.
https://www.nordichorizons.org/powerful-pint-sized-democracy-nordic-style/?fbclid=IwAR0bjcfd-SQtmLXZTFESU87tiAsjgNY5c-7fbOKkAEqGSGxsEDFwY0uTtCk
We examine the performances of Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar and question their electoral strategies both in Scotland and England.
Likeability in Scotland,and being neither Boris Johnson nor Jeremy Corbyn in England, seem to be the tactics. Will this be enough to ensure any form of electoral success on Thursday?
Billy Kay's recent address in Scots to the Scottish Parliament kicked off a storm over his use o the Mither Tongue. What is it about Scots that so upsets so many unionists?
We also look at the ongoing non coverage by the BBC of the Michelle Mone PPE Medpro investigation and Andrew Marr's belief that unilateral nuclear disarmament is a vote loser if and when we get to indyref2.
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We begin with the sexist and classist Mail on Sunday article on Angela Rayner. It's been roundly condemned right across the political spectrum. But what does it say about the Mail, its readers ,and certain elements among Tory MPs.
The Met has, apparently, issued more fines to those who attended the notorious "Bring your own booze" Downing Street party that took place on May the 20th 2020.However, it appears that Boris Johnson has not received one. We wonder how and why it looks like he's escaped scot free.
We examine Macron's victory over Le Pen in the recent French presidential elections, what it means for the EU, European security and at the underlying reasons behind the growth in support for the far right not just in France.
Gillnet fishing around Shetland seems to have spilled over into some sort of fishing war with claims and counter claims over so called "ghost fishing" and who is responsible for the abandoned gillnets which are causing such environmental damage. Lesley looks at this in depth and in particular at the inaction of both the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and Marine Scotland.
Finally we delve into the Scottish local elections. What are the party manifestoes saying? Why are Labour so agin formal coalitions? What "Vote until you boak" actually means and what's wrong with SNP 1 and 2 in the local elections. And why is no party committed to reforming local government along Nordic lines?
If you want to know more about how Norway's local governance works register at Home | Nordic Horizons for this Thursday's Zoom event
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As we recorded Boris Johnson was about to appear in Parliament before jetting off to India. He was there to "apologise", but maintain that he did not realise that his birthday gathering was against the rules, claiming that he did not mislead the House. We examine the implications of what Lord Peter Hennessy has described as the "shredding of the ministerial code" by Johnson who has made his office" an adventure playground for one man's narcissistic vanity".
We ask whether it was a matter of coincidence or a classic "dead cat" that Priti Patel announced the appalling asylum deal with Rwanda in the middle of the Partygate revelations.
Andy McIver, writing in The Herald, floated the idea of the middle way of Home Rule out of the constitutional impasse over independence. How credible is this given our previous experience with Vows, and its dependence on a Labour government at Westminster?
Finally Lesley forensically takes apart the cumbersome crofting community right-to-buy legislation, and the seeming indifference of the Holyrood Land Team towards the struggle of the crofters of Great Bernera to buy out their absentee landlord.
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To say Lesley's travels to and from the Netherlands were a richt trachle is an understatement. But beyond the not inconsiderable personal inconvenience what do they tell us about post Brexit Britain's relationship with the EU?
Lots of us struggled to get our meter readings in before the April 1st deadline. Thank goodness for those smart meters then. Not quite. After 2 months of research Lesley uncovered a catalogue of disastrous decisions and non decisions leading to a colossal waste of public money which is in danger of harming, once again, the most vulnerable during the era of soaring energy costs. A series of errors by both Labour and Tory governments made possible by the acceptance of privatisation.
Privatisation also looms large in the future of C4. We ask the question why "fix" something that patently isn't broken.
Ian Blackford was accused by Kay Burley of sexism when he raised legitimate concerns over the non dom tax status of Akshata Murty ,the wife of Rishi Sunak. We take a look at, the complex residency and tax statuses of both Murty and Sunak and ask why is all this only coming out now, and who benefits in the Tory Party?
