Podcasts about scottish parliaments

Welcome to the relaunched CMF podcast. This is a special, extra episode giving an update on what is happening with the two assisted suicide bills for terminally ill adults that are going through the UK and Scottish Parliaments this month (May 2025), with both having hearings, and probably votes, in the week of 12 May.Steve Fouch (CMF Head of Communications), Dr Susan Marriott (CMF Head of Public Policy and a GP), and Dr David Randall (Renal Medicine Consultant) discuss the bills, the next steps in the legislative process, and the very real concerns these bills raise for patients and healthcare professionals.CMF has curated a range of resources to help you engage more deeply with the issues raised in this podcast on our website at cmf.li/AssistedSuicideResourcesSupport the show

This Day in Legal History: UK Parliament First ConvenesOn October 23, 1707, the Parliament of the United Kingdom convened for the first time in London, marking a historic moment in British governance. This event followed the formal unification of England and Scotland earlier that year under the Acts of Union 1707, which created the Kingdom of Great Britain. The new Parliament was a merging of the previously separate English and Scottish Parliaments, with representation from both countries. The House of Commons and the House of Lords, which existed as institutions in England, became the legislative bodies for the entire kingdom. This first session was a significant step in centralizing political authority and creating a unified legislative body for the newly formed nation. The merger aimed to strengthen political and economic ties between England and Scotland, particularly in trade and military matters, and to reduce internal conflicts. However, it also faced opposition, especially from some Scottish factions, who felt that their nation's autonomy had been diminished. The development of the United Kingdom's Parliament from this first meeting laid the groundwork for the modern parliamentary system in the UK, including its traditions of constitutional monarchy and representative government. This day is a key milestone in the evolution of parliamentary democracy, not only for Britain but as an influence on many other democratic systems worldwide.Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to place his Manhattan apartment, luxury items, and a claim for $2 million in unpaid legal fees into receivership to satisfy a $146 million defamation judgment. The case stems from a lawsuit by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' Moss, whom Giuliani falsely accused of tampering with 2020 election ballots. Giuliani's financial troubles, including bankruptcy and the loss of his law license, have worsened since he lost the defamation suit. Judge Lewis Liman rejected Giuliani's request to delay transferring his claim against Trump's campaign, noting the irony of his concern over media attention given his past false accusations. The case remains ongoing regarding certain assets, including World Series rings, while proceedings continue regarding his Florida property.Giuliani Loses NYC Apartment, Trump Fees to Poll Workers (1)Giuliani ordered to surrender apartment, valuables to Georgia election workers | ReutersThe Georgia Supreme Court has denied a GOP request to reinstate a set of election rules blocked by a trial court, meaning these rules likely won't be in effect on election day. The rules, backed by Republicans, included requirements for county officials to conduct inquiries before certifying results and for poll workers to hand-count ballots. Democrats and groups like the ACLU successfully sued to block the rules, arguing they would cause confusion. The Republican National Committee had filed an emergency motion for the rules to be reinstated during the appeal process, but the court's unanimous ruling declined this request. The case continues as part of broader legal battles over election procedures in Georgia.Georgia High Court Rejects GOP Bid to Revive New Election RulesLaw school applications are up 26% compared to the same time last year, with total applications increasing by 37%. The surge may be partly driven by the removal of the LSAT's challenging "logic games" section in August, which attracted more test-takers. Other factors contributing to the increase include interest sparked by political events, such as the upcoming election and U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Law school admissions consultant Mike Spivey predicts a final increase of 10-15% in applicants by the end of the cycle, with more high LSAT scores making competition tougher for lower-scoring applicants. While early numbers show strong growth, they may be inflated due to more time for applicants to submit, as last year's application timeline was delayed. LSAT registration for November has also jumped by 31%, indicating continued interest in law school.Law school applicant numbers surge, end of LSAT logic games is possible factor | ReutersIn the past two months, lawyers have contributed over $27 million to support Vice President Kamala Harris in her campaign against Donald Trump. Big donors, including top legal professionals like Faiza Saeed and Rodge Cohen, each gave $250,000 to Harris' PAC, the Harris Victory Fund. Lawyers have consistently favored Harris, who has outpaced Trump in legal sector contributions. Trump's backing from attorneys has declined, with none donating to his campaign during the same period. While Trump receives financial support from other wealthy individuals like Elon Musk, lawyer contributions have overwhelmingly gone to Harris.Lawyers Ante Up $27 Million for Kamala Harris in Past Two Months This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Queen Elizabeth's coffin is now resting at a cathedral in Scotland after a solemn, silent vigil held by her children, led by the new King. Also, Ukraine raises its flag over territory it has reclaimed. Kyiv's forces make stunning new gains in the northeast as Russia's defenses crumble. White House official John Kirby joins to answer if this a turning point in the war.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

The late Queen Elizabeth's the Second's coffin has made a grand procession through Edinburgh, temporarily laying to rest in St Giles' Cathedral. The Queen's children led the events honouring the monarch, including King Charles, who made his first address to the British and Scottish Parliaments.

