The Lesley Riddoch Podcast Lesley Riddoch and Pat Joyce

In this week's episode we wonder if Iran has fallen into the trap set by an increasingly desperate Netanyahu who was seeing Western support for Israel's actions in Gaza ebb away.Israel has long argued that the whole Gaza war has in effect been “a war against Iran” from the start. An Iran which threatened not only Israel but stability across the region and beyond. We also examine the legality of both Israel and Iran's actions and the hypocrisy in particular of the USA and the UK.Germany has been a staunch,almost unquestioning, supporter of Israel over Gaza, and indeed being a major arms supplier. Does the recent ban on entry to the country of Glasgow University rector Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, who was due to speak on his experiences as a surgeon in Gaza, shine a light on why Germany is facing claims of facilitating genocide at the ICJ?Lesley's Lyme disease health issues lead us into our thoughts on Wes Streeting's latest statements on the role of private healthcare in the NHS. Are we being middle class lefties?
Lesley looks at the recent legislation concerning wood burning stoves and asks if, yet again, it shows the urban centric perspective of the Scottish government.Lesley's latest film Denmark The State of Happiness seems to have touched a very sensitive nerve with a significant number of unionist commentators. We try and get behind their rhetoric to reality.And if you want to see the film and make up your own mind it's available online herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJnu6lAhvMplus live at the following venueshttps://lesleyriddoch.com/eventsAs promisedThe Hutters Rally event in Dundeehttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hutters-rally-2024-tickets-840277692197?aff=oddtdtcreatorBelieve in Scotland Rallyhttps://www.thenational.scot/news/24247987.believe-scotland-confirms-full-line-up-speakers-hosts/There's also a cheeky wee special offer on a £20 annual subscription to The Nationalhttps://www.thenational.scot/subscribe/?utm_source=x&utm_campaign=SS


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As promised last week we do tackle the Land Reform Bill but not before casting our gimlet gaze over other major issues.Ally McCoist didn't turnup at the Rangers v Celtic match on Sunday so missed out on the opportunity to fall foul of the new Hate Crime Act. However 48000 other Rangers fans did, we revisit the Act in light of what did and didn't happen.Unlike me Lesley didn't watch the match but appeared on Sky's Trevor Phillips On Sunday show. Having really done her homework on all matters Scottish Lesley was armed with facts and data none of which were needed as the focus was on Israel, Gaza and arms sales. In the week when Conservative ex Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan speaking on LBC  said the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) group had been "doing the bidding of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, bypassing all proper processes of government to exercise undue influence at the top of government", Guto Harri, Boris Johnson's No 10 Director of Communications, was also unequivocal in his condemnation of Israeli's actions in Gaza. Lesley compares this to the mealy mouthed statements from  Labour's David Lammy, Pat McFadden and others. Sarah-Jane Laing the chief executive of Scottish Land and Estates claimed that The Land Reform Bill was a full on attack on the property rights of land owners. The Scottish Government said it would "revolutionise land ownership in Scotland". Lesley it's fair to say has her doubts about both these statements.Thanks to a listener we have further insight into how publicly owned Scottish Water actually is.If you want to go see Lesley's Denmark film here's the linkhttps://lesleyriddoch.com/eventsIt's also now  available onlinehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJnu6lAhvM


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Humza Yousaf has been First Minister and leader of the SNP for a year. We look back at the past 12 months and ask no matter how effective he has been in steering Scotland through crises which have seen massive strike action in England why do so many folk seem dismissive of his tenure.We also question the timidity of the Scottish Government in challenging the limitations of the devolved settlement and wonder if being a good conciliator is enough for a party leader going into a General Election.Lesley suggests that getting on the front foot over economic issues such as bailing out the privatised English water companies should be a political priority for Humza.Eylon Musk, and JK Rowling have been vocal and vehement critics of the new Scottish Hate Crime Act. Rishi Sunak has weighed in with support for Rowling despite similar hate legislation in England. How far does this politicking undermine the justified criticisms of aspects of the act by someone like Joanna Cherry?We enter these choppy waters and try our best to navigate them.Humza and the SNP have been outspoken opponents of the actions of the Israeli Government and the IDF in Gaza since the outbreak of the conflict. As evidence that UK Government lawyers  have advised that Israel has breached international humanitarian law how long can the government continue to allow arms sales to continue?All this plus daffodils, weird Fife airfield dreams, and Ally McCoist says stuff out loud, in this week's episode.