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In the first part of this wide ranging interview with Andy we look back at his time as a Green MSP, his bid to become an independent MSP for the Highlands and Islands in 2021,his thoughts on indyref2 , and how to win popular support for independence.
In the second half we focus on his work creating a draft "Land Bill for the People", a root and branch reform of land ownership and control in Scotland.
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The row over the much delayed, and much over budget CalMac ferries has been going on across the Scottish media all week. Lots of claims and counter claims of political spin and bias being thrown around. But Lesley asks if there's a far more fundamental set of problems at the root of the issue which are not being addressed.
The UK government has come out ,apparently, swinging on the sacking of 800 P and O seafarers promising strong action of plugging loopholes in employment legislation and calling for P and O's Chief Executive to resign. However, is this just a load of soundbite and fury signifying nothing?
The shine seems to have gone off, the heir apparent to No 10,Rishi Sunak. Clunky photo opps and tetchy media appearances have taken the headlines while some outlets seem to have bought into the Tory narrative of tax cuts to support hard pressed low paid workers. We examine the reality of the Spring Budget Statement. We also discuss whether Sunak's fall from from grace is good news for Boris Johnson .
The Oscars hit, literally, the front pages with Will Smith's assault on Chris Rock but Lesley's petition on plots of Scottish land being "gifted" in Oscar goody bags got over 8000 signatures in under 2 days. Lash Fary , the founder of Distinctive Assets, the company that provides Academy Award hopefuls with presents before the ceremony, defended the inclusion of a Highland Titles gift as “light-hearted fun”. We reckon there's a lot more to it than that.
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Lesley began the podcast back in 2007 and in episode 701 we can see that the debate surrounding independence has moved on and there have been tectonic shifts in the balance of political power in Scotland. However are we stuck in a quagmire where all political parties are struggling for candidates within the framework of a local government structure not fit for purpose and where every election is fought as a de facto independence referendum?
Boris Johnson ,in his crass comparisons between the fight of the Ukrainian people against the Russian invasion and Britons voting for Brexit, seems to have made himself persona non grata at the upcoming European Council. Will there be sufficient support for a blanket ban across Europe for Russian energy exports? Will Russia be impacted by any European ban when countries like India seem more than willing to take advantage of discounted Russian oil and gas?
Lesley dives into the complexities of Ukrainian politics in particular the recent history of the Donbas region, and the notorious Azov Battalion.
We also discuss Rishi Sunak's Spring Financial Statement. He has been tight lipped in the media but we suspect that Austerity Mark 2 is on the cards.
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine is forcing the old certainties of neutrality and attitudes towards NATO membership across the Nordic nations to be re-examined. Lesley reflects on the recent Nordic Horizons event which she hosted and considers the potential for a non-nuclear European Defence Force.
The link to the podcast of the event is
https://www.nordichorizons.org/
Britain has been, rightly, criticised over its approach to the Ukraine refugee crisis with, yet again, the government's rhetoric failing to live up to the reality of our European neighbours' responses. We look at the new Homes for Ukraine scheme and ,sadly, find it wanting, again.
Boris Johnson is cosying up to the Saudi regime in the face of mounting pressures on energy supply. This despite the appalling record of the Saudis in Yemen and on human rights. Meanwhile both the Tories and Labour are talking up nuclear power as the answer. Lesley reveals why it isn't.
All this plus the campaign of "sportwashing" being carried out by the Saudis in an attempt to mask their brutalities ,and how embedded they are within English football. All with the explicit approval of the UK government.
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Lesley tested positive for Covid last week - she's self isolating and in her ain wirds is" nae bad but heid a bit fuzzy." So here's the recent podcast extra we did with Dr Philippa Whitford MP current SNP Shadow Spokesperson on Europe and until recently SNP Shadow Spokesperson Health and Social Care.
Lesley tested positive for Covid last week - she's self isolating and in her own words" nae bad but heid a bit fuzzy". So we're putting out this recent podcast extra where we speak with Dr Philippa Whitford MP current SNP Shadow Spokesperson on Europe and until recently SNP Shadow Spokesperson Health and Social Care.
