UofG Spotlight

We're kicking off Season 7 of our UofG Spotlight podcast with a live episode challenging our political leaders on public service reform in Scotland.
Recorded live on Monday 19 January 2026 at our event, Stop/Start: Making Public Service Reform Stick in Scotland, our host Professor Kezia Dugdale talks to:
Michael Marra MSP - Scottish Labour
Alison Thewliss - SNP
Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP - Scottish Conservatives
Graham Simpson MSP - Reform UK
Jamie Greene MSP - Scottish Liberal Democrats
Gillian Mackay MSP - Scottish Greens
Kez quizzed our panel about whether politicians can work together to deliver for Scotland, the fiscal challenge facing Scotland, prevention, the future of the NHS, devolution, and more.
We closed with a big question: What would each member stop spending money on, how much money that would save and what you would spend it on?
The Centre for Public Policy will be publishing lots more insights and outputs from speakers at our Stop/Start: Making Public Service Reform Stick in Scotland event, including Professor Graeme Roy as discussed in this episode.
Make sure you don't miss it - sign up to the Centre for Public Policy mailing list:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/publicpolicy/about/

In this latest episode of Spotlight, we reflect on a turbulent year in American politics and its global ripple effects. Nicola McEwen and Kez Dugdale are joined by two leading voices in international affairs: 
Prof Juliet Kaarbo (University of St Andrews) explores Donald Trump's evolving leadership style, the psychology behind his foreign policy decisions, and the blurring lines between domestic and international agendas.
Prof Mark Blyth (Brown University) unpacks the economic and political consequences of Trump's tariff wars, rising inflation, and the resilience of U.S. institutions under executive pressure. 
Tune in for expert analysis, transatlantic perspectives, and a look ahead to what the next three years might hold. 
CONFERENCE TICKETS: Stop/Start: Making Public Service Reform Stick in Scotland: Book your place.

This week's episode takes a quick look at the UK Government's Budget:  
What it means for Scotland? 
Why has the Government made these tax decisions? 
Was this a Budget for growth? 
What does lifting the Two Child Limit mean? 
How do we achieve effective regional development? 
Professor Nicola McEwen, Director of the Centre for Public Policy, discusses all this with Graeme Roy, Professor of Economics and Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission, Dr David Waite, expert in regional economies and inclusive growth and Ruth Patrick, Professor in Social and Public Policy with expertise in poverty and social security.

In this episode, we tackle a critical and timely issue in the Scottish policy landscape: access to justice. Kezia speaks with two leading academics and legal aid practitioners, Fiona McPhail and Jen Ang, about the Scottish Government's ongoing consideration of Legal Aid Reform. With decades of experience in social justice law, they share insights on what reform could mean.  
Then, we take a deeper look at the experiences of people trying to access justice. Joined by Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive of One Parent Families Scotland, and Marsha Scott, Chief Executive of Scottish Women's Aid, we explore the broader challenges families and women face when seeking justice. From domestic abuse to systemic barriers, they reveal what's working, what isn't, and what still needs to change.

In this Challenge Poverty Week special, Nicola McEwen and Kezia Dugdale explore the governance of poverty with Claire MacRae and Thomas Rochow from the Centre for Public Policy.  
This week the First Minister reiterated again that eradicating child poverty is the driving mission for his government. The State of Poverty research team discuss how institutional silos and fragmented decision-making can hinder progress towards tackling poverty. They also explain their innovative approach to including lived experience in their work through composite stories. 
In the second part of the episode, we hear from Lorraine Sanda, Clackmannanshire Council, and Lynn Hendry, Hunter Foundation, who share insights from their work driving systems change at a local level to tackle poverty. Together they explore what it really takes to govern differently. 
For more information about the State of Poverty, visit the Centre for Public Policy website: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/publicpolicy/research/state-of-poverty/ 
Also sign up to our State of Poverty workshop on 6th November in Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/publicpolicy/events/headline_1213704_en.html