Scottish Independence Podcasts

EU Keeping the Light On for Scotland

Scotland in Europe:  Our journey to the European Parliament!In this special episode of our podcast, Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene share our exciting journey to Brussels where they joined a delegation organised by campaign groups Yes for EU and Europe for Scotland.  Our mission? To promote Scotland's place in Europe and meet with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs ) in support of an independent Scotland rejoining the EU.From behind the scenes moments to exclusive MEP interviews, this episdoe captures the warm welcome and strong support we received in the heart of the EU.  Our trip was not only inspiring for all the delegates but also formed part of the  Europe Day celebrations on May 9th with footage featured in an event held in Edinburgh and also livestreamed.
 Key chapters:00:00:21   Arriving in Brussels00:02:53   Elise Tallaron, Heather Anderson, Alyn Smith and Marlene Halliday share their hopes for the visit00:06:27   Emotional arrival at the European Parliament00:11:48   Inside the Parliament00:13:40   A message from Thomas Waitz MEP00:18:15   Fiona and Marlene go exploring00:20:47    Elise  introduces her team00:21:33    A message from Vicent Marza Ibanez MEP00:23:46    A glimpse of the debating chamber00:24:38    A message from Olga Perez Vitoria, EFA Advisor00:28:55    A chat with Hana from Coppieters Foundation00:32:30    A message to our young people from Rina Hajdari and Charlotte Bechert00:37:57   A message from Valentina Servera Clavell, EFA Campaigns00:41:27   End of the day reflections from Heather Anderson and Alyn Smith00:44:53   A message from Terry Reintke, MEP00:46:19    Europe Day event excerpt from Q and A session
Watch the video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/4L8rWoGFeJc?si=zpYPE61Kv-nDrbtC
Watch the Europe Day event here: https://www.youtube.com/live/QoCJN_b5RDA?si=aiwUlBAelhQhAVCw
#scotlandineurope #grassroots #scottishpolitics
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

Elbows Up, Scotland

English Council Elections Fallout: What can Scotland learn?In this episode, Fiona and Marlene are joined by regular guests Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay to discuss the recent English local council election results and the growing momentum behind far right organisation Reform Uk.  What do these political shifts mean for Scottish politics?  could they signal change - or opportunity - north of the border?
We explore the dangers of politicians clinging to the centre ground, how to re-energise a disillusioned electorate and whether the Scottish government should adopt a more radical, even rebellious, stance.  
Key themes:
00:01:49   Lessons from the English election results00:06:30   Broken Britain00:16:55   The independence lifeboat00:23:49    Indy parties vs the indy movement00:25:02    Housing crisis or opportunity?00:28:40    Turnout is key00:33:53     Can the SNP be the anti-Trump?00:38:40     Time to get radical again?00:44:16      Tactics to counter Reform UK
#scottishpolitics #ReformUk #politicalstrategy
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeod
 

April Round Up

Join Fiona, Marlene and Lynne as they look back at everything April threw their way - from local activism to international campaigning.  In this NOT-a-livestream episode, the trio break down their month, share behind the scenes stories and react to standout moments from Holyrood and Westminster.Subscribe for sharp chat, smart laughs and solid political insight - even when it's pre-recorded!
Key themes included are: 
00:00:19   Believe in Scotland's litter picking campaign00:02:27   Yes4EU's Brussels delegation00:07:00    Electoral Reform Society's Scottish Spring conference00:12:14    Scottish election study polling00:20:14    Dave Doogan takes on Starmer00:21:53     Stephen Flynn on Grangemouth v Scunthorpe00:24:41     Sarah Sultana calls out Rachel Reeves00:25:50     Downie at the bottom of the barrel00:27:41     Holyrood petitions committee considers the ICCPR00:34:57     Angus Robertson unconvincing on independence00:38:26     Tories digging for dirt get put back in their box00:46:20      Democratic senator Jon Ossoff in the lion's den00:49:49      Poundshop Trump gets the Led by Donkeys treatment00:53:08     More dates for your diary in May
Get tickets for Yes4EU's Europe Day Event here (in person and online options)  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotland-in-the-eu-good-for-scotland-good-for-europe-tickets-1279560011439
Find our podcast about the ICCPR here https://scottishindypod.scot/all-scottish-independence-podcasts-episodes/iccpr-claiming-our-rights/
Find out more about the Scottish Election Study here https://scottishelections.ac.uk/
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeodIndustrial Cinematic by Kevin MacLeod
 

Holyrood 2026: What do we want?

Holyrood 2026: What Makes a Great Manifesto?
In this episode, Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene take you to Govan, where the Scottish Independence Convention held a lively and inspiring event on 5th April 2025 to kick-start conversations around the Holyrood 2026 elections. The big question: What do we want to see in party manifestos?
We feature insights from three standout speakers, each bringing bold, fresh ideas and proposing three key topics they believe should be included in their 2026 manifestos of any party seeking their vote.
Plus, Fiona and Marlene reveal their own top 3 manifesto wish lists, rounding off the episode with some thought-provoking discussion and a few surprises.
Key chapters:
00:01:57 Simon Barrow - what makes a great manifesto
00:12:57 Selma Rahman - what women tell us
00:29:53 Ian Black - mission orientated market making
00:47:12 Marlene and Fiona's manifesto wish lists
 Whether you're passionate about Scottish independence, curious about policy priorities, or just love a good political debate, this episode is packed with ideas to get you thinking ahead of Holyrood 2026. 
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share if you're ready to shape Scotland’s future.
We're grateful to our friend and indy media colleague Lewis Cedar of https://SPVR.org for sharing the audio from this event with us.
#Holyrood2026 #ScottishPolitics  #ManifestoMatters #ScotlandFuture #ScottishIndependence #GovanEvent #PoliticalPodcast #SIC
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