In this episode we focus entirely on Ukraine. The escalation of Russian actions, the reaction of the EU to the crisis, and whether the UK's rhetoric is matched by action.
Lesley reflects on the experience of Finland's relationship with the former Soviet Union , and now Russia, post the invasions in the aftermath of the Winter War. Will Putin risk another Afghanistan if dragged into an unexpected war of attrition or will he look for a "Finlandisation" settlement?
Meanwhile the EU is taking unprecedented measures to support Ukraine militarily, welcome refugees, and is even considering fast tracking them into full membership. The UK ,while working with the EU,USA and Canada,on excluding Russian banks from SWIFT, seems stronger on rhetoric and self promoting visuals than assistance to Ukrainians fleeing the war.
We also evaluate what impact if any the blows to the Russian economy, through the extension of sanctions, will have on Putin's policies.
The conflict has also revealed significant racism not only in terms of the treatment of black and Asian refugees trying to escape Ukraine but also in the coverage of the conflict by major news outlets.
The Tory Party and its relationship with Russian donors with strong links to the Putin regime has been thrown into sharp relief yet again by recent events. Will there be a clean up of the sewer of Russian influence on UK politics?
Alex Salmond has suspended his show on Russia Today. RT is currently under investigation by OFCOM over its coverage of the Ukraine invasion. Lesley believes suspension isn't enough, quitting RT is the only moral decision to make.
Bella Caledonia has just published an anthology containing "some of the best writing from Scotland in the last fourteen years combining new and established writers. It includes some classic contributions from 2014 that went viral at the time of the independence referendum as well as reflecting the themes and obsessions that have been our focus since then."
It's genuinely well worth the read, and the contributions are as relevant now as they were then.
https://leamingtonbooks.com/bella-caledonia
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We recorded this episode just minutes before Germany announced its decision to shelve its Russian gas pipeline.
Russian troops crossed the border into the self declared Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Lubansk. We ask if the West will present a united front in terms of sanctions given the obvious divisions, particularly in Europe, in terms of energy dependency and Russian financial clout in the UK.
Clear divisions are once again emerging between England and the devolved administrations over tackling Covid with the announcement of the UK's dropping of all regulations and ending of free testing. Is this a strategy based on any scientific evidence or yet another attempt of Johnson to curry favour with the right wing of his party?
Sarah Smith hit the headlines this week saying she felt relieved to have left the country after enduring years of misogynistic “bile and hatred” in her role as BBC Political Editor. We try and delve beneath this very personal take on her tenure and question whether anyone within the current BBC climate can successfully navigate what is essentially a situation where Scotland is evenly split on independence.
The UK government has announced its "Living with Covid" plans and the reaction from the devolved governments, the BMA, and the scientific community has been almost entirely negative. Is this yet another attempt by Johnson to play to the Covid Recovery Group of right wingers to stave off a leadership challenge?
The Scottish Climate Change Assembly has published its reply to the Scottish government's response to its findings, and they're no very happy.
Along the way there's also talk of driving in the snow, why wind in the SE of England is more important than wind in the Highlands plus a wee reference to a draw at Tannadice.
Nordic Horizons links
The Nordic Verdict - which focuses on the way district heating works in Denmark and Sweden
https://www.nordichorizons.org/latest-event-cop26-success-or-cop-out-the-nordic-verdict-mon-29th-november-2021-1900-2130-gmt-by-zoom/
The next Nordic Horizons event on the response of Nordic neighbours (inc Finland) to Russian invasion on March 10th. Free but register please
https://www.nordichorizons.org/nordic-reactions-to-the-russian-challenge/
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The front pages are full of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine crisis. Lesley brings her Nordic lens to bear on the situation and asks what lies behind the super power posturing.
If you want to know more about this,register for the Nordic Horizons event-- Nordic reactions to the Russian Challenge- March 10 7pm GMT.
Free but you need to register.
All details https://www.nordichorizons.org/nordic-reactions-to-the-russian-challenge/
Boris Johnson made his much heralded visit to Scotland on Monday. But who was he really speaking to? Certainly not Douglas Ross and the Scottish Tories and definitely not the 75% of the Scottish public who think he should resign over Partygate.
