Politically Speaking: Scotland’s flagship political podcast
Politically Speaking: Scotland’s flagship political podcast
Holyrood Communications
Welcome to Politically Speaking, Scotland’s flagship political podcast brought to you from the editorial team of the award-winning Holyrood magazine. Whether you are more interested in what politicians do to relax than what they actually do in the parliament, this is the podcast where you will get the full skinny on politics, policy, and pure nonsense. ©Holyrood Communications
Holyrood Election 2026: Post-match analysis
Join the editors of Holyrood – Scotland’s only dedicated political media title – political scientist Sir John Curtice and pollster Mark Diffley,  for immediate reaction to the Scottish Election 2026 results and what they mean for parliament and the country. Together with a number of leading Scottish politicians, to be announced, the expert panel will discuss:Scottish Election resultsWho makes up the new Scottish government and what deals might need to be doneWhat this means for each party leaderWhat this means for the constitutional question in ScotlandWhat this means for how Scotland is run
May 19
1 hr 2 min
Breaking the Cycle
Holyrood's Chris Marshall talks to Sean Duffy, chief executive of the Wise Group, and SNP MSP Rona Mackay, a member of the Scottish Parliament's Criminal Justice Committee, about Scotland's stubbornly high prison population and the effectiveness of community-based alternatives to incarceration. This podcast is sponsored by the Wise Group.
Mar 31, 2022
50 min
Keeping it human
After a bruising week in which the statutory regulator, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, found itself in the eye of the Gender Recognition Act storm, Mandy Rhodes interviews its chair, Baroness Kishwer Falkner.
Feb 10, 2022
51 min
Questioning the question
After a paper written by the former SNP policy lead, Chris Hanlon, on ‘devo max’ sparked an almighty row about what question or questions should be asked in any future Independence Referendum, Mandy Rhodes speaks to SNP President, Mike Russell, former Labour MSP Neil Findlay, and academic, Professor James Mitchell, on why it mattered.
Jan 14, 2022
57 min
Labour of Love
Scottish Labour’s Richard Leonard talks to Louise Wilson about his political career and why he decided to step down as party leader earlier this year. Elsewhere, the Holyrood team discuss the coming Omicron wave and whether the controversy over Downing Street parties has made it less likely that people will follow guidelines this Christmas.
Dec 16, 2021
58 min
COP26: Where are the Global South?
In this special COP26 edition of the podcast, Louise Wilson hears from Alistair Dutton of SCIAF about who is feeling climate change first and worst, the missing $100bn climate finance, and the achievements of COP so far.
Nov 10, 2021
17 min
COP26: Can we be cautiously optimistic?
In this special COP26 edition of the podcast, Louise Wilson speaks to WWF Scotland’s Fabrice Leveque about cautious optimism, how Scotland can prove it’s a climate leader and the work still to be done.
Nov 5, 2021
13 min
All Eyes on Scotland
In the latest edition of the podcast, Mandy Rhodes speaks to SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford about the latest push for independence and the UK Government’s decision not to award a carbon capture plant to Scotland. Elsewhere, the team discusses the upcoming COP26 climate summit and asks – does Glasgow really have a rat problem?
Oct 29, 2021
55 min
An Attack on Democracy
Following the murder of Sir David Amess MP, there is renewed focus on the growing level of threat and intimidation politicians face, particularly online. In this edition of the podcast, journalist Margaret Taylor speaks to SNP MP Carol Monaghan about what it was like to receive a death threat. Elsewhere, the team discuss whether Sir David’s death will lead to a tightening of security for elected officials.
Oct 25, 2021
35 min
Joking aside
Former Scottish Conservatives leader Jackson Carlaw is the guest on this week’s edition of the podcast, fresh from being named Wag of the Year at the Holyrood Political Awards. He reflects on a career in politics and what really happened when he stepped down as leader last year. Elsewhere, the team discuss Nicola Sturgeon’s comments about having “time on her side” when it comes to a second independence referendum, and why the First Minister and Tory leader Douglas Ross are so keen to show off their working class credentials.
Oct 13, 2021
59 min
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