Holyrood Sources

On today’s episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver analyse the results of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and what comes next for Scottish politics. The Prime Minister and the First Minister are set to meet next month, will talks lead to a second independence referendum? Will Keir Starmer even be in office to meet John Swinney? They also discuss the SNP Leader's post-election meetings with political parties, and his refusal to meet with Reform. hHas he shot himself in the foot politically?, and how should the other parties approach these meetings?Calum, Geoff and Andy also take a look at your post-election questions as the picture of the next five years of Scottish politics starts to become clear.

The votes are in, and the map of Scotland has been redrawn. Join the Holyrood Sources team for a deep-dive into the 2026 Scottish Parliament election results.In this special episode, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (former Chief of Staff to the First Minister Alex Salmond), and Andy Maciver (former Scottish Conservative Director of Communications) break down a historic night at Holyrood. The Reform UK Surge: How did Malcolm Offord’s party become a major force in the Scottish Parliament?The Pro-Independence Majority: With the Scottish Greens seeing significant gains, how will the SNP-Green dynamic work in this new session?Labour and Tory Losses: Analysis of a difficult night for Anas Sarwar and Russell Findlay as the political center ground shifts.What Happens Next? From coalition talks to the future of the Union, we provide the "inside track" analysis you won't get anywhere else.Holyrood Sources brings you political commentary from those who have lived it. No spin, just the reality of how power works in Scotland.Join the Conversation.Follow us on X/Twitter @HolyroodSources#ScottishElection2026 #Holyrood #SNP #ScottishPolitics #ReformUK #JohnSwinney #AnasSarwar #ScotlandResults #HolyroodSources** 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 nowApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/holyrood-sources/id1673972192Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Fj3emmRONEr8aSkhcMgoH?si=789c7874034340c6

Is Scotland facing a political stalemate? In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver, with just ONE WEEK to go until polling day, explore the possible outcomes of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Is it certain that John Swinney will return to Bute House?, or could Anas Sarwar, even Malcolm Offord, relying on Reform’s hidden vote somehow seize power? They also dive into the "Scunner factor"— continuing their thoughts on voter apathy from last week, could this lead to a record-low turnout? 

The Holyrood Sources team is back to break down a week of political name-calling, tactical blunders, and Westminster turmoil.In this episode, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (former Chief of Staff to the First Minister), and Andy Maciver (former Director of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives) dive into the "immature" state of the current election campaign. From Anas Sarwar and Graham Simpson’s public spats to John Swinney’s decision to skip the BBC Question Time leaders' debate, the team asks: where are the big ideas?We also analyse the "terminal" situation for Sir Keir Starmer at Westminster. With Ollie Robbins sacked and Cabinet ministers struggling to defend the Prime Minister, is Starmer being held "hostage" by his own colleagues until May 7th?In this episode:The "Pathetic" Campaign: Why the focus on deals and name-calling is failing Scottish voters.SNP’s Food Price Cap: Is the cap on food prices a "gimmick" or a strategic masterstroke?The Starmer Crisis: Analysing the dismissal of Olly Robbins and the silence of the Labour Cabinet.John Swinney’s Debate Absence: Is the First Minister "running scared" or making a tactical calculation?Follow Holyrood Sources:✉️ Email: hello@holyroodsources.com💬 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507🌐 Website: holyroodsources.com

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into the most heated moment of the campaign so far: the Channel 4 leaders' debate. We break down the explosive exchange between Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar and Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord, and ask if the alleged "backroom deal" has any basis in reality.In this episode:The Debate Fallout: Was the Sarwar-Offord clash a turning point or just "petulent nonsense"?Polling Deep Dive: We analyse the latest YouGov MRP poll—is an SNP majority of 67 seats actually possible?Manifesto Week: Breaking down the key pledges from Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens.The "Battle Bus" Myth: Geoff reveals why you rarely see leaders actually traveling on their branded buses.Listener Questions: From the UK’s counter-argument for independence to the journey of a barrel of North Sea oil.

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver take you inside the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary election. We analyse the newest IPSOS Scottish Political Monitor results with Mark McGeoghegan, exploring why the Reform UK vote is the ultimate "spoiler" for Labour and the Conservatives.Calum, Geoff and Andy also reflect on Holyrood Sources: The Interviews, which you can listen back to or watch on YouTube now! We look at the u-turn that made the political headlines and ask which of the party leaders stood out on the night. The guys also tackle the big policy and election headlines of the week:Energy: The Treasury’s refusal to scrap the windfall tax despite a £17.5B investment offer.Manifestos: Russell Findlay’s vision for the Scottish Tories.Infrastructure: John Swinney’s £10M island business fund vs. the ongoing CalMac ferry crisis.Connect with us:📧 Email: hello@hollyroodsources.com📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

In this final installment of our Leaders Special, we sit down with the leader of Reform UK in Scotland, Malcolm Offord.As Reform surges in the polls, Offord addresses the "racist scaremongering" accusations from the Scottish Greens, explains why the party is targeting disillusioned voters, and outlines their plan to scrap Net Zero subsidies in favor of North Sea gas.In this episode, we discuss:Why 80% of Reform UK candidates have never been in politics.The "Scotland is at Breaking Point" campaign and the Glasgow asylum seeker debate.Malcolm Offord’s response to Patrick Harvey and the "racist" allegations.The future of North Sea oil and gas vs. offshore wind subsidies.Can Reform UK win constituency seats in the Scottish Parliament?Offord’s past "bad joke" and his transition from the Conservative Party to Reform.Subscribe to Holyrood Sources for deep dives into the heart of Scottish politics.#ScotlandElection #ReformUK #MalcolmOfford #ScottishPolitics #NigelFarage #Holyrood #NetZero #Immigration

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton joins Holyrood Sources: The Interviews in Edinburgh to tackle the "Ferry Fiasco," the NHS crisis, and the future of the Union. Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver discuss with him: The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry fiasco. Does Scottish politics have a central belt bias? What does it mean to be a Liberal Democrat today? Why he would resign before supporting Swinney or Reform. Sponsored by: The Scotch Whisky Association’s "Made to be Measured" campaign.Subscribe for more interviews with Scotland's party leaders!** 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 nowApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/holyrood-sources/id1673972192Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Fj3emmRONEr8aSkhcMgoH?si=789c7874034340c6