Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament

#ScotParl20: Reporting on Parliament

In this episode, The Presiding Officer speaks with journalists Brian Taylor, Colin Mackay, Elizabeth Quigley and Katrine Bussey on their experience covering the Scottish Parliament.

To find out more about the Scottish Parliament at 20, please visit our website.

 

What’s Wrong About Foodbanks?

A recording from the Festival of Politics session titled "What’s Wrong About Foodbanks?".

A decade ago foodbanks were an oddity. In 2018 there are over 400 foodbanks run by The Trussell Trust alone across the UK. Join chair Deputy Presiding Officer Christine Grahame MSP and panellists including Professor John McKendrick, Glasgow Caledonian University; Lindsey Welsh, Development Officer Moray Foodbank; and Emma Revie, CEO, The Trussell Trust to debate whether the existence of foodbanks is actually a sign of the UK’s strong social fabric and the real scandal is that they haven’t been around for longer.

Festival of Politics - Abnormally Funny: Disability & Comedy

A recording from the Festival of Politics session titled "Abnormally Funny: Disability & Comedy".

A 2017 survey by disability charity Scope found that one in four people avoided having conversations with disabled people because of feelings of discomfort and fear of saying the wrong thing. Join chair Ethan Young, Civic Participation Officer at Inclusion Scotland, and panellists including Dr Sharon Lockyer, Centre for Comedy Studies Research, Brunel University; Laurence Clark, stand-up comedian and disability rights campaigner and Colin Young, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland to debate common misconceptions about disability, and to ask whether or not comedy by disabled people helps to change attitudes. 

Festival of Politics - Politics and Social Media

A recording from the Festival of Politics session titled "Politics and Social Media".

In 2008, there were around 1.5 million election-related tweets. In 2012, there were 31 million. Join chair Anas Sarwar MSP and panellists Dr Paolo Gerbaudo, Director of the Centre for Digital Culture, King’s College, London and author of Tweets and the Streets; Victoria Boelman, Director of Research, The Young Foundation; and Ben Macpherson MSP, Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development, to debate this political communication switch and its impact on everything from voter turnouts to political candidates’ behaviour and the threat to digital democracy.

Conversation with Darren McGarvey aka Loki - Festival of Politics

Darren McGarvey, aka LOKI, is a writer, performer, community activist and columnist. His book Poverty Safari, has recently won the prestigious Orwell Prize, is described by Irvine Welsh as, “an intellectual and spiritual rehab manual for the progressive left,” He was rapper-in-residence at Police Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit and McGarvey’s views are being sought on everything from BBC Question Time to The Guardian. Join Darren and the Presiding Officer to discuss the “industry of deprivation”; how to achieve political representation for the unrepresented and working-class masculinity in the 21st century, as explored in McGarvey’s new album Trigger Warning. Join us for an energising mental-flossing from one of Scotland’s most inspiring commentators.

In partnership with the Open University in Scotland.

Festival of Politics - The Future of Public Service Broadcasting

A recording from the Festival of Politics session titled “The Future of Public Service Broadcasting”. In partnership with BBC Scotland

Does the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon mark the end of TV as we know it, or is public service broadcasting needed now more than ever? Join chair Torin Douglas, former BBC media correspondent and panellists including Andrew Billen, The Times; and Professor James Bennett, Professor in Television and Digital Culture, Royal Holloway University of London, to discuss if and how public service broadcasting can adapt to meet the needs of an increasingly digital world.

Festival of Politics - Peacemakers of the 21st Century

A recording from the Festival of Politics session titled “Peacemakers of the 21st Century”.

Who are the invisible power-brokers and peace-makers who can defuse nuclear stand-offs to global conflicts? Join our chair Professor John Sturrock QC and panellists Lord Browne of Ladyton, former Secretary of State for Defence; Major General Martin Smith Royal Marines (retired); Dr Jasmine Gani, School of International Relations, University of St Andrews and Mark Muller Stuart QC, Senior Mediation Advisor to the UN Department of Political Affairs and author of Storm in the Desert: Britain’s Intervention in Libya and the Arab Spring; for an insight into the art of diplomacy.

Festival of Politics - In Conversation with Dame Margaret Hodge MP

Recorded at the Festival of Politics in 2018.

Despite boasting a 40-year political career in local and national government, it could be argued that Dame Margaret Hodge really came to public prominence in 2010 as the fearsome Chair of the Public Accounts Committee overseeing £750 billion of public expenditure annually.  Join the Presiding Officer and Dame Margaret Hodge to discuss her book, Called to Account; How Corporate Bad Behaviour and Government Waste Combine to Cost Us Millions, and her Committee’s dogged pursuit of transparency and accountability in grilling everyone from corporate giants Amazon, Starbucks and Google to civil servants and HMRC. 

Festival of Politics - In Conversation with Professor Mary Beard

Recorded at the Festival of Politics in 2018.

She is the doyenne of classical scholars; fond of Anglo-Saxon expletives and a feminist to her bones. Professor Mary Beard is the academic who wrote and presented on the BBC Civilisations series; authored the globally best-selling book Women and Power and is the poster woman for every opinionated, outspoken and fan who recognises misogyny did not cease post the ancient world. Join the Presiding Officer and Professor Mary Beard to discuss her trajectory from scholar to public combatant in febrile debates on everything from #MeToo; to no-platforming and Pompeii; in this unmissable exhilarating event.

Festival of Politics - In Conversation with Lord Michael Heseltine

Recorded at the Festival of Politics in 2018.

Lord Michael Heseltine is often accorded the title, Conservative grandee, reflecting a distinguished career at the heart of politics and a party he served for 35 years as MP, including ministerial office in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, not least as Deputy Prime Minister. Join Lord Heseltine in conversation with the Presiding Officer as they discuss a life at Westminster as President of the Board of Trade, Defence Minister; champion of urban renewal and as arch critic of Brexit, having described the 2016 Referendum result as – “the greatest constitutional crisis of modern times.” A must for any fan of politics.