The Patterson Podcast

Tommy Sheridan - Why Independence is the Only Way to Change Scotland

Tommy Sheridan is a Scottish socialist politician and activist who served as a Glasgow city councillor and as a Member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2007, representing the Scottish Socialist Party. He rose to national prominence in the late 1980s as a leading figure in the campaign against the Community Charge in Scotland, a mass civil disobedience movement that contributed to the tax's abolition. In 2010 he was convicted of perjury arising from a defamation case against the News of the World and sentenced to three years in prison; he is currently standing as a candidate for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. If you enjoy The Patterson Podcast, you'll probably enjoy The Patterson Post - my newsletter. It's a collection of important news stories, interesting ideas, and useful resources. It also cuts out the large platforms, and allows a direct line of communication. Sign up here - https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/ [https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/] Download the episode here: https://media.rss.com/the-patterson-podcast/feed.xml [https://media.rss.com/the-patterson-podcast/feed.xml] * 00:00 — Breaking the poll tax * 03:00 — Alba's collapse and the Alliance to Liberate Scotland * 06:10 — Craig Murray and the gender debate * 10:16 — Electoral polling and the party political broadcast * 14:05 — Why return to politics * 15:28 — MSP salaries and political accountability * 18:29 — Democracy and Accountability Bill * 22:16 — Bedroom tax and the 2014 referendum campaign * 25:51 — Scottish pound, EU and EFTA * 31:23 — Blacklisted by Glasgow City Council * 35:21 — Political awakening: his mother and trade unionism * 41:27 — The poll tax and the road to independence * 45:07 — Socialism and nationalism * 54:31 — Scotland's natural wealth and energy * 57:54 — Privatisation and public ownership * 01:09:19 — Immigration and inequality * 01:36:39 — Voting strategy: why give Alliance your regional vote Relevant Links Alliance to Liberate Scotland: https://liberatescot.scot/ [https://liberatescot.scot/] John Maclean by Nan Milton (Book) \The Enemy Within by Seumas Milne (Book)

Nate Kitch - Stand-Up Comedy: Explained.

Nate Kitch is a stand-up comedian based in Oxford who began performing in 2019. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2021 and received a five-star review from The Scotsman. He is currently on a spring 2026 UK tour and will return to the Edinburgh Fringe in August 2026. If you enjoy The Patterson Podcast, you'll probably enjoy The Patterson Post - my newsletter. It's a collection of important news stories, interesting ideas, and useful resources. It also cuts out the large platforms, and allows a direct line of communication. Sign up here - https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/ [https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/] Download the episode here: https://media.rss.com/the-patterson-podcast/feed.xml [https://media.rss.com/the-patterson-podcast/feed.xml] Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: the terror of the first open mic 01:05 — Introduction 02:34 — On tour: how Nate decides where to play 05:50 — Starting out: Oxford open mics and 2019 09:20 — Making comedy for yourself vs. the audience 10:30 — Rick Rubin, creative instinct and ignoring what people want 12:15 — Working every room vs. doing what you do 38:50 — Stand-up as jazz: structure that doesn't look like structure 43:30 — Why some comedy can't be explained 50:10 — Dealing with criticism and trusted voices 54:30 — Reviews, five stars vs. two and a half, and why it doesn't matter 58:10 — Self-doubt and thinking about quitting 01:03:00 — The role of the comic in society 01:05:10 — Comedy, politics and speaking truth to power 01:09:40 — The royal family, power and accountability 01:16:48 — Reform, Restore and the political moment 01:17:30 — What gives Nate hope Nate Kitch's Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/kitch.nate/ [https://www.instagram.com/kitch.nate/] Nate Kitch's Illustrator Website: https://www.natekitch.com/ [https://www.natekitch.com/]