A definite split emerged between the SNP and the Greens over the Scottish Government's decision to engage with Westminster and set up so called "Greenports".This also after opposition to this at conference and from the SNP Trade Union Group.
The issue of pensions post independence reared its head again this week. Another iteration of Project Fear, yes, but also a timely reminder that not only does policy in areas like pensions, currency, and borders need to be clarified but that any successful campaign has to be built around more than facts and figures. We need stories to tell of how Scotland has got to where we are now, and how our future can be so much better.
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Lesley is in Ireland this week and has travelled down from Belfast to Dublin . We open by looking at the resignation of DUP First Minister Paul Givan, and the latest opinion polls on Irish re-unification.
On the day that the movie Belfast, we may have mentioned it in passing previously, has been nominated for seven Oscars the deckchairs on the sinking ship of SS Boris Johnson's Cabinet have been reshuffled. Will this sleight of hand save his premiership?
Rivalling Jacob Rees-Mogg's Minister for Brexit Opportunities in the ludicrous stakes is Chris Philp the Disinformation Minister. He and Kwasi Kwarteng have been rolled out to double down on Johnson's Savile slurs after Starmer was harassed by protestors.
NPF4 ,the National Planning Framework for Scotland is out for consultation. Dull though it sounds,Lesley picks its main proposals apart and tells us why we should all pay attention to it.
We also reflect on the controversial Raith Rovers signing of David Goodwillie and that Jimmy Carr Roma/Sinti "joke".
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The Sue Gray report, full version to perhaps be published after the police investigation, finally appeared on Monday. Boris Johnson was subjected to a lengthy grilling MPs. We look at the events in the Commons and the appearances by his surrogates on TV and radio in their aftermath. Not surprisingly this takes up most of the podcast.
Michael Gove's White Paper on "levelling up" is due out this week. the UK government says that this will regenerate our town centres and high streets, support individuals into employment, improve local transport links and invest in local culture, while giving communities a stronger voice to take over cherished local assets that might otherwise be lost." Lesley drives a coach and horses through these extravagant claims.
January 30th was the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry. There was a cross community and multi faith service in commemoration in Derry on Sunday. We reflect not only the events of that day in 1972 but the struggle of the victims' families for justice.
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It almost seems not if but when will Boris Johnson be removed as PM after yet another No 10 party revelation, coupled with claims of Islamophobia at the top of the Tory Party, and a very public resignation over a "lamentable track record" in tackling fraud in the Covid loan scheme.
However, just what, other than as Matthew Paris put it, a more palatable ,less untrustworthy, head of the UK government , difference would dropping this particular pilot make?
Wales FM Mark Drakeford appeared on the Today programme. Did his refusal to ask for more powers to be devolved signal what might be in,or more importantly what might not be in, Labour's much trumpeted Brown report on the UK constitution?
Nicola Sturgeon was in the prime spot on BBC's Sunday Morning show. Sophie Raworth pushed her, given previous SNP statements, on an impending indyref2, and recent polls showing the country still evenly divided Yes v No.
We look at the opportunities, and threats, that this current crisis has created both for the SNP and the Yes movement. Will the SNP finally bring all its guns to bear on the big policy decisions it has to make to advance beyond the current 50% pro independence that the polls show? What strategy will it employ after the inevitable rejection of the granting of a Section 30 order?
Lesley brings her knowledge of the Nordic and Baltic states to shed light on the increasing tensions between Russia and the Ukraine. Is invasion inevitable?
Finally we review Kenneth Branagh's "Belfast". Our verdict? Go and see it. Now!
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Douglas Ross and the Scottish Tories were quick to call for Boris Johnson's resignation in the light of recent Partygate revelations. Former Conservative MSP, Professor Adam Tomkins, has called for a separate Scottish party to stand in Holyrood and local elections while retaining the link with the UK party for Westminster. We pick apart this "intriguing" suggestion.
