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Holyrood Sources
UK Elections 2026 Preview: Reform UK, Labour, SNP & Plaid Cymru
Season 5, Ep. 1
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The Sources Podcast hosts come together for a special New Year 2026 UK politics preview, analysing what could be the most volatile year in British politics for a generation.
With local elections in England, Scottish Parliament elections, Senedd elections in Wales, and mounting pressure on the Northern Ireland Executive, this episode explores how the rise of Reform UK, growing voter fragmentation, and Labour’s governing challenges could reshape the UK’s political map.
🎙️ Featuring voices from:
Whitehall Sources
Holyrood Sources
Stormont Sources
Senedd Sources
🔍 In this episode:
Is Reform UK becoming a permanent force in British politics?
Can Keir Starmer’s Labour government survive a brutal May election?
Why the Greens and Gaza independents are threatening Labour in cities
Will SNP dominance in Scotland finally crack — and if so, who replaces them?
Could Plaid Cymru lead Wales for the first time?
How stable is Stormont, and could it collapse again before 2027?
What a fragmented UK means for the future of the Union
This is essential listening for anyone trying to understand UK elections 2026, Nigel Farage’s influence, Labour’s political future, and the growing instability across Britain’s devolved governments.
📌 Subscribe for weekly insider analysis from Westminster, Holyrood, Stormont and the Senedd.
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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
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14. Scunnered or Stable? | The Final Day, Part 2
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01:06:18||Season 5, Ep. 11On 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 policyPolitical 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.10. Crisis in the Middle East - Scotland Perspective and SNP Hold Firm in New Poll
52:19||Season 5, Ep. 10On 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 SwinneyLater 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.9. SNP Majority in May? The End of the Alba Party, and Faith in Politics
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