Neil McInroy - How to Build an Economy That Works for Everyone

Neil McInroy is the Global Lead for Community Wealth Building at The Democracy Collaborative, where he advances systemic economic reform and democratic ownership strategies across the United States and internationally. He served for 20 years as Chief Executive of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), where he helped pioneer community wealth building in Britain and develop the Preston Model, and was a Community Wealth Building Adviser to the Scottish Government until 2023. He was one of the principal advisors on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, which passed the Scottish Parliament in 2025 and represents the first piece of legislation of its kind anywhere in the world. If you enjoy The Patterson Podcast, you’ll probably enjoy The Patterson Post - my newsletter. It’s a collection of important news stories, interesting ideas, and useful resources. It also cuts out the large platforms, and allows a direct line of communication. Sign up here - https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/ [https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/] (https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/ [https://thepattersonpost.beehiiv.com/]) Timestamps: 00:00 — Is Neil a capitalist? 01:05 — Introduction and overview of community wealth building 03:00 — The five pillars: work, land, finance, procurement, democratic ownership 10:30 — Defining community geographically 13:00 — The history of wages and labour's declining share of wealth 15:00 — Automation, AI and the case for ownership over employment 18:30 — Local economic multipliers vs. foreign investment (the Amazon question) 24:00 — How to think about work in the 21st century 28:00 — The Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: what it actually does 33:00 — Scotland as a branch economy: energy insecurity and sovereignty 41:00 — Wind energy, community ownership and Shetland's fuel poverty paradox 48:00 — Thatcherism, neoliberalism and the dismantling of economic mediation 53:00 — Norway's sovereign wealth fund and Scotland's squandered North Sea oil 59:00 — Post-capitalism: beyond both state socialism and free-market capitalism 01:32:00 — GB Energy, AI data centres and Scotland's energy future 01:37:00 — Repopulating the Highlands and Scotland's long-term economic geography 01:41:00 — Young people, apathy and community wealth building as a generational project The Democarcy Collaborative - https://www.democracycollaborative.org/ [https://www.democracycollaborative.org/] Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: https://www.parliament.scot [https://www.parliament.scot] Neil McInroy on X (@nmcinroy): https://x.com/nmcinroy?s=20 [https://x.com/nmcinroy?s=20] Neil McInroy on Bluesky (@neilmcinroy): https://bsky.app/profile/neilmcinroy.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/neilmcinroy.bsky.social]

Gerry Hassan PhD - Scottish Politics, the Rise of Reform, and the Case for Independence

Dr. Gerry Hassan is a professor of social change at Glasgow Caledonian University and one of Scotland's most prolific political commentators. He has written and edited numerous books on Scottish politics, society, and culture, and contributes regularly to debate through articles, media appearances, and his own blog. His work spans the politics of devolution, independence, and the broader shifts reshaping the UK and the Western world. Timestamps * 00:01:53 — Erosion of the social contract across the West * 00:03:30 — Scotland's insider political class and cautious centrism * 00:05:09 — The collapse of two-party politics since the 1950s * 00:07:45 — Reform as a false anti-establishment force * 00:08:37 — Anger among older voters and the "golden generation" * 00:09:55 — Immigration as an existential issue for some communities * 00:13:38 — Right-wing media radicalisation: GB News and beyond * 00:15:33 — The far right, Rupert Lowe [see note below], and language without guardrails * 00:19:32 — Reform's rise in Scotland and the missing right-wing constituency * 00:23:56 — Why the SNP keeps winning after 19 years in government * 00:27:58 — Scottish independence: no postmortem, no progress since 2014 * 00:32:00 — Independence as a factor in the Scottish Parliament election * 00:35:55 — The UK's geopolitical decline and Scotland's role on the world stage * 00:40:38 — EU rejoining: a medium-to-long-term question * 00:43:57 — Wealth creation, child poverty, and early years intervention in Scotland Dr. Gerry Hassan's Blog: https://gerryhassan.com/ [https://gerryhassan.com/]

Kirby Ruth - Life As a Sex Worker

Kirby Ruth is a full-service sex worker who has operated independently in the UK for several years, touring nationally and working as a self-employed sole trader. She entered the industry as a student and has since built a client base across multiple cities, managing her own advertising, client screening, and scheduling. Kirby speaks publicly about the distinction between consensual sex work and exploitation, and argues against legislative approaches she believes would drive the industry underground. Timestamps: * 00:00 — Introduction and how Ross and Kirby met * 00:04 — Why Kirby agreed to speak publicly * 00:05 — Media representation and stigma * 00:06 — Entry into the industry * 00:12 — Misconceptions about clients and consent * 00:17 — Safety: screening and client databases * 00:20 — Sexual health and PrEP * 00:25 — Client demographics and the emotional side of the work * 00:34 — Male loneliness, incels, and disabled clients * 00:41 — Autonomy and self-employment * 00:43 — The policy debate: Nordic Model, decriminalisation, and legalisation * 00:47 — Why criminalising buyers endangers workers * 00:56 — Exploitation vs consensual sex work * 01:05 — OnlyFans and the digital industry * 01:14 — Writing a book Kirby" Instagram: Profile: https://www.instagram.com/kickasskirby/ [https://www.instagram.com/kickasskirby/]