Part 27 The Church in the Stuart Period Last time we looked at the Protestant Reformation gathering apace in 16th century England. The main issue in the 16th century, as we saw together was “None but Christ saves” - that the Gospel is good news for all of humanity, that nobody can earn their salvation, but rather salvation is a free gift from God for all those who choose to receive it. The main issue in the 17th century however, was 'None but Christ reigns'. The Stuart monarchy promoted the 'Divine Right of Kings', the God given authority to rule country and church. James VI of Scotland became king in 1567, and tried to re-establish the Episcopalian system, undermining the Presbyterian system. In 1603, he became the King of England as well and became James I of England. The Scots never accepted his authority over the church and fought to maintain religious freedom. James and his son Charles harassed the Puritans and drove many out of the country to Holland. King James I however did authorise a new translation of the Bible – what we today know as the King James Version or Authorised Version. National Covenant - The Archbishop of Canterbury tried to impose a new system of Church Government (Episcopalian) on Scotland, but the Scots rejected this and many signed a national covenant to maintain the freedom of the Presbyterian Church. 1638 - The General Assembly of the Church to establish who was head. The people led by Henderson accepted the king as king, but not as the head of the church. War broke out and the Scots, under General Alexander Leslie, defeated Charles in 1640. 1643 - Both the English and Scottish Parliaments signed a Covenant binding themselves to seek the reformation of religion along Reformed lines. 1643-49 - The Westminster Assembly of divines met to establish a basis for a united church in Britain. The Westminster Confession of Faith became the statement of faith for the Presbyterian Church. The Puritans - Many Christians wanted greater reformation in the Church, following Calvin's model of Church Government and worship. Some separated from the Church of England altogether because they were considered still to be too closely attached with the Roman Catholic Church. . They formed distinctive groups embracing a greater purity of worship, doctrine and personal piety. Some went so far as to totally separate themselves from all other Christians and started autonomous local gatherings of believers. These independent churches were the beginning of the Congregational Church. The Separatists -  These Separatists were persecuted by both the Roman Catholic & Protestant churches, and many were driven out of England to Holland were there was great religious freedom. They were hounded out of England by King James I and then by King Charles. Many left for Holland. However in 1620, some returned to England and left for America (New England) on the Mayflower. They wanted a new land where they could worship God with total freedom and virtually establish His kingdom on earth. By 1643 some 20,000 had arrived resulting in America's origins being deeply religious. The Baptists - Some of these Puritans maintained believers baptism by immersion was also essential. This started John Smyth in an independent church in Holland. A remnant of this church returned to England, and established the first Baptist Church, resulting in over 300 churches in England by 1660. That's it for this time! Next time in our series HAHA, we will look at the last of this series - the church in the 18th century confronted by the Age of Reason and scientific materialism! Thanks for listening! Come back to Partakers where every day there is something new to encourage your walk as a Christian in the 21st century. Tap or click here to download and save this as an audio mp3 file