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April the first( Hands up who thinks Gowk's Day was a smart idea?)sees the introduction of the new Hate Crime and Public Order( Scotland) Act.We try and delve beneath the social media sound and fury to look at the reasoning behind the act and its  pros and cons.
Back at Westminster Stephen Flynn skewered Labour during PMQs with their seeming embrace of Margaret Thatcher. What is the Thatcher legacy? What is the continuing allure of the Thatcher myth?Sticking with Labour as yet another of their previous pledges, this time on compensation for the WASPI women, has been dumped, according to Labour loyalist John McTernan  their ceasefire motion changed UK foreign policy and in so doing led to the passing of the UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. Lesley has quite a bit to say on tboth.This weekend the Scotonomics Festival took place in Dundee. Lesley chaired a couple of sessions but much has been made of Professor Mark Blyth's contribution in the unionist press. Was the reporting fair and accurate?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C33RWFYec3AMore showings of Lesley's Denmark movie. Full details belowhttps://lesleyriddoch.com/events


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Humza Yousaf's using the phrase “Tory-free” umpteen times  when addressing SNP activists, and telling Scottish Tory MPs: “The SNP is coming for you.” seems to have set off a political storm not just among the usual suspects but such SNP luminaries as Pete Wishart and the Aberdeen Independence Movement. Unwarranted pearl clutching? We discuss.Last Wednesday's PMQs saw the unedifying spectacle of Sir Lindsay Hoyle ignoring Dianne Abbott on no less 46 occasions as she tried to speak on the Frank Hester racist comments about Dianne Abbott. Stephen Flynn, yet again, as on BBC Question Time , was an outstanding performer. Lesley asked in her most recent article if performance is all the SNP's presence at Westminster can be?The Hester Tory donations issue, " He was racist but it was half a decade ago and we're keeping the cash", set us thinking about the murky world of UK political party funding. And murky it certainly is.In stark contrast to PMQs, no question is ever answered, Scottish FMQs is an entirely more rigorous affair. Lesley gives her reaction to last week's session.We look at Scottish Green Freeports. Are they Green? Are they indeed ports? What differentiates them, if anything from the English version? Why did the Scottish Government acquiesce in their creation?Full details of the Scotonomics Festival in Dundeehttps://scotonomics.scot/festival-of-economics/If you still haven't seen Lesley's Denmark movie you can book belowhttps://lesleyriddoch.com/events


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Back after the two week break when Pat decided to take his holidays at precisely the wrong, political, time.In this "while he was away" episode we kick off with our reaction to the return of George Galloway to Westminster after his thumping victory in the Rochdale by election. As Galloway enters Parliament Lee Anderson departs from the Tory Party to join Reform. This plus speculation on Kate's family photo took up 40 minutes of The World at One on Radio 4. Lesley questions the focus and asks if this represents the values and priorities of Scots.We take a look at Hunt's Budget. What traps has he laid for an incoming Labour government? What does it say about Starmer's Labour when it is committed to the same "We can't max out the country's credit card" narrative?Sticking with Westminster, is there merit in Keith Brown's suggestion that the SNP should consider Sinn Fein style abstentionism?Keith has also been blunt in his calling for Stephen Kerr MSP's candidacy for the Conservative Party be removed after his recent comments on Humza Yousaf and the Scottish Government's funding of UNRWA.Growth is the cry from both Labour and the Tories but the UK's is anaemic in comparison to that of the USA. What part, if any, will the economy play in the upcoming Presidential election? Biden and Trump have their nominations sewn up but will Trump's culture wars appeal beyond his base? Labour also seem about to back Michael Gove's controversial redefinition of extremism. We examine the backgrounds of those driving this and its potential implications.Along the way we also cover Michelle Donelan's libel case, the showing of Lesley's Denmark movie to MSPs, the special women's edition of the National and what inspired it, and baggage shenanigans at Edinburgh airport.If you want to see Lesley's Denmark movie follow this linkhttps://lesleyriddoch.com/events


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