The No 10 parties seem to have cut through as recent polls have shown, far more than crony contracts, lockdown delays, and any number of other issues. Just what is it about the unfolding stories of an "alcohol culture" at the heart of government that has touched the public so deeply?
Despite this groundswell of popular opinion there seems little appetite among Tory MPs, other than an odd minority of hard core Brexiteers and "wets", to call for Johnson to go. We go behind the public declarations of loyalty to try and analyse the internal party manoeuvring.
The Irish had their own Covid regulation breaking scandal, Golfgate. Heads rolled. Is First Past the Post to blame for Westminster political entropy in toppling the PM?
Like many of us we're instinctively opposed to anything that Nadine Dorries proposes. However, again like many of us, we're disquieted about the role of the BBC ,particularly in its stance on and coverage of Scottish politics dating back to Indyref1. Where then does that leave us with the current threats to BBC funding?
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A new year but an old set of problems for the Prime Minister as evidence mounts of yet another illegal gathering at No 10 during lockdown in 2020.
We examine what's going on within the Tory ranks and wonder just when the "grey men" may wield the axe on Boris Johnson.
Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer made a couple of mind numbing speeches outlining his vision of a Labour UK,while wrapping himself in the Union flag and conveniently forgetting the left of centre pledges he mad to get himself elected party leader. The only policy he seemed certain on was a blank refusal to countenance any post electoral agreement with the SNP. Unionism trumps all with Starmer's Labour and does this signal that he's given up on Scotland in pursuit of lost English votes?
Devo Max, remember that from 2014, was back in the news this week with former SNP policy chief Chris Hanlon calling for three options - including "devo-max" - to be put to voters in a second independence referendum in order to break the constitutional logjam. Spoiler,we don't think it's a goer for a multitude of reasons.
Four people accused of illegally removing a statue to Edward Colston were cleared of criminal damage this week. This set Lesley thinking why there have been no similar incidents in Scotland.
As usual we wander down some other highways and byways including Icelandic cricket!
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We speak with Sarah Longlands Chief Executive of CLES(The Centre for Local Economic Strategies), and Councillor Matthew Brown,Leader of Preston City Council,about all things Community Wealth Building and in particular what's come to be known as the Preston Model.
https://cles.org.uk/
https://cles.org.uk/the-community-wealth-building-centre-of-excellence/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paint-Your-Town-Red-Preston/dp/1913462196
https://repeaterbooks.com/product/paint-your-town-red-how-preston-took-back-control-and-your-town-can-too/
https://www.preston.gov.uk/article/1791/The-definitive-guide-to-the-Preston-model
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In last week's podcast Lesley mentioned a Facebook friend who has decided to come off social media because of a bad cancer diagnosis. It prompted some discussion about the number of Yessers who would love to record their support for independence while they're still able. So Lesley recorded this conversation with Andi Holmes and his partner Sue Livingstone a few days ago - edited by Chris Smith. They hope it delivers a strong, upbeat message about Scotland's future on this cold Shortest Day
The Liberal Democrats pulled off a stunning victory in the North Shropshire by-election taking a constituency which had been true blue Tory for 200 years. We look at the result, the events that led to the contest, what it says about the changing political climate in England, and the future, if any, for the Johnson premiership.
This latest disaster for Johnson came hard on the heels of a back bench rebellion over new Covid measures where he depended on Labour votes to secure a majority. We examine not just these splits in Tory ranks, and potential leadership challengers, but what the Starmer's Labour is doing to position itself as a potential government.
Meanwhile in Holyrood the Scottish government has once again been forced to go cap in hand to Westminster to plead for support to mitigate the impact of the restrictions to combat the spread of the Omicron variant. Once again throwing into sharp relief the burning need for independence.
And while we are lining up for booster jags, variants, like Omicron, are spawning across the developing world. Is nobody safe until everyone is safe and is vaccine justice not just the moral thing but the smart thing to implement?
All of this plus much more in the final podcast episode of 2021
We begin with the ongoing controversy over the Cambo oilfield and the accusation in certain quarters that Nicola Sturgeon is a latter day Margaret Thatcher overseeing the destruction of an industry and communities in the NE of Scotland. Can the Scottish government do more to enable a just transition within its limited powers or is it hamstrung by the conduct and policies of Westminster?