Standout speech: Wealth, Inequality and Land Reform

Laurie MacFarlane from Future Economy Scotland gave, in our opinion, the standout speech at the recent Independence Forum for Scotland conference held in Edinburgh on 1st March 2025.
Land Reform is one of those key topics where the public mood seems to be for further, faster reform than our politicians seem able to keep up with but the stakes are high and the potential benefits to Scotland are immense.
Find out more from https://futureeconomy.scot
#landreform #socialjustice #scotland
 
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips. video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

SCND Peace and Poetry

Peace and Poetry : Scottish CND's Annual Poetry fundraiser event, Glasgow 2025
Join us for an inspirational podcast episode recorded live at the Scottish CND's Annual Peace and Poetry Event in Glasgow - a celebration of art, activism and reflections on war, peace and hope for the future.
This special fundraiser brought together an exceptional line-up of poets who shared moving and thought-provoking work on the themes of peace, war, beauty, tragedy, hope, love and the future of our planet.
Whether you are here for the poetry, the politics or the passion - this episode is not to be missed.
Support the movement and learn more about Scottish CND's campaigns: https://banthebomb.org
Poetry recitals included in this episode are:
00:01:25 Lynn Jamieson - welcome
00:04:54 Hugh McMillan - A Poet Reacts in an Age of Horror
00:07:03 Finola Scott - The Dipper, by Kathleen Jamie
00:07:51 Cait O'Neill McCullagh - In Irpin
00:09:02 Jim Aitken - What I Told Riona
00:10:57 Hugh McMillan - The Most Incompetent Branch
00:11:40 Clare Phillips - Greenham Common, by Helen Dunmore
00:13:53 David Kelly - Talks About Talks by Maura Dooley
00:15:56 Magi Gibson - Rage
00:18:21 Julie McNeill - War
00:18:56 Hugh McMillan - Blackbird by George Gunn
00:19:29 Magi Gibson - In the event of a lack of oxygen by Ali Whitelaw 00:23:09 Ken Benjamin - Why I went to Faslane by Gerry Loose
00:24:40 Kat Knak-Watt - the Messages
00:26:38 Simon Barrow - The Permanence of the Young Men by William Souter
00:27:26 Clare Phillips - Protest by Chris Salt
00:29:13 David Kelly - Whitey's on the Moon by Gil Scott Heron
00:31:28 Cait McNeill McCullagh - Blaeberries
00:33:30 Jim Aitken - Uday, One day
00:35:35 Finola Scott - The IceCream Man by Michael Langley
00:36:46 Hugh McMillan- Dania Ersheid on her way home from school 00:38:06 Lynn Jamieson - George Square, by Jackie Kay
00:39:28 Magi Gibson - Cracked
00:42:12 Simon Barrow - Unwounding
00:43:05 Julie McNeill - Beautiful
00:44:35 Finola Scott - Close range - Coulport
00:46:28 Marlene chats to Kat, Finola and Clare
#scottishCND #peaceandpoetry #poetrypodcast
 
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips. Video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod and Bass Walker by Kevin MacLeod

Scotland the Colony - with Prof Alf Baird

Audio version of the recent TNT show where host John Drummond interviews Professor Alf Baird about the concept of Scotland as a colony of England in the light of the recent application to the UN to add Scotland to the list of colonised countries.  
You can watch the video version of the TNT show here https://www.youtube.com/live/zoX3jbDb710?si=BTTYqVupU9esAqIX
More information about the application to the UN is on the Liberation Scotland website here https://liberation.scot
Alf's Book "Doun-Hauden " is published by Kindle direct Publishing and available on Amazon .
#scotlandcolony #liberationscotland #decolonisation
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeod
 

The Union Dividend - Debunked

In this thought provoking interview, Marlene and Fiona sit down with data analyst Stuart Donald to discuss his fascinating research on the "union dividend".  Stuart's research delves into the origins of the Barnett formula and even further back to pre war economics to unpack the myths and misconceptions about the financial benefits Scotland supposedly receives from England and how much better off we would be if we were able to make our own political choices. Stuart also highlights how the Westminster First Past The Post electoral system disproportionately favours the right and disenfranchises poorer communities.  Could Proportional Representation hold the key to a fairer system?  Will independence come soon enough to save Scotland from the demographic time bomb created by Westminster mismanagement?
Main chapters
00:01:27  What is this Union Dividend?
00:03:10  Why does Scotland get more funding than England?
00:06:48   The Barnett formula
00:08:50   Unionist Spin
00:11:50   Debunking the myths
00:18:47  Europe to the rescue
00:26:05  FPTP, a spiral of doom
00:37:28  Prospects for PR
00:43:06  Getting the message across
Find detailed research presentations on this and other topics on Stuart's website here https://sdonald4pr.com  and read his papers for Bylines Scotland https://bylines.scot/politics/a-right-turn-that-put-first-past-the-post-onto-a-precarious-path/and  https://bylines.scot/news/economics/scotlands-union-dividend-if-ever-there-was-a-misnomer/
#Scotland #UnionDividend #BarnettFormula
The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe!
Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com 
Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes
Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm
If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy us a coffee?  https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts or choose us as your Easyfundraising good cause.
Music:
Inspired by Kevin MacLeodIndustrial Cinematic by Kevin MacLeod