Steady The Ship?

Podlitical sits down with the Presiding Officer to mark 25 years of Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Campbell talks to the Presiding Officer about how she got her start in politics, and how she nearly didn't put herself forward to be the next Presiding Officer. Alison Johnstone discusses why female representation in the job matters, how she deals with heated debates in Parliament, how she handles protesters interrupting proceedings, and the parts of the job we may not see. As we mark a quarter century of Holyrood, how would the Presiding Officer like to see things done differently in Parliament, and does she think devolution is working as well as it could be?For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.

This week sees political giveaways, promises, pledges, and appearances on Loose Women. If we're not in an election campaign, why does it feel like we are, and why are the parties acting like they are too? The team discusses the Scottish Parliament declaring a housing emergency, a fund to erase school dinner debt, and the summit with Ferguson shipyards. In Westminster, Labour lays out its five pledges, the Westminster lobby awaits further potential defections from the Tories to Labour, and the Prime Minister appears on Loose Women.

Politicians reflect on the highs and lows of Holyrood to mark its 25th anniversary. Podlitical's Lucy Whyte and Glenn Campbell sit down with Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie, the SNP's Christine Grahame, and former Scottish Conservative leader Baroness Annabel Goldie, all of whom were elected in the first Scottish Parliamentary election in 1999, to look back on a quarter of a century of Holyrood. Has the devolved parliament lived up to expectations? Is politics more tribal? Should MSPs be more rebellious? From the initial exciting days, to the debates over independence, the panel discuss their feelings around some of the big events of the last twenty five years, what they would like to see done differently, and what the future holds for the Scottish Parliament.For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.

What can we expect from the new First Minister of Scotland John Swinney? As he officially becomes First Minister this week, following no other candidates putting forward their names for leadership, what might be the priorities and challenges of the new John Swinney administration? With a familiar cabinet and the addition of Kate Forbes as the Deputy First Minister, will it be enough to satisfy the half of the party that backed her against Humza Yousaf last year? The team take a look at what we learnt so far about the SNP's priorities this week, including the FM's first FMQs, and how Swinney's time at the top might unfold.

John Swinney looks set to be first minister as he's backed by potential challenger Forbes. Following his announcement he was running to be the next leader of the SNP and new First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, the former deputy to Nicola Sturgeon for almost a decade, looks set to win the top job after potential rival Kate Forbes announced she is backing him. The team analyse what might happen next, whether anyone else will put their name forward for the role, and - if Swinney is unopposed - how his premiership might unfold. Will he be able to pull a divided SNP together, and will his second time as SNP leader go more smoothly than the first?

First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced his resignation. What happens now? The team chats about how events unfolded over the weekend, culminating in First Minister Humza Yousaf announcing his plans to resign on Monday, after just 13 months in post, following the fallout from his scrapping of the Bute House agreement with the Scottish Greens the previous week. With divisions in both the party and parliament exposed, are we now heading for a Holyrood election, or an internal SNP leadership election, and who might the candidates be? As names begin to be put forward, the team discuss what might happen next.

First Minister Humza Yousaf faces a no-confidence vote after a dramatic day at Holyrood. The team react to the termination of the Bute House agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens, from the furious reaction from the Greens leadership to the fiery FMQs that followed. With Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross saying he will bring a no-confidence motion to Parliament next week, and the SNP's former power sharing partners confirming they will vote against the First Minister, is this the end of the line for Humza Yousaf's premiership?

The Scottish Government announces it is dropping its 2030 net zero emissions target. The team discuss the political implications of the SNP & Scottish Greens government announcing it's 2030 net zero target is "out of reach", as well dropping its annual and interim targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, including if it will hit the parties in the polls, and if this represents a wider movement from UK parties away from green promises and policies. Also in Holyrood, Scotland's only gender care clinic that prescribes puberty blockers for under 18s has announced it's stopping prescriptions following a review by Dr. Hilary Cass, and in Westminster, PM Rishi Sunak's smoking ban for those born after January 1st 2009 has passed the first hurdle, could this be the legacy legislation he's looking for?

The Scottish Labour MSP on making Scotland accessible, working for the NHS, and more. MSP for the Glasgow Region, Pam Duncan-Glancy talks to Podlitical about her first "political moment" while in school, her mission to make Scotland a more accessible place for those with disabilities, and her election as the first permanent wheelchair user in Holyrood. Duncan-Glancy shares her thoughts on the new Scottish hate crime legislation, Israel/Gaza, and how she feels Labour is "grown up" enough to have disagreements inside the party and between the Scottish and UK Labour parties. For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.

Scottish Trade Unions Congress General Secretary Roz Foyer sits down with Podlitical. Ahead of the STUC annual congress, Roz Foyer discusses how she first got involved in unions, and rose to become the STUC's first female General Secretary. Foyer talks about how women have always been at the heart of the Scottish union movement despite the perception of it being male-dominated, how she urges politicians to offer "real delivery" of workers rights and not just "talk the talk", and her vision for what needs to change to improve the lives of working people, from devolution of employment rights to taxing the wealthiest.For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.