Shocking claims have been made by a civil service whistleblower over, what he claims, was a failure at all levels of the UK government to meet its obligations to evacuate Afghans linked to Britain during the Taliban takeover.
Is this symptomatic of a governing party mired in corruption, incompetence ,and malice on a massive scale?
Dominic Raab was at the centre of these claims and was also the latest government minister rolled out, this time on the Marr Show, to try and spin the way out of the Covid law breaking parties alleged to have taken place during London lockdown last Christmas.
Will these revelations cut through to the voting public down south?
And in the week where a poll showed support for Scottish independence at 55%, and dissatisfaction with Boris Johnson among Scottish voters at 80% the Tories still held Old Bexley and Sidcup in a by election. However the voter turnout was risible at just over 33%. A symptom of voter disillusionment or the a result of the first past the post voting system?
All this plus our thoughts on the power of music with the release of the Peter Jackson Beatles documentary, Get Back.
And if you want to contribute to Michael Yellowlees fundraiser visit
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/michaelandlunarewild
It doesn't seem two minutes since the last one but it was the 87th SNP Annual Conference, once again in its online version, last week.It saw two significant motions passed on the setting up of a Scottish Reserve Bank and a Scottish Civil Service. Dr Tim Rideout spearheaded both of these and he spoke to us about their importance and chances of becoming SNP policy. Plus we got an insight into the internal workings of the party ,from his perspective, in terms of the chances of conference resolutions becoming party policy and the role of the Policy Development Committee.
We also look at what was contained in Nicola Sturgeon's keynote speech.
The media focused on the row over who knew what and when about Keir Starmer's Labour Shadow ministerial reshuffle. However there seems to be a definite split over both the creation of a National Energy Company and a move away from fossil fuel reliance when the change in portfolio for Ed Milliband at a UK level, and the resignation of Monica Lennon from her Holyrood post, are taken into account.
It's St Andrew's Day,so we shamelessly plug "The Coach's" charity to restore the birthplace of our national flag,the saltire.
To find out more you can visit the website https://saltire.scot/ . You can also follow them on Twitter @saltirescotland.
As usual there's also a whole lot more including Pat's, mercifully cut short by Lesley, trip down Catholic holidays of obligation rabbit hole.
It's hard to imagine any other senior politician, let alone a Prime Minister whose whole reputation is built on his powers of speech, surviving the shambles of Boris Johnson's CBI debacle. However, surviving he currently is, but for how long given the long list of crises queuing up in the wings along with dissatisfied and disgruntled wings of his own party? Or will the establishment veneer of superficial competence and confidence see him through?
What then of the opposition? A Labour party seemingly scared of its own shadow, with a leader seemingly stronger on tackling dissent within his own ranks than putting forward a positive vision of a Labour UK.
We also speculate on to whom some MPs actually owe their loyalty but whether the focus by both Labour and the SNP on the second jobs issue is letting the Tories off the hook over the VIP lane for Covid contracts scandal?
There's been a shift in Scottish government policy on the Cambo oil field but why the reluctance on this, and other issues, of the SNP to attack the UK government on its policies, or lack of them, in not just this but so many other areas.
Priti Patel launched an attack on Scottish local authorities for their apparent lack of involvement in refugee and asylum seekers resettlement. We try and put the record straight and once again Tory privatisation and the revolving door between that party and profiteering private sector providers is at the heart of the matter.
We, unashamedly, begin with our unbridled joy at the success of the Scotland men's football team in qualifying for the World Cup play offs after a stunning victory v Denmark.
COP26 ended with after two weeks of intense negotiations and we reflect on where 1.5 to stay alive stands now.
Lesley also talks about her experiences at the recent Revive one-day event, People, Wildlife & Environment.
Boris Johnson seems befuddled and beleaguered. Can he survive in the light of the impending HS2/Northern Powerhouse Rail u turns and the ongoing corruption bourach? The Tory Party is notoriously vicious in ridding itself of electorally vulnerable leaders, but has Johnson and his Cabinet of Brexiteer incompetents done irredeemable damage not only to the economy but to peace in Northern Ireland?
