The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In the aftermath of the SNP's Annual Conference, Bernard and Alex ask - where are the new policies and the strategy for independence that the party will need to win voters back who switched to Labour at the General Election?

• The need for a clear policy prospectus.
• The challenges of economic growth and public services. 
• The conference talked about Independence but not the trickier subject of strategy.
• If the SNP and Scottish Government continue to say they cannot deliver with the powers and budget they have, Scottish Labour will say it can.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the eve of the SNP Annual Conference, former Minister Alex Neil warns First Minster John Swinney to bin the "political weans" and "bring in heavyweights" as losing 2026 election will mean an independent Scotland is "in the freezer for 10-30 years"

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard and Alex retreat to their natural habitat in Glasgow's famous journalists' haunt, The Press Bar on Albion Street, to ponder the stories of the day over a sociable refreshment.

Trump's Big Mistake - Alex reckons Trump made a big mistake in his singular determination to unseat Joe Biden before the election.

Tory Leadership Battle - Insight into the candidates and implications for the UK and Scottish Conservative party. Bernard gives personal insight into some of the candidates.

Two-Child Cap - Both Bernard and Alex think it's a matter of when and not if Labour scraps the two-child benefits cap. Does that have implications for other parties who have focussed heavily on it?

Many thanks to the Press Bar for allowing us to record in their lovely pub.

PRESS BAR - Facebook

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt joins Bernard and Alex with excellent impressions of ...

• Keir Starmer
• Angela Rayner
• Rachel Reeves
• Tony Blair
• Ed Miliband

Also

• What makes Scottish audiences different
• What makes people walk out
• Who's taken offence to his impressions
• His hopes for the new government

You can catch Matt's show at the Edinburgh Festival here

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/matt-forde-the-end-of-an-era-tour

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard and Alex tackle the stories of the week;

JOE BIDEN - Both Bernard and Alex are keen observers of US Politics - their thoughts on Joe Biden agreeing to step down as Presidential Candidate.

MHAIRI BLACK - After standing down at the General Election, the former SNP MP announced her Edinburgh Festival show "Politics Isn't For Me" as well as words for Kate Forbes and John Swinney

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY - The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, hints at above inflation Public Sector pay rises - can she make it work?

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard and Alex bring you an instant briefing on the King's Speech with the first legislative agenda for Keir Starmer's new Labour Government.

Is it a return to big Government (as some critics have said) or a different type of intervention?

Headlines on the bills

Watch No11 Downing Street not No10 to gauge the success of this government.

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie speak to Stewart McDonald, SNP front bencher who lost his seat at the General Election ..... and he had a lot to say.

ON 2026 HOLYROOD ELECTION

25:32 MASSIE: "Do you think getting "horsed" in 2026 is now the most likely outcome of the Holyrood election?"

McDONALD: "Yes"

ON INDEPENDENCE

35:07 "The hard pause has been delivered for us whether we like that or not. That was done last Thursday and was evident in ballot boxes up and down the country".

ON LABOUR

44:38 "I've watched them closely and they're getting their act together in a way that's connecting with people.... the reality is that they're a party that's being taken seriously by voters once again. Many of whom have voted SNP, not just over the past decade but over the past 17 years we have been in government. So, we have a problem and the only way we can answer that problem is to be serious, is to be grown up, is to take hard decisions"

ON SNP CULTURE - "NOT A SERIOUS POLITCAL CULTURE"

11:38 "We've strayed. They feel we've stopped listening to them so they've stopped listening to us."

11:55 "I think we have a cultural problem within the SNP."

13:19 "A political culture that operates like that is not a serious political culture." 

14:22 "You cannot be everything to all people if you're serious about the aspiration of statehood and government."

26:56 "I'm looking at the motions we're about to debate at our upcoming party conference, one of which includes a debate on the national anthem for an independent Scotland. I mean, get real." 

27:10 MASSIE "What do you think the anthem should be?"

27:14 McDONALD "I couldn't give a monkey's."

NICOLA STURGEON

16:49 "Obviously the leader has to take a large portion of the blame .... a long term strategy there was not." 

ON SWINNEY TURNING ROUND THE SNP

31:19 "I think he wants to do it...but it will require him to be a ruthless bastard."

ON BLAMING OTHERS

44:10 "It is not the foundation and the basis of a grown up relationship with the country and too often we've thought that it is and that is sufficient."

ON THE GREENS

20:10 "Much of the damage that was done to our credibility, our reputation for good government happened during that time....... There's not much of those coalition years I will remember fondly"

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

24:18 "I don't think two years is possible.... the timescale cannot be put in place just by us." 

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your questions on the General Election result directly to Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie

This episode, questions from:

Peter Hardy - @PeterHardyAG (X)

Ian Jones - @Salop_Ian (X)

Michael Apter - @Michael_Apter (X)

Andrew Brophy - @AndrewBrophy3 (X)

LTW Anderson - @ltwanderson (X)

Mark Brown - Via Email

Gordon Dudman - Via Email

Andrew McCall - Via Email

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie discuss

• The new Labour Cabinet
• The future propects for the Conservatives and SNP
• .....and the former TV cameraman who out-predicted the pollsters.

Bernard and Alex also reference a previous episode with Tom Baldwin discussing Keir Starmer in great detail. It's really worth a listen and gives unrivalled insight into the new Prime Minister

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been up all night. Here is the hot-off-the-press take on the UK General Election result from Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie.

Labour joy

Conservative and SNP election woes.

What will the parties do next? What should they do next?

Plus, highlights of selected seats and stories.

#generalelection2024

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.