Scotland's leader told lawmakers in Edinburgh Tuesday that she plans to hold a fresh referendum on Scotland's independence on Oct. 19, 2023 — even though U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson maintains it wasn't the right time for such a vote.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the question to be asked will be the same as that in Scotland's first independence vote in 2014: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”The U.K.-wide government of Johnson opposes a new referendum and has repeatedly said the issue was settled in 2014, when 55% saying they wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom.Scotland's government requires a special order from Johnson to legally hold a referendum.Sturgeon said she will ask the U.K. Supreme Court to rule on the Scottish government's right to hold the vote if Johnson does not give the go-ahead.Scotland's most senior law official has referred the matter to the top court on Tuesday, she said.She added that she would be writing to Johnson to inform him of her plans.Sturgeon, who leads the Scottish National Party and the devolved government in Scotland, insists it's time to revisit the matter of independence, not least because of Britain's exit from the European Union — a move opposed by a majority of Scots.“My determination is to secure a process that allows the people of Scotland, whether yes, no or yet to be decided, to express their views in a legal, constitutional referendum so the majority view can be established fairly and democratically,” she said Tuesday.Johnson said he would study Sturgeon's plans for a second referendum, but stressed that “the focus of the country should be on building a stronger economy."“We will study it very carefully and we will respond properly ... I certainly think that we'll be able to have a stronger economy and a stronger country together," he told reporters.A spokesman for Johnson's office said his position is unchanged and he “continues to think it's not the time to be talking about a referendum.”The spokesman said the government will not be drawn into “hypotheticals” about whether it would open negotiations for Scottish independence if Scots vote for it in a referendum next year.Even if the referendum does go ahead as proposed, a majority vote will not by itself make Scotland independent from the rest of the U.K.“For Scotland to become independent following a yes vote, legislation would have to be passed by the U.K. and Scottish Parliaments,” Sturgeon stressed.Sturgeon maintains that her party's success in local elections last year gives her a mandate for a fresh referendum. While the Scottish National Party did not win overall control in the Scottish Parliament, the election of a record number of Scottish Green lawmakers means there is a majority for a new independence vote.Sturgeon said that if there was no lawful way for the Scottish government to hold a referendum, and if Johnson's government refused to grant permission for such a vote, she would fight the next U.K. general election on the single issue of independence.Opposition parties have criticized Sturgeon for her “obsession” with holding a new independence vote and say she should instead be focused on more practical matters such as tackling the soaring cost of living.“A potentially illegal referendum next year is the wrong priority for Scotland,” Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said. “We won't play Nicola Sturgeon's games. We won't take part in a pretend poll when there is real work to be done."Like Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland has its own parliament and devolved government and makes its own policies on public health, education and other matters. But the U.K.-wide government in London controls matters such as defense and fiscal policy.- by Sylvia Hui, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The highlight of this episode is a visit to the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood.  But first, the colourful story of who ruled Scotland over the centuries, the Scottish kings, the ongoing tussles with England, the Act of Union and subsequent rebellions and finally the Scotland Act of 1998 which led to the founding of the new parliament where a speaker could proudly announce that 'the Scottish Parliament, which adjourned on the 25th March 1707, is reconvened.'    Recommended read Scotland's Democracy Trail by Stuart McHardy and Donald Smith  Useful links https://www.parliament.scot   https://www.parliament.scot/visit/virtual-tour https://edinburgh.org City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Edinburgh series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.uk And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Ahead of the Scottish Parliaments elections on 06 May, Anni talks to Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of The City of Edinburgh Council.This episode is packed with discussions as Andrew talks openly about everything from leading through a pandemic to the importance of family, community and working as a team. He also reveals his career inspirations and how an ex-miner from Ayrshire helped him to become the proud senior leader he is today, working in his dream job. Despite his prominent position in the council, Andrew was not always in the public sector. Following school, he worked as a professional athlete, representing Scotland and the UK in the 400m races. However, he knew athletics was a career with a limited time span and stepped into his first public service role as Manager at Grangemouth Stadium, Falkirk “In lots of ways it was opportunistic, but I realised early on that I enjoy the community part of being a public servant. And I've been there ever since,” he confirms.With a passion for contributing in the community, Andrew has gone on to nurture a 35 year (and counting) career as a public servant. He has worked in positions across England, Wales and now in the City of Edinburgh Council where he was named Chief Executive in 2015. Listen to this Leaders in Conversation Podcast to discover: Andrew's early influencers and inspirations including the benefit of growing up in a supportive family that encouraged his passions like poetry writing, the flute and athleticsHow his running coach was a role model throughout life, providing a huge source of inspiration and shaping his approach to both personal development and senior leadershipWhy conquering his nerves in the stadium was an invaluable lesson in how to be a confident leader and to stay focused on the task in hand How staying active and learning to practice  mindfulness became a useful tool in prioritising what's important in order to stay focused, achieve more and deliver moreThe importance of teams both professionally and personally and supporting one another at all timeThe process behind shaping and defining values and putting them into practice  Andrew also talks about leading through a pandemic and how it allowed him to deliver on his core value of helping the community. He honours those whose lives have been lost and pays tribute to the civil servants like teachers, janitors and bin collectors who have kept the UK going “without demand for extra overtime or extra anything, because they knew that we're doing good things for the community”. Finally, Andrew reveals his vision and ambitions for Edinburgh and Scotland and why “community wellness” is at the heart of The City of Edinburgh Council's business plan. He talks about what the roadmap looks like, from collaboration with local partners to setting carbon targets and more.Discover moreTo find out more about The City of Edinburgh Councils including the strategy and plans visit edinburgh.gov.uk

7 May 2018 – Job Guarantee remains the talk of the Twitter town (nest?) as well as some mainstream media. Critics have been vocal and a core of MMT thought leaders have been guiding the response to the push-back. Nathan Tankus (@nathantankus), who is a research scholar at the Modern Money Network and a terrific follow on Twitter, is among those leaders and joins us for the interview. Will focuses in on the court case between the British and Scottish Parliaments and why that is another example of the losses incurred by the structures of norms which underlie both the US and UK systems of governments. I am on to the third part in my series on framing MMT. In this show I cover better and more accurate framing for neoliberal deficit, surplus and balanced budget memes. I think I have just one more week on framing before I hop onto another topic. Many Carrots to All – Arliss

