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Welcome to a special bonus episode from the Sources podcast family, brought to you by D.C. Sources! On the midterm special D.C. Sources podcast, Maura Gillespie, Meghan Hays and Eli Stokols are joined by Reid Epstein of the New York Times, Maya Davis of the Wall Street Journal and Lauren McCauley of the Maine Morning Star. The team unpack a sweeping set of results for the Democrats, the questions lying ahead for Republicans and the issues that cut through to voters most in each corner of the USA. 📬 Connect With Us: Email: [email protected] Socials: @DCSourcesPod #Politics #WhiteHouse #IowaPolitics #Midterms #DCSources #ElectionIntegrity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a special Q&A episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver answer some of your questions! Was Andy Burnham playing politics with the timing of the Jackdaw announcement? Is the argument that Jackdaw will help reduce carbon emissions in the long term actually misleading? Is there a wider problem with the civil service in Scotland? How is it fixed? And how does Scotland make an economic case for independence? Hear all this, and more (including the story of when Geoff dressed up as Ginger Spice...!) on this week's episode of Holyrood Sources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a special episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast, recorded in the afternoon of Wednesday the 28th October, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down John Healey's first ever Budget... what does it mean for Scotland... did it all feel a bit underwhelming? Stephen Boyd, Director of the IPPR Scotland joins the podcast to add his perspective. Later. Geoff, Andy and Calum discuss the Sunday Times report that suggests that the Scottish Government continues to pay salaries worth a total of £27 million of public sector workers whose role's no longer exist.... And ,are free schoolbags a good idea... or are they a waste of money that could be spent on other aspects of education? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK government has approved extraction from the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen What does this mean for Scotland's economy and the future of North Sea oil and gas? In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver breakdown the big political stories in Scotland this week, .We speak with Prof. John Underhill, Director for Energy Transition at the University of Aberdeen about what this decision actually means for UK gas supply, scope 3 emissions, domestic jobs, and the new North Sea Energy Wealth Fund. Will Rosebank be next? As Amanda Bland resigns from Reform UK, rendering Labour the second-largest party in Holyrood.. Is Reform's Scottish insurgency already falling apart? Did John Swinney deliver the detail Scotland needed in his conference speech, or was it high on rhetoric and low on public service reform? The BBC Scotland channel is moving online-only, as part of the corporations latest round of cost-cutting measures. What does this mean for Scottish broadcast media, regional journalism, and public service broadcasting? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Calum and Geoff are live from the pub at SNP conference. They take the temperature of the party ahead of John Swinney's speech this weekend and are joined by party representatives, pollsters and experts to diagnose the health of the SNP going into 2027. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver preview the SNP conference with The Scotsman's Rachel Amery. For the first time ever, John Swinney leads a conference with a mandate as First Minister... how will he shape the event as his own? Will the focus be on independence or we will see deeper policy on other issues in Scottish Politics. What will the talk be on energy? and how strange is it Gillian Mackay, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens is set to make an appearance? Andy Burnham is also set to visit Scotland on Friday, what will his visit entail? Will we see an announcement on local government reform, and how will it differ to the Scottish Government's proposal from a few weeks ago? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver dive into the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. We are joined by Rachael Hamilton MSP, Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, to react to Kemi Badenoch’s proposed review of the Scotland Act and reported plans to curtail Holyrood's powers—including over education. We discuss "true conservative values," energy bills, public sector reform, and whether the UK Tory vision aligns with Scottish voters. Plus, the team breaks down Nicola Sturgeon’s claims of Labour's "glaring contradictions" on referendums, Andy Burnham's political standing, and the soaring UK welfare bill. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of the Sources Podcasts, we're taking you to Liverpool for 24 hours at Labour Party Conference 2026. Hear the secrets of Political Christmas with Politico's Megan McElroy, More In Common's Louis O'Geran, Labour MP Jonathan Hinder, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, former Andy Burnham advisor Kevin McKeever and more. Presented by Joe Hawkins. ************* 🔔 Subscribe to Holyrood Sources for weekly inside analysis on Scottish politics! 📧 Have a question or comment? Email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another energy special episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast in partnership with Energy Voice. Calum, Geoff and Andy are joined by Ryan Duff and Floyd March: Aberdeen Features Lead and North West Correspondent at Energy Voice. The group discuss the impact Great British Energy and the newly announced Great British Grid across Scotland, why its energy sector faces competition from other parts of the UK and how Miatta Fahnbulleh differs from Ed Miliband as Energy Secretary. 🔔 Subscribe to Holyrood Sources for weekly inside analysis on Scottish politics! 📧 Have a question or comment? Email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Andy Burnham’s vision for the UK realistic, or is he setting Labour up for a major fall ahead of the upcoming budget? On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver review Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first speech to the Labour Party Conference. From hints on rejoining the EU and scrapping the pension triple lock to fund a National Care Service, to what this all means for Scotland and John Swinney, we break down the style, substance, and political tactics. Later, Glasgow South West Labour MP Dr. Zubir Ahmed joins us straight from conference to share his take on Burnham’s speech. Plus, Scotland 2050 founder Barry Cunning shares his thoughts on Grangemouth and the long-term future of Scottish politics. 📩 SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: Email us at [email protected] 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more insider analysis on Scottish and UK politics! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

On the first of our Holyrood Sources energy specials in partnership with Energy Voice, Calum MacDonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by Energy Voice News Editor Erikka Askeland (live from Stavanger) and Editorial Director of DC Thomson, Dave Lord.  Together, the panel breaks down the high-stakes political and economic battles that will define the energy debate in Scotland and across the UK in the coming months. Will Rosebank and Jackdaw be approved? What does the future of Scotland's renewable future look like? and how will this all affect Scotland's economy? 🔔 Subscribe to Holyrood Sources for weekly inside analysis on Scottish politics! 📧 Have a question or comment? Email us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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