The Stooshie: the politics podcast from DC Thomson

Two political heavyweights started the week in Scotland, and we went to speak to both. In Aberdeen, Nigel Farage unveiled his latest north-east defector from the Tories. And in Glasgow, Keir Starmer outlined the impact of his defence spending plans. We look through the developments - including a weird Reform attack on the media - to see what it means locally. And we look at the timing as voters in a crucial Holyrood by-election prepare to cast their ballots.    

This week's episode focuses on our in-depth coverage of the fall-out from the St Andrews University rector's comments on Israel. We reveal the behind-the-scenes efforts to secure £2m from a spooked donor, and allegations of hate crimes in the ancient university town. The by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is turning poisonous.  We look at Reform leader Nigel Farage and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar's comments on minority communities and values. And we focus on how one grandmother's stress over the future of her sheltered home illustrates the real-life impact of tough budget choices

The link between a college funding crisis and the future of jobs is becoming clear. We look closely at UHI Perth, and at Nescol in Aberdeen, Peterhead and Fraserburgh to see what it means. If they can't train the workers of the future, what's the point of worrying about that fabled energy industry 'just transition' anyway? We also look at polling showing Reform on track to stun Conservatives - and everyone else - with a focus on multiple defections in one council, Aberdeenshire.  

Reporter Lindsay Bruce joins the podcast to describe what's happening in communities affected by the crumbling concrete crisis caused by Raac in housing. Lindsay has spent months speaking with people who are losing their homes in places such as Torry in Aberdeen. Parts of Dundee are also caught up in the crisis, leaving local government with a hefty bill. And while we campaign for justice for those affected by the crisis, what are our politicians doing other than blaming each other?

Inverness GP Dr Iain Kennedy, the British Medical Association's Scottish council chairman, joins us for a full interview on the stresses and strains in the NHS. We look into the findings of our own survey which explores real-life experiences of the health service. Dr Kennedy has clear messages to the political leaders who will find the NHS front and centre of the May 2026 Scottish elections. He points out where the service is struggling, and where it shows encouraging signs of progress.

The STUC's Roz Foyer joins us in Dundee where union members held their annual congress. Roz sets out the big challenges ahead for jobs, the decline of Grangemouth refinery, higher education and the future of the economy. She reflects on speeches to union members from First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. And she warns Labour in particular have not lived up to promises at last year's election, saying she wanted to hear some more 'humility' from the party leader.

We look at the fall-out from the Supreme Court ruling on women being defined by their biological sex in equalities law. What does it mean in practice? And how are politicians and activists responding? One MSP, the newly elected Dundee University rector Maggie Chapman, is at the centre of a backlash for calling the court “bigoted”. We also discuss whether John Swinney's “summit” on tackling the far-right can achieve its aims. And we wonder if the people of Torry in Aberdeen will be delighted that Michael Gove has decided to use the name in his title at the House of Lords.

It's Holyrood recess, but the headlines keep coming. This week, the team speaks to striking staff outside Robert Gordon University fighting cuts in an education funding crisis. We also look at First Minister John Swinney's latest reset while the world tries to get used to Donald Trump's tariff whims. And we take a close look at MSP “burn-out” as politicians wonder if it's worth going for public office with one year to the next Scottish election - and just weeks from a big byelection.

We speak to Lib Dem leader Ed Davey in Inverness as his party looks to the Highlands ahead of next year's Holyrood election. He discusses the party's hopes of making gains across the region – including in the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency currently held by Kate Forbes. The Lib Dem leader also talks international affairs including the UK's approach to handling Donald Trump and his party's priorities over the next 12 months.  Finally, Ed explains the lasting impact of the late Charles Kennedy, former leader of the party, who was a Highland MP for 30 years.

We speak to Maggie Chapman, who saw off a challenge from TV Gladiator Sabre in an election to the role of Dundee University rector. She tells us about her plans to help fix the crisis-hit institution and how she learned from her previous rector post at Aberdeen University. We also bring the story up to date on the political angles and on-campus worries for jobs.

We speak with Willie Rennie, the former Scottish Lib Dem leader, on his decision to go public in support of assisted dying proposals. The MSP for North East Fife tells us what swayed his opinion while the debate plays out across Scotland and in all parts of the UK. We also hear what's in store for his party's upcoming conference in Inverness

Bosses at Dundee University admit the institution could have run out of cash by June without support. The revelations from parliament are the latest in a long-running saga. We discuss an extraordinary evidence session heard by Holyrood's education committee on Wednesday. Plus, our reporters look at the big names leaving Holyrood at the next election. And we hear from Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Liz Smith, one of those headed for the exit door.

