The Jaggy Thistle Podcast

Kenny Farquharson
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Award-winning journalist Kenny Farquharson on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. thejaggythistle.substack.com

  1. 5D AGO

    Good riddance to Alex Salmond's Alba party

    Today I’m writing about the demise of Alex Salmond’s Alba party. The party’s current leader, Kenny MacAskill, says Alba is unlikely to be able to stand candidates in the forthcoming Holyrood elections. Why did Alba fail? I argue the party was never a legitimate political project. Rather, it was just a vehicle for Salmond’s animus towards his successor as SNP leader and first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. As such it never stood a chance with the Scottish public. Last week I wrote about the same subject in The Times. If you’d like to read that column here’s a link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/alba-party-was-vanity-project-that-became-a-vendetta-zk9whqkqv I hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode. If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link in the blurb below. Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    27 min

  2. FEB 15

    Anas Sarwar's big gamble

    ​THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, and his call for the prime minister to resign. I argue this is an inflection point in Scottish politics and the Holyrood parliament campaign. I wrote about the same subject in The Times last week. If you’d like to read that column here’s the link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/far-from-futile-anas-sarwar-has-changed-the-national-conversation-lk5cggrj5 I talk in this podcast about new polling in The Sunday Times today, showing Sarwar’s big moment earned the approval of Scottish voters. You can read more about that poll here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/poll-anas-sarwar-revolt-keir-starmer-jtdc5m6vn I hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode. If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link in the blurb below. Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min

  3. FEB 4

    Hideous distortion: The flaw in Holyrood's electoral system

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m looking at a fundamental problem in Scottish democracy - a flaw in the electoral system that could very well give us a Scottish parliament that does not reflect the political views of the Scottish people. My column in The Times this week is on the same subject. If you’d like to read it you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/holyrood-election-reform-2026-xkstxjlqj Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min

  4. JAN 21

    The Holyrood election starts here

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m setting the scene for the Holyrood election in May and asking if Scottish Labour has its strategy right for confronting Reform UK. I’ve been writing on the same subject in The Times this week, and if you’d like to read that column you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scottish-labour-needs-to-make-up-its-mind-about-reform-wkmhlkvhz Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    19 min

  5. 12/14/2025

    A message for Nigel Farage: I see you

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about Nigel Farage’s incendiary comments about Glasgow children. He said one in three of the city’s children live in homes where English is a second language, and he called this the “cultural smashing” of Glasgow. I challenge this and call for an end to the complacency in some quarters of Scotland - and on some Scottish political podcasts - about the true nature of the Faragist threat at the Holyrood elections next May. I wrote about this in The Times this week. You can find my column here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/picture-smashes-nigel-farage-fear-mongering-27fjs5jff Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    21 min

  6. 12/06/2025

    Could Starmer be brought down by Scottish Labour MPs?

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m asking if the demise of Keir Starmer could be brought about by Scottish Labour MPs. Recent stories in The Times suggest that Scottish Labour backbenchers are the most fervent proponents of an early challenge to Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party. Why? Because these Scottish Labour MPs are desperate to avoid a disaster at the Holyrood elections next May. They want these elections to be treated as important in their own right, not just as a data point in a broader debate about UK general election strategy. I recently wrote about this subject in my weekly column in The Times. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/labours-story-scotland-two-pronged-tale-doesnt-work-xb0zvnhwq Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    24 min

  7. 10/31/2025

    Scotland can freeze out Farage by learning from Wales

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about lessons for Scotland from Wales. After the Caerphilly by-election last week it now seems clear that Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru will try to work together to deprive Nigel Farage’s Reform UK of power after the Senedd election next May. I argue that something similar may be necessary in Scotland. Please let me know what you think in the comments. I wrote about this subject recently in my weekly column for The Times. If you’d like to read it you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/wales-can-teach-us-a-valuable-lesson-in-barring-farage-from-power-2j6xccq7x If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    26 min

  8. 10/22/2025

    We deserve better than SNP's lame-duck cabinet

    THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I look at the failure of John Swinney to reshuffle the Scottish cabinet in anticipation of the Holyrood elections, even though four of his most senior ministers are not seeking re-election in that contest. I argue that Swinney is in danger of taking Scottish voters for granted. After all, these ministers will be arguing for policies they will not be implementing, and for which they will not be accountable. Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. I recently wrote about this subject in The Times. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/john-swinneys-weeshuffle-leaves-scotland-with-lame-duck-cabinet-bzjmzm2xj If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee? You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistle Two sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already? It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below. -o0o- The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times. The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography. Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.com You may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. -o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns -o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min
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About

Award-winning journalist Kenny Farquharson on Scottish politics and Scottish culture. thejaggythistle.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kenny Farquharson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kenny Farquharson
  • Show Website
    The Jaggy Thistle Podcast

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