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The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast
STARMER & McSWEENEY - The Inside Story
Times journalist and co-author of a new book on the current Labour Government, Patrick Maguire, joins Bernard and Alex to discuss Keir Starmer and particularly the relationship with his Chief of Staff, Morgan McSweeney.
PATRICK MAGUIRE
ON McSWEENEY
"People say, ‘Why is this the Morgan McSweeney story with Keir Starmer as a supporting actor?’—because that’s what happened."
"Morgan McSweeney was doing this long before Keir Starmer began to think seriously about Labour politics."
"His polling showed, as early as 2017, that there was one person in the sweet spot to lead Labour: Keir Starmer."
"Morgan McSweeney recruits Keir Starmer. He picks Keir Starmer, not the other way around."
"McSweeney is seen by many in Labour as more important than Starmer himself—some say their ultimate loyalty is to him."
ON STARMER
"Keir didn’t start anywhere apart from vaguely progressive."
"He genuinely believes that if he can run things better, things will run more smoothly."
"His political formation, unusually for a leader of the Labour Party, has taken place in real time as Labour leader."
"Starmer is constantly defined by events and is something of a political opportunist."
"He is not thinking, ‘the political solution to this is X or Y’—he just takes advice and adapts."
"There is no such thing as Starmerism because Starmer abhors ideology—when the left accuse him of it, he is genuinely horrified."
"It’s remarkable that as late as 2022, Starmer needed outside advisors to ask, 'What is it you actually believe?'"
"You can bet against Keir Starmer, but often he will, despite himself, surprise you."
Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.
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101. LORD ADVOCATE DENIES CORRUPTION
43:04||Ep. 101Bernard and Alex discuss political accusations made of the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC. They explain the nature of her role, the controversies and pontential conflicts of interest and ask if it's time for reform of the Lord Advocate's position.
100. SCANDALS! Murrell/Sturgeon/Mandelson/Starmer/Sarwar
46:37||Ep. 100What a week in politicsBernard and Alex discuss the newspaper reports on the charges Peter Murrell (Nicola Sturgeon's former husband) will face in court and analyse where Anas Sarwar's calls for the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to resign in the wake of the Epstein / Mandelson scandal have left the Scottish Labour Leader in the run up to the Scottish Parliament Elections.99. STARMER IS FINISHED
45:32||Ep. 99Recorded on the morning of Friday 6th Feb 2026 (It may all have changed by lunchtime)Includes a moment to reflect on the life of Alex's Father, Allan Massie, who died earlier this week.98. NEW POLLS - 100 DAYS TO SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
50:30||Ep. 98New polls report that 1 in 5 Scots claim they will vote for Reform UK at the Scottish Parliament Elections in May. Bernard and Alex analyse what is ahead. Tributes to Lord Jim WallaceScottish Parliament PollingBurnham and StarmerWill unpopular Tories be any more popular in Reform?97. WE'RE BACK - A Momentous Political Year Ahead
47:26||Ep. 97We only took a well earned holiday in the cold months in advance of a busy year with the Scottish Parliament Elections. We're back and in this episode we look at the political year ahead domestically and Internationally.LIVE FROM UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW + Q&A - With Professor Chris Carman
01:29:40|With a live audience at the University of Glasgow Stevenson Trust for Citizenship, Bernard and Alex are join by Professor Chris Carman and questions from the floor, including Prof Sir John Curtice. PONSONBY & MASSIE – STEVENSON LIVE PODCAST00:00 – 00:01:16 | Intro & Format00:01:16 – 00:03:34 | Early Predictions & Polling Landscape00:03:34 – 00:05:55 | Labour’s Misread of Momentum (2010 vs 2024)00:05:55 – 00:12:15 | Reform UK: Mood, Populism, Immigration00:12:15 – 00:18:45 | Starmer’s Weakness & Impact on Scottish Labour00:18:45 – 00:23:34 | Independence as Tactical Messaging00:23:34 – 00:33:00 | 27 Years of Devolution: Has It Delivered?00:33:00 – 00:40:00 | State Size, Means vs Ends, and 2026 Prospects00:40:00 – 00:41:47 | Election PredictionsAUDIENCE Q&A (Chaired by Prof. Chris Carman)00:41:47 – 00:44:48 | Q1 – What’s the Offer to Young Voters?00:44:48 – 00:49:50 | Q2 – State Size & Social Democratic Mission (Sir John Curtice)00:49:50 – 01:01:35 | Q3 – Scrutiny, Misinformation & Media TrustAudience question.01:01:35 – 01:09:20 | Q4 – Social Media, Democratic Innovation & Greens’ Prospects01:09:20 – 01:20:29 | Q5 – Edinburgh vs Glasgow & Sustainability of ‘Free Scotland’ Model01:20:29 – 01:27:00 | Q6 – Is Social Democracy Still Represented?01:27:00 – 01:29:10 | Q7 – MSP Exodus & Legislative Overload01:29:10 – End | Closing94. Ed Miliband - The Next UK Prime Minister? Bernard & Alex think he's one to watch.
46:49||Ep. 94Bernard Ponsonby:“I’m not sure in a sense who would lead them. I’m sure that… …Wes Streeting would run.I suspect that there would be some people within the PLP — because the minute somebody says they’re running, there’s always an alternative campaign which is not really about supporting one candidate, it’s about stopping another.John Major effectively became prime minister because he wasn’t Michael Heseltine.So I think there would be people who would start looking at Ed Miliband.And then, of course, there’s Angela Rayner……and at that point, the markets will collectively take to their lavatory pans.”Alex Massie:“Yeah, I mean, I think, although he says he’s done the job before and he doesn’t want to do it again, I think Ed Miliband is the one to keep an eye on there.It seems to me that Miliband occupies a sort of comforting place on the political spectrum for a lot of the parliamentary Labour Party and indeed for the Labour Party membership.I do not see Wes Streeting being acceptable to either the parliamentary party or the membership.And there’s the further complication for him that his parliamentary majority is only 500 votes — there is a really good chance he could lose at the next election.And I think that would also concentrate minds in an anti-Streeting kind of way.”Bernard Ponsonby:“I genuinely have no idea who would actually win it… I don’t think the PLP has coalesced around any one individual yet.But yes — there will always be people trying to stop someone rather than elect someone.And Miliband will be looked at.”93. "I Don't Think STV Has a Future" - Broadcasters in Crisis
46:33||Ep. 93Bernard and Alex dig into the editorial crisis at the BBC, Comcast/SKY's potential takeover of ITV and Bernard (STV's former Political Editor and longest serving journalist of 34 years) says he no longer thinks the company has a future.