The Lesley Riddoch Podcast Lesley Riddoch and Pat Joyce

It was definitely some weekend for us.Pat suffered the ignominy of his beloved Dundee United being relegated and Lesley braved Radio 1's Big Weekend in Camperdown Park.The music event certainly led us down down some interesting rabbit holes about fame,fans,and faux rock stars.The National also published an extract from Lesley's new book Thrive which tackles that old Scottish sporting trope of ,"It's the hope that kills you." and how it has permeated the Scot's psyche when it comes to running our own affairs, the fear of making mistakes, and the belief that somehow the fowk in charge ken best. Lesley also makes a plea for Humza Yousaf in particular and the SNP in general to embrace the campaigning efforts of Yes groups like the Chain Of Freedom. Chain of Freedom are currently putting together a  website - but have a Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/5785858594826639/And a great wee video explainer herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZ2AvmigR0
If you want to read Thrive  the first print run has almost sold out, so it'll be a week before there are more in But still 50 to go on https://lesleyriddoch.com/shop-mobile/thrive
Lesley also took part in an Aye Write event with former Labour MSP Neil Findlay whose new book Hope and Despair which he describes as  "Lifting the lid on the murky world of Scottish politics " has just been published. Her reflections on this and the position of a Corbynite socialist in a Starmer Labour Party are well worth the listen.All this plus the Viking head lump,honest it is a thing, in this week's episode.



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In the week where Lesley,in her own words,"got her jotters from the Herald", we return to the controversy over HPMAs .We ask in the light of the success of the COAST charity that pioneered the no-take zone at Lamlash Bay, should this be the model for an effective,locally based approach to marine conservation.This groundbreaking video was made 10 years ago by the divers who set up the COAST charity that pioneered the no-take zone at Lamlash Bay. Watch and be amazed!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tC2IAgeJrAThe Wild Isles episode number 5 - not shown on TV featuring award winning camera operator Doug Allan, who started his diving career at Lamlash Bay - speaks at 55.54'https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0f21klc/wild-isles-series-1-5-ocean
The SNP has scheduled a one day "Independence Convention" in Dundee on the same day as the AUOB march in Stirling. Is this a sign of an opening up of party democracy in the Humza Yousaf era or simply a rebranding effort to disguise the SNP talking to itself?
Meanwhile at Westminster the anti-strike,minimum service levels, bill which will force workers in areas such as health and education to go to  work or face the sack, effectively removing their right to strike, was passed in the House of Commons last night. Despite the SNP,Labour and the Lib Dems voting for an amendment to make this an England only bill all Scottish Tories toed the party line to vote this down. What does it say about the state of Conservative Britain when this legislation mirrors that in place in such bastions of democracy as Russia and Belarus?While cracking the whip of "firm government" Sunak seems incapable of keeping the far right in his party under control.More Tory MPs are deciding to step down at the next General Election and jump from the sinking ship while Braverman and her supporters are on maneuvers to stage a post-defeat leadership coup.
As the feart leave the Conservative benches Stellantis – one of the world’s biggest carmakers - has made it starkly clear that if there is no change in UK policy on Brexit they will pick up sticks and locate elsewhere. All this while Labour clings to  "Make Brexit Work" in another three word slogan so dominant in 2023 British political discourse.
Copies of Lesley's new book,Thrive are available herehttps://lesleyriddoch.com/books/thriveAnd if you fancy hearing her talk about it and the ideas in it pop along to one of these eventshttps://lesleyriddoch.com/events-mobile


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From Alex Cole-Hamilton to Nigel Farage it's certainly been a week for public figures making bold statements.We look at them all starting with Cole Hamilton's "ancient nations that can never and should never exist again" then move on to examine whether there was more to Jacob Rees-Mogg's admission over Tory gerrymandering over voter ID than at first glance when taken in the context of Nat Con and the split in the party over immigration.The retiring Children's Commisioner for Scotland,Bruce Adamson,has come under fire for his damning remarks that the Scottish Government had"absolutely failedto deliver for young people". Despite Scotland having the lowest rates of child poverty in the UK did he have a point when it comes to the failure to progress the UN Convention on Rights for the Child after it was blocked by the UK Government? One of the former directors of Yes Scotland Ian Dommett, in a damning interview with Neil Mackay in The Herald claimed the SNP was the biggest contributor to its failure in 2014. Lesley gives her perspective as a major non SNP figure in that campaign.Lesley's two most recent articles in The Herald and The National throw into sharp relief the re-industrialisation and green " just transition" policies being pursued in Gothenburg and Aberdeen. The comparison is stark and disturbing.Lesley's new book "Thrive" is published this FridayIf you want to see her in conversation about it or get a signed copy here are the links Signed copy from Lesley https://lesleyriddoch.com/books/thriveMake sure to tick box asking if you want a dedication even if it's no. Otherwise you can't proceed.
Also gigs;Aye Write Glasgow – May 26th 19.45 https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/lesley-riddoch-and-neil-findlay-the-futures-of-scotland
Dundee – June 6thRobert Falcon Scott Suite,Discovery Point 7-9pm with wineTickets £9 from Eventbrite:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/come-and-hear-lesley-riddoch-tickets-630968863857Organiser Jane Phillips
Fort William – June 9th Kilmallie Community centre 7PMAdmission freeOrganiser Bill Lees
Inverness – June 10th 13.30 Spectrum Centrehttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lesley-riddoch-talk-and-new-book-tickets-629846125717?aff=ebdshpsearchautocompleteOrganiser Kay Frew
Perth - June 15th AK Bell Library 7pmhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/lesley-riddoch-thrive-the-freedom-to-flourish-tickets-635942299537Organiser Jacqui Jensen
Edinburgh –Thu 22 June 7.30 Toppings.https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinburgh/lesley-riddoch-2023/with Tommy Sheppard
Maybole – Sunday 25th June YES Carrick Public Meeting at 14.00. in the Carrick Centre, Maybole by railway station.https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yes-carrick-with-lesley-riddoch-tickets-636512394707Organiser Alec Oattes