Update: The original episode released this morning did not contain the extended interview. We've corrected that this evening. 7 May 2018 - Job Guarantee remains the talk of the Twitter town (nest?) as well as some mainstream media. Critics have been vocal and a core of MMT thought leaders have been guiding the response to the push-back. Nathan Tankus (@nathantankus), who is a research scholar at the Modern Money Network and a terrific follow on Twitter, is among those leaders and joins us for the interview. Will focuses in on the court case between the British and Scottish Parliaments and why that is another example of the losses incurred by the structures of norms which underlie both the US and UK systems of governments. I am on to the third part in my series on framing MMT. In this show I cover better and more accurate framing for neoliberal deficit, surplus and balanced budget memes. I think I have just one more week on framing before I hop onto another topic. Many Carrots to All - Arliss

A number of former US soldiers have recently published books which focus on their time serving with US forces in the second Iraq War. Phil Klay's series of short stories - Redeployment - and Kevin Powers' debut collection of poems - Letter Composed During a Lull in Fighting - are just two books which cover the first-hand experience of war, and its physical, emotional and psychological effects. Phil Klay and Kevin Powers discuss war as inspiration for literature and their own experience of desert warfare. 20 Feet From Stardom won the Academy Award for Best Documentary at this year's Oscars. The film looks behind the stars of music to focus on their backing singers and the important contribution these singers have made to the history of pop, as well as the difficulties of breaking out into the spotlight. Jacqueline Springer reviews the film. Union is a play by Scottish playwright Tim Barrow which explores the 1707 Act of Union with England which linked the English and Scottish Parliaments. The play examines the context of bankruptcy and political turmoil which led the Scottish politicians to accept bribes in exchange for supporting the act. Tim Barrow discusses the pertinence of the subject to the forthcoming independence referendum and explains why he thinks Scottish children should be given better education on this period of history. To mark Radio 4's forthcoming Character Invasion Day - when fictional characters will be taking over the network - Front Row asked five of Britain's leading actors to talk about their experience of playing an iconic character. Jane Horrocks discusses playing the withdrawn LV with a talent for mimicking great singers in the award-winning play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, and the subsequent film.

Melvyn Bragg and guests Karin Bowie, Murray Pittock and Daniel Szechi discuss the Glencoe Massacre of 1692, why it happened, and its lasting repercussions.On a winter night in 1692, a company of soldiers quartered with the MacDonalds of Glencoe rose early and slaughtered their hosts. About 38 men, women and children were killed. Their homes were torched and many survivors died as they fled into the snow. This mass killing was branded by a Scottish Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry as 'murder under trust'.Why did this still infamous atrocity happen? The answer takes in the seismic impact of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the ongoing struggles for religious power that swept through the country in the 17th century. Crucially, Britain was at war in Europe, and the distracting nature of the conflict in Scotland, as far as the London government was concerned, helped to give the events at Glencoe their particular character. But this is also a story of a deadline and the fatal consequences of the Glencoe MacDonalds' attempts to meet it - and of how their technical failure to do so was exploited.The Glencoe Massacre had a severe impact on the reputation of the government of the Protestant King William III, who had ousted the Catholic James II with the support of the English and Scottish Parliaments only four years earlier. Some historians contend that it pushed the two states along the road to the Act of Union of 1707. Karin Bowie is Lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow; Murray Pittock is Bradley Professor of English Literature at the University of Glasgow; Daniel Szechi is Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Manchester.

Melvyn Bragg and guests Karin Bowie, Murray Pittock and Daniel Szechi discuss the Glencoe Massacre of 1692, why it happened, and its lasting repercussions.On a winter night in 1692, a company of soldiers quartered with the MacDonalds of Glencoe rose early and slaughtered their hosts. About 38 men, women and children were killed. Their homes were torched and many survivors died as they fled into the snow. This mass killing was branded by a Scottish Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry as 'murder under trust'.Why did this still infamous atrocity happen? The answer takes in the seismic impact of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the ongoing struggles for religious power that swept through the country in the 17th century. Crucially, Britain was at war in Europe, and the distracting nature of the conflict in Scotland, as far as the London government was concerned, helped to give the events at Glencoe their particular character. But this is also a story of a deadline and the fatal consequences of the Glencoe MacDonalds' attempts to meet it - and of how their technical failure to do so was exploited.The Glencoe Massacre had a severe impact on the reputation of the government of the Protestant King William III, who had ousted the Catholic James II with the support of the English and Scottish Parliaments only four years earlier. Some historians contend that it pushed the two states along the road to the Act of Union of 1707. Karin Bowie is Lecturer in Scottish History at the University of Glasgow; Murray Pittock is Bradley Professor of English Literature at the University of Glasgow; Daniel Szechi is Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Manchester.