The Lesley Riddoch Podcast

This is a special podcast about Scotland’s culture and its tenacity over centuries of denial, marginalisation and nae seemin posh enough. Lesley heard these two in action at an Independence Forum Scotland [https://independenceforum.scot/] event in Perth and thought the craic was so good it deserved this wider audience. So Stuart McHardy a writer, occasional broadcaster, and storyteller who has been Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre in Perth and President of the Pictish Arts Society is in conversation with Roger Emmerson, a distinguished architect who surprised many in his own profession by running the first Scottish architecture course in the 1990s. We discuss the irrelevance of ‘clown characters’ like Neil Oliver and David Starkey, delve into the Scots embrace of contradiction and the ability to (happily) be in twa minds and ponder the success of Department Q. Amongst many other fascinating cultural themes.   Stuart McHardy books include The Quest for Arthur, On the Trail of Scotland's Myths and Legends, Tales of the Picts, Strange Secrets of Ancient Scotland, Tales of Whisky and Smuggling, The Wild Haggis an The Greetin-faced Nyaff. View Stuart's books at Luath [https://luath.co.uk/pages/stuart-mchardy?srsltid=AfmBOoqww5LCKjVcsteXHSfyD7IuNTZcadt51RovOkfybI9rct8wiyJD] Press Forthcoming Edin Book Festival [https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/anna-bogutskaya-nicholas-jubber-stuart-mchardy-monstrous-mythologies] gig Weds 13th August about book at printers now Scotland's Sacred Goddess (and if new book link appears then slot in here)      Roger Emmerson books include Scotland in 100 buildings Land of Stone – a journey through Modern Architecture in Scotland View Roger's books at Luath Press  [https://luath.co.uk/pages/roger-emmerson?srsltid=AfmBOoo9eT346z0VhKzx-JtD-HZc7DYO3--cR0LlYG1Qjy6yf0ojcaol] ★ Support this podcast ★ [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe]

Nicola Sturgeon and her book is absolutely everywhere with the press full of the tiniest revelations. We have a look, neither of us having read the book, but take a look at really what's sitting behind some of the more serious revelations, particularly over the wisdom of pressing on with the gender recognition reforms, and behind the scenes, what was really happening. We ask the whether we going to learn anything that helps us with creating a more democratic country in Scotland that isn't so reliant on leaders and top-down instruction through all of this? Or just promote Nicola Sturgeon's book sales? All of that and news from the big wind farm convention that was held in Inverness where Lesely was present making a new film. Are these guys just NIMBYs who need to knuckle down and accept the hardware the same as everyone else for the green transition? Or has planning for it and democracy about it just gone completely out the window? And some culture from Fèis Rois. Links Nicola Interview https://www.itv.com/watch/news/nicola-sturgeon-reflects-on-her-arrest-and-her-trans-policies-in-exclusive-interview/7qr93nf [https://www.itv.com/watch/news/nicola-sturgeon-reflects-on-her-arrest-and-her-trans-policies-in-exclusive-interview/7qr93nf] Fèis Rois https://feisrois.org/ [https://feisrois.org/] Robin McAlpine https://robinmcalpine.org/this-is-the-one-tall-tale-that-matters/ [https://robinmcalpine.org/this-is-the-one-tall-tale-that-matters/] https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25385625.wholly-political-campaign-independence-terrible-idea/ [https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25385625.wholly-political-campaign-independence-terrible-idea/] Shona Craven https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25382339.lessons-must-learned-loss-rationality/ [https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25382339.lessons-must-learned-loss-rationality/] ★ Support this podcast ★ [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe]