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Saturday the sixth of May saw two major occasions, the coronation of King Charles III in London and the All Under One Banner march in support of Scottish independence in Glasgow.We compare and contrast the two events and examine their significance not only at UK level but for the Yes Movement and the SNP.The coronation also provided the first opportunity for the Met to exercise the muscle given to them in the rushed through Public Order Act. We discuss not only this but the revelation that if they came to power Labour would not seek to repeal the act.Talking of Labour, they, the Lib/Dems, and the Greens, had good results in last week's English local elections. However, not good enough to guarantee a majority Labour government if repeated at a General Election. The prospect of a hung Parliament prompted the SNP's Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, to call on Labour voters to lend the SNP their votes to keep out the Tories in Scotland, and to lay out his demands to secure SNP support to prop up a minority Labour administration. We examine the feasibility of this strategy.We also look at the impact of the new voter ID requirements, the growing Conservative influence in public appointments and controversial proposals for "politicisation" of the Civil Service.Lesley's new book, Thrive, is now at the printers. If you want to go along to hear her talk about it here are the links to upcoming eventsGlasgow Aye Write with Neil Findlay May 26https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/lesley-riddoch-and-neil-findlay-the-futures-of-scotlandEdinburgh June 22https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/edinburgh/lesley-riddoch-2023/Other June events in Perth, Dundee, Inverness, Fort William and Maybole - details to follow.


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 Lesley is in Gothenburg for this episode and while she focuses on its sustainable transport system Pat still manages to get in his lasting pain over the 1987 UEFA Cup Final defeat for Dundee United.Lesley's latest article in The National certainly got the comments flying in its call to focus on the big issues facing the SNP and the broader Yes movement rather than engaging in grieving and gloating. We try and get beneath the reactions to the core of what challenges and opportunities face the SNP membership before the annual conference.
Meanwhile Rishi Sunak on his flying visit to the Scottish Tory Party Conference decided that it was a braw idea to exclude the majority of the Scottish press from his post speech press conference. To say that this backfired was an understatement.
It can't have escaped our notice, despite at best, apathy in Scotland, that this Saturday will see the coronation of Charles III. We reflect on the pomp and circumstance and the possible own goal by the English Premier League requesting that clubs play the national anthem before all games. A precedent not followed by the Scottish football authorities. We also discuss the tensions inherent in being Scottish FM and a republican for Humza Yousaf and compare his situation with that of Michelle O'Neil leader of Sinn Fein, who'll also be attending the coronation.
Edinburgh University cancelled the showing of the documentary Adult Human Female on safety grounds after action by trans rights protestors. This seems to have had a knock-on effect with Joanna Cherry's appearance at The Stand Comedy Club as part of a series of shows during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe also being cancelled due to staff concerns. 


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We're back after our two-week hiatus and straight into looking at the mess of the SNP's finances and the struggle to secure auditors before the May 31st deadline. Missing this could lead to the withdrawal of over a million pounds worth of "short money" state support for the Westminster party.The SNP's travails have led Baron Frost to float the idea of rolling back devolution and re-establishing a unitary UK state. Frost may seem like an outlier, but we ask if he is simply expressing the reality of a more muscular Tory unionism which can be seen in the UK internal market legislation and in the first use of a Section 35 Order to halt progress of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.Humza Yousaf's first act as First Minister has been to challenge the Section 35 Order. We ask, was this wise?Meanwhile as a halt has been put on the Deposit Return Scheme it seems full speed ahead on HPMAs(Highly Protected Marine Areas). Lesley examines these proposals and asks if they are,yet another, example of a top-down centralised Scottish Government mindset.All this plus Dode Foulkes, seaweed, flits, and Jim Goodwin.


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