Nicola Sturgeon has come under fire from the usual quarters over her presence at COP26 with particular ire being reserved for her photos with the great and the good. Was there more to this than self promotion.? We think there was.
https://www.nordichorizons.org/
It's been a week with young people leading the way on climate action not only in Glasgow but around the world.
The media decided to focus almost entirely on Greta Thunberg but there are lots more inspiring young "leaders" out there advancing the cause of climate action and justice.
We take a look at what political power they might be able to wield.
There's also been a lot to admire in community action in Maryhill where local residents are campaigning for a community buy out in the Valley area to build eco friendly social housing.
However we also had to look at the swirl of corruption surrounding the Tory party and government with the Owen Paterson case and cash for peerages scandal.
Along the way we touch on the future of HS2,Brian Cox v Sir Keir Starmer ,Andrew Marr's Dundonian roots, and the joys of compost.
Plus
Brilliant, vivid, thoughtful poems on the climate crisis by Glaswegian Peter Clive. This slim, eminently dip-able collection of climate/planet poetry will make you sad, furious, hopeful and scared but also inspired by the natural wonders of our embattled world.
Ideal green-prezzie for Christmas says Lesley.
https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/peter-clive/the-end-of-the-age-of-fire/paperback/product-vnr4kd.html?page=1&pageSize=4
In this episode we focus almost the entire podcast on COP26.
Lesley attended COP26 this week. She describes her experience and gives her observations on the organisation and structure of the event,who was there,who wasn't, who spoke,who had to listen and reflects on their significance.
We also look at major issues such as the failure of Climate Funding,ongoing lawsuits against the major fossil fuel companies,and the role of those companies in sowing doubt about climate change and blocking meaningful action.
If,like us,you want to get involved and help bring climate justice to COP26 go to
https://cop26coalition.org/
The brilliant Dispatches programme
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-green-is-the-government-dispatches
Black, Black Oil on BBC Scotland channel 10pm on Wednesday November 3
The Scottish media is full of the strikes planned for during COP26. We try and look behind the headlines to make sense of why,and why now.
We also examine the UK government decision not to go with the Acorn CCS project. Was it blatant politicking and playing to "red wall" areas by the Tories? Why did they feel so confident in their ability to ignore Acorn's unanswerable economic case and why didn't Scots Conservative MPs not take the chance to "stand up for Scotland"?
The BMA and other medical organisations have said that the vaccine alone won't tackle the rising tide of Covid cases in England,yet Boris Johnson seems,for now,implacably opposed to the implementation of "Plan B". What does this say not only about the underlying ideology of the current Tory Party but also,what appears to be, that of a substantial section of the English public.
The tragic murder of Sir David Amess has once again thrown into stark relief the potential dangers faced by MPs and MSPs when carrying out public duties. We try and get behind the circumstances behind this awful event and examine the role elected officials play within their constituencies and what,if anything,can be done to ensure their safety.
The results of a review of UK parliamentary consituency boundaries certainly got the leader of the Scottish Tories,Douglas Ross, all het up. However he might just have a point when the proposals are looked at more closely. But beyond this present controversy are there underlying problems with the electoral system?
The UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,Sajid Javid,has defended the government’s decision to publish league tables for family doctors, but denied that it amounted to the “naming and shaming” of GPs.Surgeries which fail to provide appropriate “access” will be listed in league tables – with patients given a new right to demand face-to-face appointments. Although not applying to Scotland there is a narrative developing across the UK "blaming" GPs for the crisis in Primary Care. How fair is this?
It was the 100th anniversary of the birth of poet, author and dramatist George Mackay Brown on October the 17th. This,and the delivery of the Tay Whale sculpture to Dundee,provided the opportunity to visit his poem The Year of the Whale,in the light of the past week's events.
A joint report by the Health and Science select committees has been absolutely damning of the UK government's response to the Covid pandemic. The response to this from government ministers has been to focus,yet again, on the success of the vaccine roll out, say that lessons will be learned , to wait for the results of a future official inquiry,and that they followed scientific advice. We ask just plausible all that is.
