Newsnet Radio Podcast
69 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsNewsnet.scot's regular podcast is a popular feature of Scottish political debate. reflecting the views of the pro-independence audience, but also tackling UK and international issues. Chaired by former broadcaster Derek Bateman and guests, it aims to encourage discussion of politics without the confrontational tone favoured by today political programmes.
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Episodes
Interview: Brexit Minister on the way ahead for Scottish Government
October 17, 2016 04:00 - 6.05 MBMichael Russell MSP, the man called back into Government to help deal with the consequences of Brexit, spoke about the task facing the Scottish government as they attempt to second guess Westminster and establish the way ahead for Scotland. Interviewed before the end of the SNP autumn conference in Glasgow, Russell told interviewer Maurice Smith that he is already hearing from major employers who have “many concerns” about the implication of the UK’s exit from the European Union, and what it ...
On "lazy" journalism and a scandalous council house sale
October 07, 2016 04:00 - 11.8 MBJohn Nicolson MP, the scourge of those Scottish political journalists whom he derided as "lazy", stepped into the Newsnet Radio studio to explain what really happened to our podcast host Derek Bateman. In a wide-ranging interview, the East Dunbartonshire MP discusses his dismay at coverage of the so-called "Daisley affair" involving a writer at STV's digital arm, plus life as one of the "SNP 56" at Westminster. The conversation covers Theresa May's performance on Brexit, the campaign to pardo...
Jez, Kez and Brexit, from fracking to football
September 30, 2016 04:00 - 21.7 MBWhat a busy news week it's been. From Jeremy Corbyn's massive leadership election victory (and all its consequences for Labour north and south of the Border) to the latest on Brexit, plus the arrival of US shale gas at Grangemouth and the revival of the fracking debate, the media old and new have been keeping very busy indeed. Podcast host Derek Bateman responded by inviting Angela Haggerty, left, editor of Common Space, and producer and columnist Maurice Smith into the Newsnet studio to chat...
Episode 25 - Tommy Sheppard
September 23, 2016 04:00 - 15.6 MBIt is being billed as one of the most polite campaigns of recent politics. Chris , Angus Robertson Tommy Sheppard and Alyn Smith have been traversing the nation at hustings among the Scottish National Party’s 120,000 members, debating which of them should be the next SNP deputy leader. The contest, brought about by the abrupt departure of Stewart Hosie in early summer, brings together four candidates of different politics and backgrounds. Each has a different vision for the way the job should...
Episode 24 - Professor Iain Docherty and Maurice Smith
September 17, 2016 04:00 - 19.2 MBTwo years since the Scottish referendum, 13 weeks since the Brexit vote, where stands Scottish and UK politics? What are Theresa May and her merry prankster band of Tory Brexiteers actually up to, and how can Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP and other Scottish politicians respond properly, putting some flesh on the bones of their demand that the Scottish majority to remain in Europe be honoured somehow. Leading academic and keen observer Prof Iain Docherty and journalist Maurice Smith joined podcas...
Episode 23 - Alyn Smith
September 09, 2016 04:00 - 14.7 MBImagine a Scotland with a place of its own at the international table. Alyn Smith certainly can. A Scottish member of the European Parliament since 2004, his impassioned plea to colleagues not to ignore Scotland post Brexit referendum made headlines across the Continent. Alyn visited the Newsnet studio to share his view of the post-Brexit situation for Scotland in Europe. He believes that the Brexit vote is already doing the UK repetitional damage across the Continent, and he fears the situa...
Episode 22 - Simon Pia
August 18, 2016 04:00 - 15.4 MBWhat makes a former Labour Party spin doctor make the decision to support Scottish independence? Simon Pia, once close to Better Together leader Alistair Darling and other leading party figures, has concluded that Scotland must take the leap, and he is ready to support a second referendum. He visited our podcast studio to explain the reasoning behind his decision to host Derek Bateman, citing Labour’s disengagement from its voters and supporters. Simon, former journalist and now a regular br...
Episode 21 - Eric Joyce
August 12, 2016 04:00 - 16.7 MBEric Joyce, once one of the rising stars of an ascendant Labour Party, could be a man haunted by his own failings and his remarkable fall from grace and departure from politics after a serious of drink related incidents. Eric Joyce , a former Army officer and MP for Falkirk West for 15 years, has been rebuilding his life after a long-expected exit from parliament last year. His time of reflection, and the Brexit vote, has led to a developing support for an independent Scotland. The former ...
Episode 20 - Robin McAlpine
August 05, 2016 04:00 - 17.9 MBIndependence for Scotland. We are certainly talking about it, but is anybody doing any proper planning about how Scotland gets there? Robin McAlpine, head of the independence leaning think-tank Common Weal, is challenging the constituent parts of the Yes campaign to think carefully about how it lifts support for independence into the majority, He doesn’t believe that UK Brexit vote is enough to convince enough Scots to back a breakaway, even though a clear majority backed remaining in the Eu...