More than 600 jobs are at risk at Dundee University. While managers take desperate measures to cut a £35 million deficit, what happens next? We discuss our exclusive coverage including an interview with principal Shane O'Neill. Our reporters describe the impact among staff outside the university. And we look at what this means for Dundee, Scotland and government policy.

We're joined by two Scottish MPs fresh from Ukraine where they saw first hand what Russia's war means. Arbroath and Broughty Ferry SNP MP Stephen Gethins was in the country with Dunfermline and Dollar Labour MP Graeme Downie. They explain what it's like to see a day in the life of a Ukrainian sheltering from Russian drones. And they reflect on the UK and Scottish response to Donald Trump, after his shock interaction with Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney speaks to The Stooshie for a feature-length interview as he nears a year in the top job. He talks about the vital support of family, and how early morning runs listening to The Jam (and his friend Pete Wishart's band Runrig) keep him going. We cover the big challenges he faces in the NHS and education - including troubled Dundee University - as focus turns to the next year before the Scottish Parliament election. He admits he sees all his political opponents as a threat to the SNP after nearly 20 years in power. And as Nicola Sturgeon prepares to publish her memoirs, does John Swinney have book in him too?

Anas Sarwar joins us as his party's conference gets under way in Glasgow this weekend. Can he get over the obstacles since Labour's general election win and be next first minister of Scotland? The Glasgow MSP joins us to discuss policies, polling set-backs and more.

Labour politicians are getting flak over energy job promises again, but seem to think the public don't really mind. Do you? We spoke to UK Government Kirsty McNeill, and Scottish Labour's Michael Marra, about economic fortunes. And after big SNP promises of budget boosts, what do Fife paramedics on the frontline think about reality for the NHS?

After the death of Elgin bus driver Keith Rollinson, is justice too soft for young offenders? How are doctors reacting to John Swinney's big NHS speech? And we explain the upcoming NHS Fife trans doctor tribunal, with all its implications.  

Donald Trump is back in the White House and the world is braced for what comes next. As he eyes up taking over the continent from North Pole to Panama, how will Russia react? And crucially, are we exposed to increased risk of sabotage in our waters around the Atlantic and North Sea coasts? We also look closer to home on the future of mental health support for new mums, and how institutions such as Dundee's Carseview are performing for those in need. And why do governments keep spending money on reports they don't want to read, like charging motorists to drive in Aberdeen?

The polls are in, and it's grim reading for Keir Starmer. Reform are on the rise, and the SNP shows no sign of rolling over for Scottish Labour. As Scottish Secretary Ian Murray wonders aloud if the public like honesty after all, we look at the tough road ahead. We also take a look inside Donald Trump's mind and wonder what's in store for us after his inauguration this month. And is it really true he's the one making the case for oil and gas jobs in Scotland?

The team returns for a new year to consider what the big stories will be.  Budgets take centre stage, including alarm over university finances and the NHS. Money can be found for a broken mountain railway in the Cairngorms, so why not everywhere else? And will our politicians find a way to respond to Donald Trump and social media doomscroller-in-chief Elon Musk?

When you really think about, 2024 seems more like a fever dream than anything else. Remember Rishi Sunak's rain-drenched resignation? Ed Davey's bizarre attention grabbing stunts? Humza Yousaf's abrupt, self-inflicted implosion? Play along with our team of politics reporters in our end-of-year quiz to see if you've been switched on or turned off.

We discuss the crisis at Dundee University after weeks of difficult headlines over finances and senior leadership. Is there a problem in Scottish higher education? We also have a featured interview with a Stonehaven cancer survivor who spent £30,000 on a private breast reconstruction op to avoid the prospect of years waiting on NHS. Why are so many women faced with this difficult choice in the first place?

This week's Stooshie focuses on the political questions for gun control in the wake of the Skye shooting spree, which ended in court last week. We hear from P&J investigations reporter Dale Haslam for the inside story. We also speak to Labour MP Graeme Downie about his hopes to restart talks to bring back the ferry link between Rosyth and Europe. And we look at the budget crisis engulfing NHS services, including troubled Grampian health board.

We are joined by The Courier's Dundee Area Editor Laura Devlin to discuss her exclusive on Dundee and Angus College's £265 million transformation plans. The college's ambitious plans involve creating two new campuses, in the City of Discovery and Angus, and expanding its third campus at Gardyne. We also discuss some of our exclusive coverage on the funding crisis hitting Scottish universities, including Dundee and RGU.  And we look at SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn's decision to ditch his double jobbing plan. Finally, we discuss calls for a general election – after a new petition attracted almost three million signatures. 