The UK and the EU seem to be heading for a complete impasse over the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Central to this now seems to be the impact of the protocol on the relationship between GB and Northern Ireland,and the role of the ECJ. But is this all a narrative of EU intransigence being spun in the lead up to another,"Let's get Brexit done.", General Election?
Lesley looks back at the recent Borders Forest Trust Conference,in particular the contribution of George Monbiot, and the outstanding work being done by Trust volunteers.
We finish with thoughts on the,bizarrely,linked topics of the Great Tapestry of Scotland and the World Porridge Making Championship.
The recent Conservative party conference,in particular Boris Johnson's keynote speech,takes up the bulk of this week's podcast. Policy light,rhetoric and "joke" heavy we try and figure out why this appears,at least in electoral terms, to appeal to voters in England.
However there was much more to the conference than Johnson. We give our with our thoughts on Sajid Javid's chilling remarks on social care,Priti Patel's shameless populism and Alister Jack and Michael Gove's recent statements on Scottish independence.
Despite overwhelming support in the wider party for PR the motion proposing it as Labour Party policy was defeated at their conference.Lesley analysises what this says not just about Labour strategy but,more importantly,the central ideology of its leadership.
All this plus,the underlying causes of the energy crisis-hint short termism and privatisation- that Supreme court decision,and a wee tribute to the late Robin Morton.
We try and make sense of both Cressida Dick's and Kit Malthouse's reaction to the conviction in the Sarah Everard case and reflect on the the apparent culture of cover up and tolerance not just in the Metropolitan Police but across all forces.
Sir Keir Starmer made his big set piece speech setting out his vision for Labour at his party conference. The speech itself was,to these Scottish ears,cringe making and at odds with the motions passed by party delegates. Plus,as usual, when added to Andy Burnham's recent comments, it definitely struck the wrong note in terms of "winning back" Labour's lost Scottish votes.
A major part of the speech was focused on setting up the comparison between Starmer,serious and organised,versus Johnson,trivial and haphazard. However at FMQs Nicola Surgeon showed that in Scotland she's the benchmark all other leaders are measured against.Once again proving herself to be the consumate communicator when dealing with both Douglas( get off the phone) Ross ,Jamie Greene ,and Anas Sarwar.
Malcolm Offord a serially unsuccessful Tory politician,and major Tory donor, has been parachuted into the Lords and the Scottish Office.Have we become so innured to this level of anti democratic behaviour that it passes almost unnoticed and unremarked? We,however,certainly noticed and are happy to remark.
Kwasi Kwarteng says the lights will not go out over Christmas but the shambles of privatisation,not just in the energy sector,but right across the board goes on. We Own It has come up with startling figures on just how wasteful this ideology has been but the Labour leadership seems afraid,despite conference decisons,to go down the route of wholesale re nationalisation. In terms of energy provision there are major lessons to be learned across Europe when it comes to both state and locally owned utility companies.
Michelle Thomson grabbed all the headlines with her "No indyref in 2023" statement at the Big Indy Debate but there was a lot more to the event,and what she and the other panel members said,than that.
Hard questions were asked,and candidly answered, on the fluctuating support in the polls for Yes,currency,borders,and the EU. There were also some surprising revelations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXHdzhoO3bM
We also look at the energy crisis and the failure of the Scottish Government to create the promised National Energy Company. This despite memebers at the recent SNP conference voting to establish just such a body. Holyrood also saw the rejection of a Labour amendment to the Net Zero Nation Motion supporting the setting up of a non profit,publicly owned, energy company, by a voting alliance of the Greens,SNP,Lib Dems,and Tories.
On the positive side there is cross party,other than the Tories this time, support for the recently announced change in drug policy where folk found in possession of small amounts of Class A drugs will see them given a police warning rather than a court conviction.
As is our usual we vanish down our usual highways and byways on other related,and not so related, matters including the unveiling of the Jim McLean statue at Tannadice and the Scots Language Awards