Episode 19 - Media Special w/ Angela Haggerty, Kevin McKenna and Christopher Silver
August 01, 2016 04:00 - 28.7 MBWhere next for the Scottish media? And what exactly is it anyway? We invited a group of people from the industry into the studio to discuss the type of media Scotland needs, and what is being done to achieve it. We chose a recent book – Christopher Silver’s Demanding Democracy: The Case for a Scottish Media* – as the basis for an informed discussion about Scotland’s traditional, “mainstream”, media and its newer digital counterparts. Our guests Angela Haggerty, Kevin McKenna and Christopher ...
Episode 18 - Rhea Wolfson
July 22, 2016 04:00 - 19.1 MBBrexit aside, the Labour leadership battle has become the second internal psycho drama to grip a political party over recent weeks. Jeremy Corbyn has been forced to face new contender Owen Smith this summer, as the fight for Labour’s soul has spilled into the public domain. The Corbyn phenomenon seemed to stop at the border last year, as the Left winger swept to power across the UK backed in part by a youthful movement of new members who have swollen Labour’s ranks to more than 500,000. In S...
Episode 17 - Peter Arnott and James Kelly
July 15, 2016 04:00 - 14.5 MBChilcott. Leadsom. Theresa May. Installing a clown as Foreign Secretary. The sacking of Michael Gove. Does the Westminster summer panto never end? Would we want it to? And what about Scotland? All of these questions – or some of them – were addressed by Newsnet Radio regulars author and playwright Peter Arnott and ScotGoesPop blogger James Kelly as they and stand-in host Maurice Smith grappled with current events. Harold Wilson’s observation that a week is a long time in politics has rarely...
Episode 16 - Zara Kitson and Steven Purcell
July 07, 2016 04:00 - 13 MBHoodwinked by a perfidious Leave campaign, or disillusioned by globalisation, it is important that political parties and activists understand what motivated Brexit voters, rather than demonising them as ignorant people or even racists. That thought arose quickly when Newsnet podcast host Derek Bateman got together with guest contributors Steven Purcell and Zara Kitson. As Derek remarks: “Politics? Bloody hell…” They have been doing a lot of thinking too about the Scottish dimension on Brita...
Episode 15 - Peter Arnott and Maurice Smith
July 01, 2016 04:00 - 13.1 MBWhat on earth is going on? That is probably the question asked most often since the UK’s unexpected pro Brexit vote, which has thrown British politics into chaos and witnessed a bizarre Westminster version of Game of Thrones. Presenter Derek Bateman was joined by author and playwright Peter Arnott and journalist Maurice Smith as they attempted to assess the fall-out, make sense of what it all means for Scotland, the UK and Europe, in a week where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon appeared to be...
Episode 14 - Post-EU Referendum Coverage
June 24, 2016 04:00 - 17.9 MBDerek Bateman is joined in the studio by Maurice Smith, Professor Iain McPhee and Angela Haggerty.
Episode 13 - James Kelly and Chris Silver
June 19, 2016 04:00 - 18.7 MBThe murder of Labour MP Jo Cox last Thursday has raised many issues relating to the tone of political debate and the role of politicians in society. This week’s podcast – recorded shortly after the event and the initial public reaction – considers the fall-out from the shocking turn of events during a campaign that has been notable for its vicious exchanges in the media and out on the campaign trail. Two of Newsnet’s regular commentators – blogger James Kelly of ScotGoesPop and writer Chris...
Episode 10 - Billy Kay
May 24, 2016 04:00 - 10.4 MBIs it possible to think of Scotland outside Europe? Our special guest this week is author, presenter and social historian Billy Kay, who argues that our relationship with Europe is so intertwined with our history – stretching long before the Act of Union – that it would be unnatural to turn our back on the Continent. Billy points out that Scottish sea trade with the Baltic states, Scandinavia and Russia was crucial to our merchants long before the 18th century. We have long links with Russia...
Episode 9 - Zara Kitson, Peter Arnott & Maurice Smith
May 13, 2016 04:00 - 13.6 MBThis week’s Newsnet Radio podcast found our panel in fickle mood, picking over the implications of the Scottish elections, and looking ahead to another referendum, this time over Britain’s EU membership. Will our visits to the polls never end? We have three regular contributors with chair Derek Bateman this week: playwright and author Peter Arnott, Green activist Zara Kitson, and journalist and documentary producer Maurice Smith. Zara was speaking amidst the disappointment of just failing to...
Episode 8 - Election Coverage w/ Angela Haggerty, Steven Purcell, James Kelly and Chris Silver.
May 06, 2016 04:00 - 19.9 MBSo everybody lost and everybody won, as is usually claimed in the aftermath of every poll. Our team of experts gathered at the Newsnet Radio studio after very little sleep to share their views of winners, losers, uppers and downers with host Derek Bateman. The big loser, of course was Labour. Under leader Kezia Dugdale, the party slumped to third place in the polls. The SNP won an unprecedented third term, but leader Nicola Sturgeon was narrowly denied an overall majority, which means her ad...