Holyrood Sources

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack another week Scottish politics.

The team reacts to the official Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures, analysing Scotland's £25.3 billion public spending deficit, falling North Sea oil revenues, and what upcoming public service reforms mean for John Swinney’s government.

We also dive deep into the Scottish Labour leadership contest as candidates Joe Fagan and Michael Mara prepare to battle it out following Monica Lennon’s exit.

Plus, the team addresses listener questions on the environmental impact and energy demands of large-scale data centres versus net zero targets, and runs a political thought experiment: what would Scottish politics look like today if Rishi Sunak had won the 2024 general election?
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Calum MacDonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down Scotland's latest GERS figures, examining revenue vs. public spending, the Barnett Formula, and Scotland's fiscal deficit.

Plus, the Holyrood Sources team discuss the realities of North Sea oil vs. renewables, and whether John Swinney can escape Sturgeon’s legacy.

Later, George and Andy share their thoughts on former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar's comments that the House of Lords should be abolished.
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Nicola Sturgeon faces fierce backlash from her own former cabinet colleagues after criticising the SNP's election strategy in a new book foreword. Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down the response from the First Minister and Cabinet Secretaries.

Plus, as the Scottish Labour leadership contest opens with Monica Lennon, Michael Marra, and Joe Fagan announcing their leadership, we ask: what is Labour’s long-term plan to challenge the SNP, is there any possibility of a party win in 2031?

Later, we revisit Scotland’s income tax debate. Economist Laurie Macfarlane (Co-Director of Future Economy Scotland) responds to Dan Neidle’s analysis on Scotland’s 48p top tax rate.

Does the data really show a £22m loss, or are volatility and broader economic factors being overlooked?
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Why did Scotland’s new 48p top rate of income tax actually backfire and lose £22 million in revenue?

On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver analyse the fallout from Scotland's tax policy with tax expert Dan Neidle from Tax Policy Associates.

Will John Swinney reverse a major policy decision originated by his predecessors, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon?

We also discuss the Scottish Labour leadership contest following Anas Sarwar’s departure to the House of Lords. We're joined by Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Councillor and Scottish Representative for Labour in Local and Regional Government.
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Andy Burnham has officially become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, marking the country’s 7th PM since 2016.

Join host Calum Macdonald live from Downing Street on this special episode of The Sources Podcasts as we break down every moment of this historic handover of power. From Keir Starmer’s departure speech to Andy Burnham’s note-free address to the nation, we cover the immediate reactions, political strategy, and shock Cabinet appointments shaping the new UK government.

In this episode:
- Keir Starmer’s final speech and exit to Buckingham Palace.
- Andy Burnham’s vision: Ending rough sleeping, re-industrialisation, and cost-of-living relief.
- Expert analysis with Patrick Maguire (The Times), Cathy Newman (Times Radio/Sky News), Anna Mikhailova (Times Radio), Peter Cardwell (Talk), Alexander Brown (Daily Mirror), Stefan Boscia (The Times), Andrew Quinn (The Scotsman), and Kate Ferguson (Sun on Sunday).
- Breaking Cabinet Announcements: John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary, and Louise Haigh as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

💬 What do you think of Andy Burnham's new Cabinet? Will his 10-year plan stabilise UK politics? Let us know

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