Holyrood Sources

Calum and Geoff are live from the pub at SNP conference. They take the temperature of the party ahead of John Swinney's speech this weekend and are joined by party representatives, pollsters and experts to diagnose the health of the SNP going into 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver dive into the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.We are joined by Rachael Hamilton MSP, Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, to react to Kemi Badenoch’s proposed review of the Scotland Act and reported plans to curtail Holyrood's powers—including over education. We discuss "true conservative values," energy bills, public sector reform, and whether the UK Tory vision aligns with Scottish voters.Plus, the team breaks down Nicola Sturgeon’s claims of Labour's "glaring contradictions" on referendums, Andy Burnham's political standing, and the soaring UK welfare bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another energy special episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast in partnership with Energy Voice. Calum, Geoff and Andy are joined by Ryan Duff and Floyd March: Aberdeen Features Lead and North West Correspondent at Energy Voice. The group discuss the impact Great British Energy and the newly announced Great British Grid across Scotland, why its energy sector faces competition from other parts of the UK and how Miatta Fahnbulleh differs from Ed Miliband as Energy Secretary.🔔 Subscribe to Holyrood Sources for weekly inside analysis on Scottish politics!📧 Have a question or comment? Email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack the Scottish Government's local government proposal that could see Scotland's 32 councils reduced to just 6... Professor Michael Keating joins the show to discuss the convoluted history of local government reform in Scotland and what changes now could mean for you.Following his election win over Joe Fagan, will Michael Marra lead Scottish Labour to electoral success, or is his political fate tied to Westminster?And Geoff Aberdein recounts his meeting with King Charles in Aberdeen this week... he explores a stark contrast between green energy ambitions, North Sea job losses, and political double-speak on domestic energy vs. imports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a summer special of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by the 2026 Scottish Labour candidate for Galloway and West Dumfries, Jack McConnel (the other one).Jack is one of the leading voices in a growing movement within the Scottish Labour Party, that wants to break away from UK Labour and stand as an independent body.Jack explains why he thinks a breakaway party would be good for the Scottish Labour movement and Scottish politics as a whole and compares the move to similar political arrangements in other countries.You can read more about the just for Scotland movement here at https://www.justscotland.win/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Geoff Aberdein react to Andy Burnham's first major speech as presumptive Prime Minister. Will his plans to 'rewire Britain' and run some of the UK government from the new Number 10 North (of England), be beneficial or harmful to those living in Scotland? Will Andy Burnham be a Prime Minister for the whole of the UK and not just England? What will further devolution in Scotland mean, could we see metro-mayors appear across the country? ... and can the probable PM actually connect with voters once in power, something that Keir Starmer has failed to do so? Later in the show Calum, Geoff and Andy answer some of your questions, includingWhether a independent pro-union party in Scotland mirror the CDU-CSU arrangement in Germany?... and what would real fiscal autonomy mean for Scotland, government spending and the independence movement? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The overnight by-election results are in, and Scottish politics has been turned completely on its head! In this bonus episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down a seismic night that saw the Scottish Conservatives secure a historic victory in Aberdeen South—their first by-election win since 1973.The panel dives into how Douglas Lumsden and Kemi Badenoch "dictated the terms" of the campaign by going all-in on oil and gas, leaving John Swinney’s SNP facing a brutal wake-up call over their muddled energy policy. We also look at the internal SNP friction exploding on X/Twitter between Stephen Flynn and Kate Higgins.Plus, we head south to Makerfield where Andy Burnham's massive 55% win has triggered what looks like an inevitable, high-stakes Labour leadership battle with a defiant Sir Keir Starmer. Is Starmer completely delusional, or can he survive a battle of ideas?💬 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What is your reaction to the Aberdeen South result? Is the SNP's position on oil and gas completely broken? 📱 WhatsApp us: 0333 404 6507 (Start your message with the word Holyrood) and we might read your thoughts out on next week's episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Scottish Parliament is running, but is it actually getting anything done? In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into a massive week for Scottish politics.As Scottish Labour forces a vote on a parliamentary inquiry into Peter Murrell’s embezzlement from the SNP, First Minister John Swinney faces intense pressure over his handling of the situation. Should he have brought in a KC to clean house, or is he right to treat it as "case closed"? We break down the constitutional battle brewing as Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee threatens to step in.Plus, we expose a glaring economic contradiction at the heart of the Scottish Government: debating wealth taxes one week and demanding economic growth the next. We also react to a brilliant, straight-talking 6-point listener manifesto for the SNP, debate the failure of elected committee conveners, and unpack the transport chaos plaguing Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.