A blowy week in Scotland and for Scottish Politics, we speak about Kate Forbes's decision not to stand in next year's Holyrood Election. We look at the huge question of childcare, not just for her, but for everyone, speculate on who might stand in her constituency. We analyise the the disagreements on concience and policy issues from the stance gay marriage to Kate's economic strategy, and look at the suggestion that infrastructure has to come first before you can get to wealth creation, and childcare is infrastructure. We also discuss Kier Starmer and his guttural position on Palestine and John Swinney's much interrupted Edinburgh Fringe gig over the question of whether he has condemned Israel's genocide. All of that with a little swatch of Belladrum and a lot of speculation and the wind. Links Mike Mackenzie column about the inability of a devolved government to properly finance infrastructure; https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25361743.highlands-islands-will-win-scottish-independence/ [https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25361743.highlands-islands-will-win-scottish-independence/]   Jon Shafi column about all parties in a state of collapse and flux not just the SNP. https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25365016.politicians-fleeing-stage-old-certainties-collapse/ [https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25365016.politicians-fleeing-stage-old-certainties-collapse/] Kate Forbes - Mum guilt means my daughter comes with me https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/kate-forbes-snp-mum-children-interview-2zfvjn8pr [https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/kate-forbes-snp-mum-children-interview-2zfvjn8pr] ★ Support this podcast ★ [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe]

Donald Trump comes to Scotland and don't we know it! President Trump, with saltires fluttering on his motorcade instead of the union flag descended this week on Turnberry in Ayrshire and then up to Aberdeenshire. He's described John Sweeney as a terrific guy despite not really having met him yet and he suggests that all the proceeds from removing tariffs should go to Scotland, not to the UK. We discuss whether he's just mixing it, whether he actually favours Scotland in some way or is it all just rubbish that will be reversed next week. We also talk also about John Swinney's suggestion that there should be a constitutional convention. Again, that's suggested now, having been ruled out in previous weeks. We look at the SNP's strategy, such as it is, that there can be no move forward for Scotland without a referendum and that a referendum will only come if the SNP somehow manages to get over the line as the largest party in 2020. Simples! We take a look at the latest announcements. We also discuss the action that's ongoing against supporters of Gaza and the emergency UK cabinet meeting. Links Dave Pearson article about private wires https://bylines.scot/news/scotland/retaining-scotlands-wind-wealth-a-strategy-for-renewable-power/ [https://bylines.scot/news/scotland/retaining-scotlands-wind-wealth-a-strategy-for-renewable-power] A 'good constituency MP'? how ‘hard working local politicians’ are facilitating a genocide [https://substack.com/home/post/p-169235829] https://substack.com/home/post/p-169235829 [https://substack.com/home/post/p-169235829] ★ Support this podcast ★ [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe]

There's a bit of a protest theme in this week's podcast. Obviously the Gaza Palestine demonstration at the weekend where Lesley was speaking. Thankfully there weren't arrests at the time, but could they be yet to come? There was also, if you like, the protest of Richard Murphy on Radio Scotland, interrupted continually on a program about bias and trust in the BBC. We discuss the rebels who've been booted out of the parliamentary Labour Party, but oddly not all the rebels that voted for axing the welfare cuts that were put forwward by Kier Starmer. Will this produce more dissent within a party that's now polling about the same as the new left wing party created by Zara Sultana that dosen't even exit yet. We talk about Trump and his potential comeuppance over his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Forget to even mention that he's coming to Scotland. We'll take that next week and have a wee tribute to Dick Gaughan the master of Scottish traditional music. All of that and more! Join the Pals and Buddies and support the Lesley Riddoch podcast [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe] Links Palestine letter to sign Protest is not terrorism https://protestisnotterrorism.wordpress.com/ [https://protestisnotterrorism.wordpress.com/] War Crimes CD - all income (not profit ) going to Gaza https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Crimes-Champion-Doug-Veitch/dp/B0F3JY4KTL [https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Crimes-Champion-Doug-Veitch/dp/B0F3JY4KTL] Dick Gaughan special Travelling Folk with Anna Massie on BBC Sounds https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ft8f [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ft8f] Donate to help Dick Gaughan try and retreive the rights to some of his most important tracks https://www.gofundme.com/f/aatux2 [https://www.gofundme.com/f/aatux2]   Buy the 8 disc set of Dick's music https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121905920/dick-gaughan-r-evolution-1969-84-an-8-disc-box-set/rewards [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2121905920/dick-gaughan-r-evolution-1969-84-an-8-disc-box-set/rewards] ★ Support this podcast ★ [https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe]