The Scottish currency Group conference took place over 2 days in Dunfermline on 21st and 22nd September 2024. We were there for both days of fascinating presentations from an impressive and internationally diverse group of experts in their various fields. In this podcast, Fiona and Marlene share 12 of the insights we gained from the discussions. We…

Bonus episode - our latest Hot Topic episode looks at Trump's victory in the US elections. Fiona and Marlene are joined in the studio by Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay to share our immediate reactions to Trump's victory and consider the likely impact on the situation in Ukraine, for NATO and for the wider world. The Scottish Independence Podcasts t…

A bonus episode from the recent Scottish Currency Group conference. Dr Tim Rideout explains the process for introducing a Scottish Currency and the likely timescales for implementation. You can find out more from his website here https://www.reservebank.scot/ The Scottish Currency Group is also active on Facebook. The Scottish Independence Podcasts…

One of the events marking 10 years since the Scottish Independence Referendum was a conference "2014 - 2024 Scottish Independence and the British State 10 Years On". The event was held on 14th September at Glasgow Caledonian University and was organised by the group Conter. Part One of our coverage of that conference was an interview with Liam McLa…

Podcast version of this month's Livestream chat with Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene and our guest Lynne. Topics covered include: Alex Salmond's death Council of Regions and Nations Winter fuel payments GB Energy Scottish Visa proposals and various other snippets that caught our attention this month. You can also watch the video version on our You…

We chat to Scottish independence campaigner Liam McLaughlan who we first came across when he stood as Scottish Socialist Party candidate for Glasgow East in the General election. Liam is a veteran of the legendary Radical Independence Campaign in 2014 and last month he gave the opening speech at a conference organised by left wing anti establishmen…

Second of our two part mini series on the 1820 Radical Uprising. Part 1 covers the events leading up to the Uprising and the Radical War which followed. You can find it here https://scottishindypod.scot/scottish-history/1820-radical-uprising/ and we would recommend you listen to that episode first. This episode covers the courtroom drama of the tri…

Scotland has practically the largest units of local government in the world. An average Scottish council has 175,000 people compared to an average across the EU of 10,000. There seems to be widespread consensus that something needs to be done about the over-centralisation of Scotland, but little agreement about what that should be. A group of indiv…

In this month's livestream Indypodcasters Marlene, Fiona and Lynne reflect on the Believe in Scotland 10th anniversary rally and other indy events, whether marches have had their day, the Labour party's disastrous first 2 months in power and how the the SNP is adjusting to life as a minority government. With clips, chat and listeners comments, we h…

On the 10th anniversary of Scotland's Independence Referendum film maker Charlie Stuart has released his tribute to the grassroots campaigners who refuse to give up! We chat to Charlie about the making of the film and his thoughts on the campaign a decade after the indyref. You can watch Charlie's film "Still Yes" here: https://youtu.be/M_5hQM_NRAg…

On 18th September 2024 we marked the 10th anniversary of the historic first Scottish Independence Referendum, Indyref for short. During a passionate and exhilarating campaign, support for the Yes side grew from around 30% to over 50% before settling back at 45% on the day of the vote. In the words of Professor Sir John Curtace, the Yes side lost th…

10 years on from the Independence Referendum we catch up with "artist, writer and deviant collagist" Greg Moodie. Greg's artwork and cartoons were iconic elements of the 2014 campaign and he has continued to produce political commentary in the guise of humour ever since. Greg has a new book out this month called The Unbearable Stupidity of Being wh…

After weeks of violent outbreaks in England, the far right racist contingent tried to bring their poison to Glasgow's George Square last weekend. Glasgow was having none of it and organised an anti racist demonstration which drew a far bigger crowd than the racists could muster. We reflect on the event with our guests Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay…

Part 1 of a 2 part episode this week as Fiona and Marlene go on the trail of the Radical Uprising of 1820, with the help of historian Tom Dowds. What we found is a fascinating tale of plots, intrigue, government spies, revolution and Scottish radicals dreaming of democracy and the creation of a Scottish Government. To be continued..... Look out for…

We chat to Tim Rideout and Ian Stewart about the Scottish Currency Group Conference coming up on 21st and 22nd of September and the exciting line up of guest speakers. Online and In Person tickets are available from Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-currency-group-conference-tickets-965256055847?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Hope to s…

Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene mull over August's events with guest Lynne Dougan in our Livestream for August 2024. We share some of our escapades this month - Lynne was at Elgin, Fiona got stuck in the mud, Marlene celebrated Ukraine Day. We also cover the Winter Fuel Payment debacle - Marlene has the stats! As Rachel Reeves perfects her eye rol…

It is 79 years since the nuclear and atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Every year Scottish CND organises events to commemorate this anniversary. Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were invited to record the Glasgow even at the peace tree in the grounds of Kelvingrove Art Gallery. It was a moving, yet upliftin…

The Battle of Falkirk took place on 22nd July 1298 and was a tragic loss for the Scots under William Wallace. His comrade Sir John de Graham, or Graeme, died in the battle and is buried at Trinity church in Falkirk. The De Graeme Society organise an annual commemoration of the battle and the brave Scots who gave their lives defending our freedom. T…

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp is our guest for the second episode in our new series of podcasts on the theme of A National Conversation for Scotland. Gordon is head of campaigning organisation Believe in Scotland and he joined Indypodcasters Marlene and Fiona in the studio to talk about ambitious plans for a Scottish Citizens' Convention. Topics covered in…

Part 1 of our new podcast series A National Conversation for Scotland . Following the shockwaves from the General Election result, we decided to revisit the topic of a national conversation for Scotland, starting with a fresh look at the conversation we had with Leanne Wood about the Welsh Constitutional Commission. In this episode we revisit that …

This month saw the 750th anniversary of the birth of one of Scotland's greatest heroes, Robert the Bruce. In this episode, filmed mainly on location in Bannockburn, we draw from three different accounts of the Bruce's most famous battle and attempt to pinpoint the most likely sites of the different phases of the battle. We also examine the military…

Following the election results earlier this month, indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene invited guest and friend of the podcast Lynne Dougan into our studio for a chat. Lynne was at the count of the Alloa and Grangemouth constituency and gives us some behind the scenes insights as to what goes on through the night of an election. This episode was origi…

Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were delighted to take part in a panel discussion which took place after Edinburgh Women for Independence group's AGM in June. The format was: 00:01:09 Sam Page from Yes for EU on the topic of reasons to rejoin the EU 00:08:42 Ruth Ritchie on behalf of Believe in Scotland on the topic of grassroots activism 00:16:42…

Why did Graeme McCormick decide to stand in the SNP leadership contest and why did he then withdraw his candidacy to allow John Swinney to be elected unopposed? We last chatted to Graeme McCormick in September 2023 about his proposals to dissolve the UK union and how that might come about (you can listen to that episode here https://www.podbean.com…

As we enter the last week of the General election campaign trail, Marlene and Fiona chat to Indy supporters at the Bannockburn rally - and find a mixed set of views! We also consider what the turnout might be and whether people are sufficiently disenchanted with the election campaign that they will abstain, or spoil their ballots and what practical…

As the party manifestos start to appear, Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene are joined by guest Marion Robertson to pick out the bits we like from the manifestos on offer. Note that the first half of this episode was recorded before the official launches of the Scottish Greens and Alba manifestos, links to both are below. Main themes are: 00:00:30 IS…

Musician, author and journalist Pat Kane is our guest in this episode when we discuss why over 65s are still not convinced by independence. Pat suggests the answer might lie in our musical influences - are former hippies, punks and post punks more likely to challenge the status quo? Themes included in our discussion are: 00:02:43 Musical influences…

Hosted by Christians for Independence, this presentation by former MP and Consultant Surgeon Dr Philippa Whitford is a moving account of her work as a medical volunteer in Gaza from the 1990s. Themes include: 00:01:47 The Holy Land? 00:03:49 Palestine history didn't start on 7th October 00:06:36 2 state solution slipping away 00:06:56 Gaza 1991/2 A…

Edinburgh Yes Hub hosted a panel discussion on the topic of Scotland, Democracy and the Future. The panel was chaired by Peace Campaigner Janet Fenton and speakers were: Euan Hyslop - SNP Councillor Edinburgh Council Alex Martin - Independent candidate for Edinburgh South Colin Fox - Scottish socialist Party Kenny MacAskill - Alba party. Panellists…

Welcome to another tumultuous month in Scottish politics! Fiona and James mull over the events of May 2024 including: 00:00:57 The end of the Bute House Agreement and the fallout 00:17:50 Another new First Minister 00:31:08 We're having an election 00:49:42 Our plans for June The Welsh Constitutional Commission podcast episode which we mention in o…

A Bonus Tuesday podcast to mark the announcement of the UK General Election on 4th July - Independence Day! In the first half of this episode Fiona and Marlene react to the initial announcement and in the second half we take a look at the various campaign launch speeches. We also cover various deadline dates for voter registration etc - these and m…

Latest in our Mibbes Aye podcast series, we explore the Welsh Constitutional Commission with Leanne Wood who was one of the Commissioners on the 2 year project. Leanne is also a former leader of the Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru. The Commission produced a report with 10 recommendations which can be found here https://www.gov.wales/independen…

David Powell appeared on John Drummond's TNT show recently with a worrying take on the proliferation of Freeports and Special Economic Zones across the UK and the sinister forces which may lie behind them. This is in marked contrast to the reassuring statements being made by the Scottish Government in relation to Green Freeports. Let us know what y…

As conflict escalates around the world, we chat to Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay, both veteran Scottish CND campaigners about the increased threat of nuclear engagement, either on purpose or by accident. Where are the peacemakers? Is there anything that we as individuals can do? Footage of BAE Systems protest thanks to The Skotia media. The Scotti…

Believe in Scotland hosted a very successful march and rally in Glasgow on 20th April. This episode brings together the speeches from the rally (minus the obligatory comments about how wonderfully sunny the weather was!). Speakers list: 00:00:50 Pat Kane (musician and journalist) 00:06:11 Jane McAllister (film maker) 00:12:47 Gordon Martin (RMT tra…

Shockwaves ran through Scottish politics this morning as First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his intention to resign following his decision to end the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens. Within 2 hours of the announcement Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were joined by guests Bill Ramsay, Convenor of the SNP TU Group and Isobel Lindsay…

Welcome back to our roundup of topical clips for April 2024! Indypodcasters Fiona and James present a selection of clips and musings. Main themes covered this month are: 00:01:00 BBC howler and GB news immunity 00:03:17 Believe in Scotland march and rally reflections 00:20:00 Hate crimes myths 00:24:43 Solidarity with farmers 00:26:34 Land register…

TNT show host John Drummond chats with Gordon MacIntyre Kemp from Believe in Scotland and Marlene Halliday from Pensioners for Independence on the eve of the first Believe in Scotland march and rally in Glasgow. A range of fantastic speakers have been announced, including First Minister Humza Yousaf but there has also been a spat with Alba and the …

Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene share their impressions of Humza's first year in the job - what went well, what could have gone better - plus clips from various interviews and speeches Humza has given along the way (see links below). Main themes covered are: 00:00:41 First Minister - first impressions 00:02:24 Gaza - political and personal 00:05:0…

A Bonus Tuesday episode! Our latest Hot Topic is Michael Gove's extraordinary attempt to stop devolved parliament ministers, local councils, universities and other public bodies from using their fully devolved procurement powers to boycott goods and services on ethical and moral grounds in a way that would implicitly oppose UK government's foreign …

Coming up on the 20th of April, Believe in Scotland and Pensioners for Independence jointly host a march and rally in Glasgow. With 1 month to go until the big day, we chat to Believe in Scotland Chief Executive Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp about the idea of a Festival of Independence, what's going on behind the scenes, which speakers have confirmed so fa…

Welcome to our March 24 roundup of topical clips! Themes catching our eye this month include: 00:01:04 Leo Varadkar resigns after Irish government referendum "drubbing" 00:08:31 Mark Drakeford resigns and Vaughan Gething becomes the new First Minister of Wales 00:12:17 Constitutional Commissions and Conventions 00:28:41 Believe in Scotland ramps up…

With special guest Dr Craig Dalzell, Policy Director of Commonweal, this week's podcast episode looks at the barriers and possible solutions to setting up a publicly owned energy company for Scotland. Key themes covered in our discussion are: 00:02:19 Q1: How has Wales managed to set up an energy company? 00:05:46 Q2: Could Wales set up a public co…

On the fourth anniversary of Scotland being ripped out of the EU against our will, campaign group Europe for Scotland hosted a discussion panel to reflect on where we are now and the enduring bonds between Scotland and Europe. Find out more about Europe for Scotland at www.europeforscotland.com including the petition to have Scotland's voice heard …

Colin Fox, Leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, was one of three guests on an earlier show where we looked at non-SNP party responses to the SNP's election strategy. We had a fascinating conversation with Colin which covered much more than we needed for the original show, so here is the extended version of that conversation. Topics covered inclu…

TNT Show host John Drummond chats to guests SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and Bella Caledonia editor Mike Small. Topics include: 00:00:36 Welcome to Stephen Flynn 00:01:46 Are Scots Sovereign? 00:07:06 What's happening about setting up a constitutional convention? 00:11:30 Are SNP MPs legitimising Westminster? 00:19:20 Is the SNP assertive e…

Welcome to our roundup of clips and snippets that have caught our attention this month - enjoy! Key themes 00:00:40 Covid enquiry or witch hunt? 00:04:37 #ceasefireNOW 00:09:31 A step closer to a united Ireland? 00:17:52 Yes for EU association agreement workshop 00:24:00 Westminster Tories blooper reel 00:35:58 Welcoming our new ministers 00:44:41 …

Campaign group Yes For EU held a very successful workshop in Edinburgh to consider various themes about Scotland's future in the EU, including Association Agreements for candidate countries, the alternative option of EFTA. We also discussed areas where Scotland is at risk of diverging from the EU and where we will need to realign or create new arra…

We were at the very successful Revive Coalition conference in Perth in November. In this week's podcast we chat with Revive Coalition Campaigns Manager Max Wiszniewski, share some of the presentations from the conference on grouse moors, muirburn and raptor persecution and then we take a look at the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill currently m…

Henry Bell, author of the biography "John Maclean - Hero of Red Clydeside", examines some of the life, times and core principles that John Maclean represented. He asks if these still relate to the world today - a century after Maclean's tragic and untimely death. Hosted by the Scottish Socialist Party, this is the 3rd Annual Jim McVicar Memorial Le…