{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Lesley Riddoch Podcast","title":"Is Britain really all together now? Or is this no man's land?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4555,"description":"Lesley and Fraser delayed recording this week to digest Andy Burnham’s blockbuster Labour Party Conference speech. From grand English policy pitches to Scottish local government reform, Glasgow’s equal pay row, and Holyrood drama, here is what’s in this week’s episode:\nBurnham’s \"Prime Ministerial\" Pitch: Big announcements on housing, water, energy, and a National Care Service. Impressive delivery, but as Lesley notes, Scotland has already implemented nearly all of it—from ending Right to Buy to free personal care.\nLocal Government Reform: A look at Gerry Hassan's blog on council reorganisations. Do the current plans solve Scotland's democratic deficit, or do we need a Citizens' Assembly to work through a proper plan?\nGlasgow Equal Pay Row: Why Glasgow City Council suddenly threatened staff with \"fire and rehire\" over equal pay settlements, and why Unison stood its ground.\nHumza Yousaf’s Book & SNP Conference: Highlights from the Dundee launch of Humza’s book Under Fire, plus a new internal independence pressure group forming ahead of the SNP conference in Aberdeen.\nHolyrood’s \"Right to Decide\": Why Scottish Labour voted for the SNP's self-determination motion, and Patrick Harvie’s calm response to a bizarre speech comparing Scottish nationalism to Yugoslavia.\nLinks & Events:\nFilm Screening: Lesley’s Finland film is showing at the Moffat Theatre this Saturday at 2:00 PM.\nSupport the Pod: If you enjoy the show, help support us at lesleyriddoch.com/podcast.\nGerry Hassan: How Scotland is Governed Matters Just as Much as Who Governs's It","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}