{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Lesley Riddoch Podcast","title":"Bus Franchising Stramashes & Burnham’s SNP Conference Crashing","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4471,"description":"In this week's episode, Lesley Riddoch and Fraser Thompson reflect on a more lively couple of days at the SNP Conference in Aberdeen. Far from the half-empty halls predicted by the right-wing press, Lesley reports a perkier atmosphere powered by an articulate new wave of young independence campaigners, frisky debates on land tax, and big questions on local democracy.\n\nTopics Covered This Week\nA Perkier SNP Conference: Lesley gives her view from the Aberdeen floor, where Young Scots for Independence set an energetic tone right out of the gates. Meanwhile, Dave Doogan delivered a sharp, witty address as Westminster leader, landing cheeky jabs at both Andy Burnham's ten-year plans and Stephen Flynn's hair.\nSNP Policy Debates: key motions from the conference floor. Hannah Mary Goodlad and Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth brought forward a motion on investigating a Scottish Land Tax—provoking spirited discussion on shell companies, unregistered land, and compulsory purchase powers for tax dodgers.\nBus Franchising & Andy Burnham’s Interventions: Re-regulating buses is firmly back on the menu. As John Swinney announced plans for public control over routes and fares, private bus operators threw a proper paddy, while Andy Burnham made a cheeky wee jaunt into proceedings from Motherwell to lecture Holyrood on centralisation.\nLocal Democracy & Mega-Councils: At a packed Build a Local Scotland fringe meeting, Dave Watson (Jimmy Reid Foundation) and Cabinet Secretary Ivan McKee joined the fray. Lesley and Fraser discuss the confusion surrounding council reorganisation, comparing Scotland's remote mega-councils with Sweden’s hyper-local municipal setup, and making the case for a genuine Citizens' Assembly.\nDe-Xing Holyrood: A near-unanimous conference vote backing an exit from X (formerly Twitter) sparks lively debate on toxic algorithms versus the practical need for public transport operators like CalMac to reach folk.\nFilm Review – NAZA: Lesley shares her experience...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/TKOlqg4xKOK2bn8lxAR0BKU_Ic-p9GXvCAC9p0Malv4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iNjdl/Y2Y2MTczOWY1OTYw/NTEzNGY3MTY2Yzgw/ODAwYy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}