Scotland's justice secretary, Angela Constance, explains plans to release more prisoners earlier in their sentences. We hear about aims to improve prisons in places such as Inverness, as well as her hopes to focus on community-based justice. The team wraps up a week of SNP intrigue sparked by our exclusive coverage of Stephen Flynn's ambition to sit at Westminster and Holyrood. And we look at Scottish Labour's change of plan on the the UK party's approach to winter fuel payments, just as the snow starts falling

We discuss our exclusive on SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn hoping to move to Holyrood. We hear from energy historian Ewan Gibbs on lessons from the past on a “just transition” for oil workers. And we hear climate lawyer Tessa Khan as the Court of Session looks at the future of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields off the Scottish coast. Finally, we look at the annual ambulance service review and hear from its chief executive on the strains in the NHS.

Conservative MP Andrew Bowie joins us to talk about his new role shadowing the Scotland Office, and admits they promised lots but fell short in government. The Aberdeenshire politician is also quizzed on his energy brief as rural pylon plans generate opposition. We look at Donald Trump's shock return, the Scottish reaction, and the way-off predictions of a Kamala Harris victory. And we join Holyrood presiding officer Alison Johnstone in Aberdeen, also taking to Ross Mackay of the Grampian Regional Equality Council.

While MPs debate small fixes to budgets, we look at the human cost of years of cuts and austerity. From hollowed out health services, to public sector strikes, the problems run deep. The team also looks at Unison's targeted industrial action in Perthshire, as council staff look for elusive money.

In a special episode of The Stooshie, The Press and Journal's Adele Merson and The Courier's Alasdair Clark are joined by Perth MP Pete Wishart and former Scottish political editor Alan Roden to remember former first minister Alex Salmond after his sudden death on Saturday.   They discuss Alex Salmond's complex legacy and the difficult set of emotions many of his friends and former colleagues are dealing with, as well as tales from his early days and an insight into what it was like to cover him as a reporter. 

From Scotland to Georgia, this week's episode covers a lot of ground. We get to grips with Labour's shaky start, Dundee election setbacks and winter fuel payment woes. We discuss our exclusive reporting on the human cost of long waits for breast cancer surgery and reconstruction in Grampian. And we speak to Arbroath and Broughty Ferry MP Stephen Gethins on why political unrest in Georgia, on the border of Russia, matters here.  

Alistair Wilson was murdered on his doorstep 20 years ago. The case was raised with First Minister John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament last week. Crime reporter Bryan Rutherford describes why this case is now at boiling point, and why the government and chief constable need to find answers.

The parents of Linda Norgrove, the Scottish aid worker killed in Afghanistan in 2010, speak to the Stooshie about her life and legacy. John and Lorna described their daughter's determined efforts to help women in the country, one month after 19 students were able to come to Scotland to continue their studies. They talk about Linda's adventurous spirit, her commitment to supporting young women in Afghanistan and the shock of losing her. They say how pleased Linda would be to see the opportunities open up for the students now safely studying in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and St Andrews.

We look back at the pro-independence campaign in a two-part special featuring the leading figures from both sides. In this interview, we hear from Blair Jenkins, the chief of Yes Scotland. He reflects on the highs and lows, reveals what happened next behind the scenes, and suggests the country would say Yes if asked again. Look out for our second interview, published at the same time, with Better Together chief strategist Blair McDougall.

We look back at the pro-independence campaign in a two-part special featuring the leading figures from both sides. In this interview, we hear from Blair McDougall, the chief strategist of pro-UK group Better Together. He recalls working with the late Alistair Darling, political rivals, and considers if they took the right approach for a more definitive result.  Look out for our second interview, published at the same time, with Yes Scotland chief Blair Jenkins.

Prison overcrowding is back in the headlines as some inmates are released early. But it's not just prisoners serving their sentences, there are also big problems with the number of people on remand. We speak to Hamish Robertson, from the Wise Group, about a new project to tackle root problems, starting with a mentoring scheme in Perth.

The Stooshie team is back from summer break to find the Scottish bank account has been cleared out. What do these cuts mean? Does John Swinney's SNP or Keir Starmer's Labour have a plan? Are the Conservatives really still scrapping over who should lead them back from election disaster?

Scotland has had its say, and a week on from the election we survey the wreckage of the SNP and Conservative campaigns and try to work out what they might do next. We also hear from Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy's Melanie Ward, who shares an audio diary of her first days in Westminster as a new MP.    And finally, will John Swinney and Keir Starmer find some common ground after years of dysfunction and rivalry between the Scottish and UK governments? 

