MICHAEL MARRA - NEW SCOTTISH LABOUR LEADER

Does the SNP Energy Policy depend on where you live in Scotland? Is it Net Zero or "Drill, baby, drill". As the UK Government gives the green light to the Jackdaw gas field, the SNP faces difficult questions over its support for North Sea oil and gas and its commitment to Net Zero. Bernard Ponsonby and columnist Alex Massie examine Scotland's increasingly contradictory energy politics, the looming UK Budget and the first cracks appearing in Reform UK's Holyrood group. This week's big political stories: 🔴 NORTH SEA OIL & GAS — WHICH SIDE IS THE SNP ON? Jackdaw gets the go-ahead, but the future of Rosebank remains uncertain. Alex asks whether there are "two John Swinnies" when it comes to energy policy, contrasting the First Minister's previous opposition to Jackdaw with his latest response. Are politicians being honest about the costs and consequences of the transition to Net Zero? 💷 THE UK BUDGET — HAS THE CHANCELLOR RUN OUT OF OPTIONS? With fiscal headroom shrinking, inflation pressures mounting and Labour constrained by its manifesto commitments, what can Chancellor John Healey actually deliver? Bernard and Alex discuss tax, welfare, defence spending, business confidence and whether the Government has any room left for political manoeuvre. 🏴 REFORM UK — THE FIRST HOLYROOD RESIGNATION Amanda Bland has resigned the Reform UK whip, leaving the party's Scottish parliamentary group with 16 MSPs. Why did she leave so soon? Should list MSPs who abandon their party surrender their seats? And will Malcolm Offord still be leading Reform UK Scotland at the next election? Plus: Andy Burnham's focus on the small irritations of everyday life, Harold Wilson's political wisdom, and a little SDP history. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Episode 135 01:50 Jackdaw approved — the North Sea energy debate 03:00 John Swinney's contradictory positions on oil and gas 04:05 Bernard: The SNP needs to make its position clear 06:30 Is Britain's energy policy fundamentally flawed? 08:49 The cost of Net Zero and Britain's industrial future 10:56 Are politicians being honest about the energy transition? 11:08 Budget 2026 — what choices does the Chancellor have? 13:25 Inflation, spending pressures and shrinking headroom 15:50 Has Labour become a tax-and-spend government? 18:03 Business, investment and Britain's debt burden 20:51 Defence spending versus the welfare budget 23:11 Why businesses are struggling under Labour 25:08 Andy Burnham and the politics of little things 26:57 Reform UK loses its first Scottish MSP 28:37 Why did Amanda Bland leave Reform? 30:27 Should defecting list MSPs lose their seats? 33:21 Bernard's verdict on Amanda Bland 34:31 Will Malcolm Offord survive as Reform's leader? 36:04 And Then There Were None? Reform's future 36:14 Closing thoughts and next week's Budget Join the conversation: Is the SNP trying to have it both ways on oil and gas? Can Labour deliver a meaningful Budget? And will Reform UK hold together at Holyrood? Tell us what you think in the comments. Subscribe to Ponsonby & Massie for informed, independent discussion and analysis of Scottish and UK politics every Friday. #ScottishPolitics #JohnSwinney #SNP #NorthSeaOil #NetZero #UKBudget #ReformUK #PonsonbyAndMassie 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SNP CONFERENCE – INDY GROUNDHOG DAY? Is the SNP trapped in independence Groundhog Day? As John Swinney prepares to address the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie ask whether Scotland's governing party has any credible route to another independence referendum — and Bernard reflects on the SNPs historical stance and asks whether we're watching a repeat of Nicola Sturgeon's failed strategy. In this week's Ponsonby & Massie Podcast: SNP Conference: Is John Swinney promising another independence breakthrough that he simply cannot deliver? Independence Groundhog Day: Alex argues that the SNP is recycling the same strategies while failing to persuade Scotland to change its mind. The SNP's record in government: Why poor polling on the NHS, housing, the economy and the cost of living makes independence an attractive distraction. Currency, mortgages and pensions: The difficult questions that the independence movement still hasn't answered since 2014. Nicola Sturgeon Mark II? Bernard examines decades of SNP constitutional manoeuvring and asks whether Swinney is repeating the mistakes of his predecessor. A new constitutional convention? Bernard proposes a route towards answering the big questions about Scotland's constitutional future. Kemi Badenoch's survival: Why Bernard now thinks the Conservative leader could survive until the next general election — and the challenge posed by Reform UK. Andy Burnham in Scotland: Why Labour's Prime Minister is competing for the headlines during SNP conference. An early general election? Could Labour benefit from going to the country before 2029? And finally… art at taxpayers' expense? An SNP MSP's plan to employ an artist-in-residence prompts some colourful suggestions from Bernard and Alex. Political analysis, historical perspective and a few laughs from two of Scotland's most experienced political commentators. