Holyrood Sources

Is John Swinney the right person to lead Scotland after May 7th? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

In this special edition of 'The Interviews' from Holyrood Sources, First Minister John Swinney sits down with Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver at an undisclosed location in Edinburgh. From the "logjam" of Scottish independence to the future of North Sea oil and gas (Jackdaw and Rosebank), no stone is left unturned.

In this episode:

The "Job Interview": Swinney reflects on his first two years as First Minister and why he's "loving it."

Energy & Economy: A deep dive into the climate compatibility test and the shift in geopolitical energy security.

Infrastructure Failures: Why is the Sheriffhall roundabout still a bottleneck after 18 years?

The Independence Mandate: What happens if the SNP fails to secure a majority on May 7th?

🎙️ About Holyrood Sources: Bringing you inside the room of Scottish politics with the people who were actually there.

Sponsored by: The Scotch Whisky Association’s "Made to be Measured" campaign.

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The Holyrood Sources podcast brings the best analysis of Scottish politics with those who have lived it as Special Advisers, and those who are current and former politicians and political party leaders.

Join Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (Former Chief of Staff to First Minister Alex Salmond) and Andy Maciver (Former Director of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives).

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On the final day of the parliamentary term, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) head outside the Scottish Parliament to capture the raw emotions of outgoing and campaigning MSPs.

As Scotland prepares for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election, we sit down with key figures from across the political spectrum to discuss the SNP’s record, the potential for a Labour minority government, and the "scourge factor" of the polls.

In this episode, we explore:

Ivan McKee (SNP) on the "unarguable" case for an independence referendum and the metrics for success.

Fergus Ewing (Independent) on why he left the SNP after 50 years and his "iceberg" warning for the current government.

Monica Lennon (Labour) on the "toxic" atmosphere of the chamber and reaching "abandoned" voters.

The Reform UK Factor: How Nigel Farage's party is influencing the strategy of the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP alike.
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Is Holyrood broken? On the final day of the parliamentary session, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) are LIVE from outside the Scottish Parliament.

As 42 MSPs prepare to walk out of these doors for the last time, we speak to the politicians left standing. From the "Tory Trinity" to the SNP's internal shifts and the growing shadow of Reform UK, this episode dives into the fractious nature of the last session and what the "long campaign" means for your pocketbook.

Key Topics Covered:

The Energy Crisis: Why the North Sea is the ultimate political football.

The Reform Threat: Will the next parliament be the "Wild West"?

Legacy vs. Reality: Has Holyrood become too distant from the people?

The 1999 Club: Who is left from the original parliament?

Featured Guests: Brian Whittle (Con), Michelle Thompson (SNP), Marie Todd (SNP), Emma Roddick (SNP), Megan Gallacher (Con), Jackson Carlaw (Con), Murdo Fraser (Con), and Graham Simpson (Reform).
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In this special episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver are joined by The Scotsman’s Catriona Stewart and former headteacher Carole Ford to dissect the "abysmal" data surrounding Scottish attainment. From the "opaque" Curriculum for Excellence to the 43% of pupils now identified with Additional Support Needs (ASN), we ask: Is the system sustainable?

We are also joined by Thomas Robertson, teacher at Saint Andrews RC Secondary School and Janine Leonard from StandUK, a charity that supports autistic and neurodivergent children , who add their own perspectives from within the industry.

They ask:
Why is it nearly impossible for parents to see how schools are performing?
Has the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) hollowed out real learning?
Why 43% of pupils have 'additional support needs'
Will any party be brave enough for radical reform?

Connect with us:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507
🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

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On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Andy Maciver and Geoff Aberdein break down another week of Scottish politics and reflect on the continued fighting in the Middle East. They discuss the global energy crisis and the impact of the Strait of Hormuz disruption and debate the future of North Sea oil and gas policy

Political scientist Ailsa Henderson joins the podcast to explain the latest polling trends from the Scottish Election Study ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. She suggests how the SNP have managed to maintain popularity for so long and whether the UK Conservatives can learn anything from the downfall of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 1990s.

This episode is also the first in our series of election candidate interviews. Calum, Andy and Geoff meet three of the candidates who the podcast will follow through the election campaign. They are joined by Lloyd Melville from the SNP, Isla McCay from Labour and Sanne Dijkstra-Downie from the Liberal Democrats.

Connect with us:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507
🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.