Holyrood Sources

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack the Scottish Government's local government proposal that could see Scotland's 32 councils reduced to just 6... Professor Michael Keating joins the show to discuss the convoluted history of local government reform in Scotland and what changes now could mean for you.Following his election win over Joe Fagan, will Michael Marra lead Scottish Labour to electoral success, or is his political fate tied to Westminster?And Geoff Aberdein recounts his meeting with King Charles in Aberdeen this week... he explores a stark contrast between green energy ambitions, North Sea job losses, and political double-speak on domestic energy vs. imports.

Are the days of the United Kingdom numbered, or was the recent Cardiff summit between First Ministers just political theatre?Calum Macdonald and Andy Maciver are joined by SNP National Secretary Alex Kerr MSP to discuss the summit and ask whether it puts Scotland (and Wales and Northern Ireland) any closer to independence. They also discuss Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s recent comments at PMQs and whether Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland share a viable constitutional roadmap to independence.Later, Andy and Calum discuss the possibility of a unionist party pact, amid reports that Scottish Labour are considering trying to form an alliance to lock out the SNP.

On a special hustings episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by Scottish Labour's leadership candidates: Joe Fagan and Michael Marra.The two leadership contenders debate their visions for the party's future, how to reconnect with working-class voters across Scotland, and the scale of the challenge ahead.What sets Michael and Joe apart, and how they plan to rebuild Scottish Labour across every region?How can Scottish Labour become a power contender again?They also share their immediate reactions to Andy Burnham's comments on a second independence referendum at Prime Minister's Questions.To round off the show, Calum and Andy are joined by Lindsay Paterson, Professor of Education Policy at the University of Edinburgh, on fixing Curriculum for Excellence, after this year's PISA statistics were revealed.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission just revealed an extra £860 million in the budget for this financial year—but is it actually good news for public spending, or a sign of deeper structural issues caused by devolution?In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down the latest fiscal update, public service reform under Ivan McKee, and incoming tax pressure from the UK Treasury.Plus, they debate the headline-grabbing £45,000 taxpayer bill for John Swinney’s trip to the World Cup in America. Was it bad optics during a cost-of-living squeeze, or vital trade promotion for Scottish business?

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack another week Scottish politics.The team reacts to the official Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures, analysing Scotland's £25.3 billion public spending deficit, falling North Sea oil revenues, and what upcoming public service reforms mean for John Swinney’s government.We also dive deep into the Scottish Labour leadership contest as candidates Joe Fagan and Michael Mara prepare to battle it out following Monica Lennon’s exit.Plus, the team addresses listener questions on the environmental impact and energy demands of large-scale data centres versus net zero targets, and runs a political thought experiment: what would Scottish politics look like today if Rishi Sunak had won the 2024 general election?

Calum MacDonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down Scotland's latest GERS figures, examining revenue vs. public spending, the Barnett Formula, and Scotland's fiscal deficit. Plus, the Holyrood Sources team discuss the realities of North Sea oil vs. renewables, and whether John Swinney can escape Sturgeon’s legacy.Later, George and Andy share their thoughts on former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar's comments that the House of Lords should be abolished.

Nicola Sturgeon faces fierce backlash from her own former cabinet colleagues after criticising the SNP's election strategy in a new book foreword. Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down the response from the First Minister and Cabinet Secretaries.Plus, as the Scottish Labour leadership contest opens with Monica Lennon, Michael Marra, and Joe Fagan announcing their leadership, we ask: what is Labour’s long-term plan to challenge the SNP, is there any possibility of a party win in 2031?Later, we revisit Scotland’s income tax debate. Economist Laurie Macfarlane (Co-Director of Future Economy Scotland) responds to Dan Neidle’s analysis on Scotland’s 48p top tax rate. Does the data really show a £22m loss, or are volatility and broader economic factors being overlooked?

Why did Scotland’s new 48p top rate of income tax actually backfire and lose £22 million in revenue?On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver analyse the fallout from Scotland's tax policy with tax expert Dan Neidle from Tax Policy Associates.Will John Swinney reverse a major policy decision originated by his predecessors, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon?We also discuss the Scottish Labour leadership contest following Anas Sarwar’s departure to the House of Lords. We're joined by Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Councillor and Scottish Representative for Labour in Local and Regional Government.