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction – SNP conference, Badenoch and Burnham 02:07 SNP conference: Independence Groundhog Day? 05:52 Bernard's history of SNP constitutional deadlock 10:56 Independence: The unanswered currency and mortgage questions 14:53 Why the SNP lost the 2014 referendum 16:48 Bernard's proposal for a constitutional convention 20:15 Pensions, devolution and Swinney's political strategy 25:09 Kemi Badenoch: Could she survive after all? 28:05 Conservatives vs Reform UK – the battle for the right 30:07 Andy Burnham's Scottish electoral challenge 32:22 Will Labour call an early general election? 36:29 And finally… an SNP artist-in-residence? 37:59 Public money, political art and constitutional crayons 39:16 The sexism row, a political mime artist and Shetland poetry 41:00 Closing thoughts Join the conversation: Is the SNP stuck in independence Groundhog Day? Can John Swinney change anything? And should parliamentary expenses pay for political art? Subscribe for weekly Scottish and UK political analysis with Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie. #SNP #ScottishPolitics #ScottishIndependence #JohnSwinney #SNPConference #PonsonbyAndMassie 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have the Greens damaged their own momentum through extreme resolutions and accusations of "racism"? Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie examine Labour’s Holborn and St Pancras by-election victory, the Green Party’s explosive Israel and Zionism debate, and mounting questions over Zack Polanski’s leadership. Following the Green Party conference motion declaring that “Zionism is racism”, Bernard and Alex challenge the party’s position, discuss Peter Tatchell’s objections and examine the implications of Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer’s support for that proposition. Meanwhile, has Kemi Badenoch put the Conservatives back in the game? They assess the Tory conference, her rejection of a deal with Nigel Farage and Reform UK, and the politics behind proposals on inheritance tax and the £100,000 income tax threshold. At Holyrood, Stephen Flynn faces fresh scrutiny over the Glen Sannox ferry gas leak. What does his handling of parliamentary questions reveal about his readiness for government—and his ambitions to lead the SNP? Independent analysis and forthright debate on Scottish politics, Westminster and the choices facing Britain’s political leaders. CHAPTERS 00:00 This week: Labour, the Greens, the Conservatives and Stephen Flynn 02:06 Labour holds Holborn and St Pancras: a reality check for the Greens? 04:30 The by-election result and what it means for Andy Burnham 06:50 The Green Party split and questions over Polanski’s leadership 09:15 “Zionism is racism”: Alex challenges the Greens’ position 11:51 Peter Tatchell’s objections to the conference motion 15:43 Israel, a two-state solution and the implications of Green policy 18:24 Can the Greens withstand greater scrutiny? 22:18 Kemi Badenoch and the Conservative recovery strategy 26:56 Reform UK, tactical voting and the prospects for an electoral pact 31:06 Tax promises, inheritance tax and the £100,000 threshold 35:52 Badenoch versus Polanski: contrasting styles of leadership 37:23 Are Labour and the Conservatives heading back to the 1970s? 40:02 Stephen Flynn, the Glen Sannox gas leak and ministerial scrutiny 43:29 What Flynn must learn if he wants to lead the SNP 45:41 Closing thoughts Subscribe to the Ponsonby & Massie Podcast for weekly political analysis from Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie. Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast. #ScottishPolitics #UKPolitics #PonsonbyAndMassie 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has lifted Labour’s spirits—but can he afford to deliver? Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie examine what comes after the conference applause: pension reform, social care and the prospect of a tax-raising Budget. Bernard argues that Burnham has shown how to sell difficult political choices by explaining what voters will get in return. Alex asks whether the speech’s emotional appeal and promises for after the next election leave the government’s immediate financial problems unanswered. Would replacing the state pension triple lock with a double lock raise enough to fund a National Care Service? Which voters is Burnham trying to win back—and could his approach create an opening for Nigel Farage? Could electoral reform fundamentally reshape British politics? In Scotland, John Swinney faces difficult choices of his own. Bernard and Alex challenge the SNP’s pension argument and examine the looming battles over public sector jobs, compulsory redundancies, council reform and the cost of public services. Plus: the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, Kemi Badenoch and the Conservative Party conference. Subscribe to Ponsonby & Massie for independent analysis of Scottish and UK politics. Can Burnham turn renewed Labour confidence into delivery—and can Swinney persuade Scotland to accept painful reform? Share your thoughts in the comments. #PonsonbyAndMassie #ScottishPolitics #AndyBurnham 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Labour’s conference approaching, Bernard and Alex discuss Andy Burnham’s first Budget, the speculation about an early general election, and whether a divided opposition could help Labour hold on to power.