Lesley and Fraser dive into a week of high-stakes testimony, "shadowy" Westminster figures, and the emeerging cross-party consensus in Scotland on when our children should actually start school.
The Whitehall "Schmozzle" We look at the recent Foreign Affairs Committee sessions featuring the "Whitehall Mandarin" Philip Barton and Keir Starmer’s strategist, Morgan McSweeney. It was a masterclass in the "dark arts" of Number 10, with Emily Thornberry leading a blistering critique of the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador before his security vetting was even complete. From the "knife through the soul" of the Epstein revelations to the bizarre "Blitzkrieg" strategy to install Mandelson over George Osborne, we ask: is this just "jobs for the boys" by another name?.
The Kindergarten Revolution Lesley reports back from a fascinating Upstart Scotland hustings where, for once, there was a strange glimmer of cross-party agreement. Even the "new man" Tory candidate seemed to accept the logic of raising the school starting age to seven. But while the Greens and Lib Dems are on board, the SNP government remains oddly "wobbly" on putting a proper kindergarten stage in their manifesto.
We also look at the latest news on Ferry procurement, the SNP pledge on a section 30 order vote and constitutional convention and much more!
LinksNOKUT (Norway): Developed a toolkit for recognising refugees' qualifications
https://www.sciencenorway.no/immigration-integration-refugees/who-is-best-at-getting-refugees-into-the-workforce-norway-sweden-or-denmark/2082005Highland Clearances; communities fight back
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/highland-clearances-two-communities-fight-back
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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 co-host Fraser Thompson. 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.