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Holyrood Sources

Shortbread Media
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The Holyrood Sources podcast analyses Scottish politics through the experiences of those who have lived and breathed it as Special Advisers to the Scottish Government, SNP and opposition parties. Join hosts Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (Chief of Staff to the First Minister, 2007-2014) and Andy Maciver (Former Head of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives) as they take you inside Scottish politics. Their insight is second to none - they've been there, lived it, and maintain remarkable connections to Scotland's politicians and the world of Scottish politics. Join our mailing list and check out our latest live events: click holyroodsources.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 12H AGO

    The Interviews: John Swinney

    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. Subscribe for more interviews with Scotland's party leaders! #ScotlandElection2026 #JohnSwinney #SNP #ScottishPolitics #HolyroodSources #Independence ** 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). Subscribe now Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/holyrood-sources/id1673972192 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Fj3emmRONEr8aSkhcMgoH?si=789c7874034340c6 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  2. Scunnered or Stable? | The Final Day, Part 2

    3D AGO

    Scunnered or Stable? | The Final Day, Part 2

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

    56 min

  3. MAR 26

    The End of an Era? Live from the Scottish Parliament

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

    51 min

  4. MAR 18

    Education Special: Is Scotland's School System Failing?

    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: hello@hollyroodsources.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics. GET TICKETS NOW FOR OUR LEADERS SPECIAL: Click holyroodsources.com/live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 14m

  5. MAR 11

    Election Trends, Meet the Candidates and should the Government help with energy costs?

    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: hello@hollyroodsources.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 6m

  6. MAR 4

    Crisis in the Middle East - Scotland Perspective and SNP Hold Firm in New Poll

    On this episode of the Holyrood Sources Podcast, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack the ongoing situation in Iran and across the Middle East from a Scottish perspective. They are joined by Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Lecturer at The University of St Andrews, to discuss: Whether the Iranian regime can survive the assassination of its Supreme LeaderHow the UK government is responding — and whether Starmer is being “nimble” enoughThe implications for Scottish politics and First Minister John Swinney Later in the show they break down the latest major poll ahead of the Scottish Parliament election, Mark McGeoghegan from Ipsos, joins the show. The SNP hold firm but Labour is up four points and Reform UK seem to have slipped back slightly. Calum, Geoff and Andy discuss the implications of this and ask whether Scotland is moving back towards left-right politics rather than the constitutional question. Connect with us: 📧 Email: hello@holyroodsources.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min

  7. FEB 25

    SNP Majority in May? The End of the Alba Party, and Faith in Politics

    On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver discuss a brand new MRP poll which suggests that the Scottish National Party (SNP) could win an outright majority at Holyrood — something not seen since 2011 under Alex Salmond. Calum, Geoff and Andy also consider the future of the Additional Member System, whether Holyrood needs reform, and what Denmark’s energy U-turn means for the North Sea debate. We're also joined by Shona Haslam from Logos Scotland, to discuss Christians in Scotland's views ahead of the election. In this episode of Holyrood Sources, we break down: 📊 The Stonehaven MRP poll and what it means for John Swinney 📉 Labour’s collapse under Anas Sarwar 📈 The rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK in Scotland 🗳️ Candidate list rankings from the SNP and Scottish Labour ⛪ How faith and values are shaping political identity ahead of 2026 Connect with us: 📧 Email: hello@hollyroodsources.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m

  8. FEB 18

    Scotland’s "Sweetie Jar" Economy: The IFS Warning & Business Rate Crisis

    In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into the latest bombshell polling that shows a record low for Scottish Labour and a stunning breakthrough for Reform UK. With the Scottish election looming, can Anas Sarwar distance himself from a struggling Keir Starmer, or is the SNP set to dominate once again? What we discuss: The Sarwar vs. Starmer Rift: 52% of Scots support Sarwar’s call for Starmer to resign—but will it save Labour at the polls?The Reform UK Surge: Analyzing the projection of 22 seats for Nigel Farage’s party in Scotland.The IFS Warning: Is Scotland’s "free stuff" culture sustainable? We discuss the looming cuts to tuition and prescriptions.Business in Crisis: A listener’s warning on business rates and the risk of mass redundancies before May.The Islands Forum Scrapped: Why has the UK government axed a key link for Scotland's island communities? Connect with us: 📧 Email: hello@hollyroodsources.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
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About

The Holyrood Sources podcast analyses Scottish politics through the experiences of those who have lived and breathed it as Special Advisers to the Scottish Government, SNP and opposition parties. Join hosts Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (Chief of Staff to the First Minister, 2007-2014) and Andy Maciver (Former Head of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives) as they take you inside Scottish politics. Their insight is second to none - they've been there, lived it, and maintain remarkable connections to Scotland's politicians and the world of Scottish politics. Join our mailing list and check out our latest live events: click holyroodsources.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Channel
    Shortbread Media
  • Creator
    Shortbread Media
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    218
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Shortbread Media
  • Show Website
    Holyrood Sources
  • Provider
    Shortbread Media

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