Lesley's back on her old stomping ground in the north of Ireland showing her Denmark movie at the Imagine! Belfast Festival.
She talks about the reaction to the film and the festival itself. This leads us into chat on the forgotten history of radical Presbyterianism, border polls, and the disputatious nature of the debates over both the Irish language and Ulster/Scots.
We examine the ongoing controversy over the impact of Rachel Reeves Spring Statement on PIP claimants and ask if Trump's latest tariffs have already wiped out the fiscal headroom she gained on the back of her cuts.
The UK government still appears to be clinging to the misplaced belief that sooking up to Trump will result in a US trade deal but at what cost as the MAGA government zealots seem to be placing "free speech" conditions within any deals. This support for "free speech" doesn't extend to anyone speaking out against the Trump administration. We ask, in the light of recent UK events and government statements if Labour isn't immune from this authoritarian contagion?
All this plus updates on the continuing crisis at Dundee University, the barrage of price rises hitting folk today, and spurious references to a classic Will Hay comedy.
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What is The Lesley Riddoch Podcast?
Scottish politics dissected from a left, pro-independence stance. Each week, award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Lesley Riddoch chews over the week’s news with former media lecturer and Dundee United fan, Pat Joyce. If you like intelligent, quirky chat about Scottish society and culture, and Scottish, UK and international politics analysed from a Scottish perspective; this podcast is for you.