The opinion polls all agree who will be next prime minister. But lots of local contests are still far too close to call. What will the parties learn from crucial regional shifts in opinion? Some people won't get a say at all because of postal vote delays. We discuss the real-life impact and the anger building over the timing of this election.

The prime minister was back in Scotland to help Douglas Ross in a tight contest. Were they words of encouragement or damage limitation? Can Lib Dems pull of a Highland surprise? And will Reform have any impact in Scotland? All that and analysis of the latest election coverage from political reporters across the P&J, The Courier and the Sunday Post.

We discuss how Labour suspended its candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East after exclusive reporting from our politics team. What happens next in the big contest between the SNP and Tories in the crucial region? Does Gordon Brown's impact still resonate in Fife - and can the Kingdom turn red? And we make some rash predictions about how many seats the Conservatives might win or lose in Scotland.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross rocked his own campaign, leaving us to wonder what can possibly happen next. We look at new polling on the picture in Scotland, and what's happening with Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. And we wonder if everyone's made up their mind already and just wants to watch Scotland at the Euros.

In an exclusive interview, John Swinney says he feared for his party when he stood to become leader earlier this year.   Speaking to David Clegg, the first minister reflected on the fast-paced first weeks in office, propelled from a think-tank event in London into the top job in Scottish politics.   Mr Swinney explains why he'd turned down a job from Humza Yousaf only a month before he resigned, and details why he thinks he's the right man to reverse his party's decline in the polls as voters become fatigued from 17 years of SNP dominance. 

Rishi Sunak came to the Highlands where he doesn't even have a candidate. Keir Starmer promised Scotland the earth, but not a location for his fabled GB Energy HQ. John Swinney found himself in an election moments after becoming First Minister. We discuss week one, we test the water among the people of Perth, and all the rest in the first of our election podcasts.

Simon Barker, a children's orthopaedic surgeon in Aberdeen, explains the growing concern over the use of new “physician associates” in a stretched health service. Are they valuable, quickly-trained additions, or is this “mission creep” to paper over gaps doctors can't always cover? Dr Barker is deputy chairman of the British Medical Association's Scottish council, and works in NHS Grampian.

Douglas Ross tells us drug addiction and death is a problem in rural areas like his Moray constituency, not just cities with problems such as Dundee and Glasgow. The Tory leader explains why his ‘right to addiction recovery bill' should get support at Holyrood. We also look our coverage of the Men's Sheds scheme which forced the SNP into a funding U-turn. And we explore Scottish Labour's problems getting local candidates into constituencies.

Becoming first minister was the easy bit for John Swinney. Now the handshakes and warm words are over, the hard work of governing begins. We speak with Kayleigh Quinn, who knows a thing or two about wrangling a difficult group at Holyrood. The former Scottish Labour organiser tells us what might be going through the new leader's head as he looks at reshaping the SNP.

Humza Yousaf folded on April 29 after losing authority by ditching his Green coalition partners. We ask people in the outgoing first minister's home city of Dundee what they think of his year in charge. We also hear from Green MSP Maggie Chapman, who was asked if she still has confidence in her own party leaders. Our political reporters look at the wreckage and discuss what might happen next as another SNP leadership contest looms.

A long-running plea for justice in the north of Scotland is being described as similar in scale to the Post Office scandal. At its heart are the dozens of families devastated by conman Alistair Greig. He was a respected financial advisor based in Aberdeen who ended up duping 184 victims out of £13 million. Now they want justice. To tell the story, we're joined by Dale Haslam, an investigations reporter with the Press and Journal newspaper. He has just returned from Westminster to hear from MPs including Alistair Carmichael pushing the campaigner's case for answers.

Jennifer Lees-Marshment has studied political marketing and management since the rise of Tony Blair. In this episode, she tells us how the main parties are approaching the phony war before the election date is set. She also describes concerns that politicians are simply not trained to actually do their job when in power. Would you go to a surgeon who hasn't been trained? Why should we expect to be governed well by people who don't know how to put their promises into practice?

Ahead of their conference in Dundee next week, Justin Bowie sits down with Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, to discuss what she thinks a potential Labour win in Westminster will mean for workers in Scotland.    Roz Foyer also shared her passion for ensuring Dundee women subject to years of unequal pay finally receive compensation from the city council after a years-long battle for justice.    And Justin asks what trade unions want see for those working in Scotland's oil and gas sector as politicians debate what comes next in our commitment to net zero.