Podcast
The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast
Hosted by Solid Media · EN
The two biggest names in Scottish political journalism, Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie, join forces to bring you a regular “must listen” insider briefing on the political and wider world.
Bernard has been Scotland's leading TV political editor for many years while Alex is the unavoidable commentator and columnist for the Times and Sunday Times. Together they bring decades of experience and unsurpassed contacts books to provide you with a valuable insider briefing behind the headlines.
Scottish, Scotland, Scottish Politics, Political Podcast, Scottish Political Podcast, UK Politics, Scottish Independence, Indyref, Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Salmond, Sturgeon, SNP, Scottish Labour, Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Lib Dem, Scottish Greens, Alba Party, Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, Holyrood, Westminster, Brexit, Budget, Devolution, Policy, News
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22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
SCOTTISH ELECTIONS - Results & Verdict
6d ago00:48:53Tap to summarizeSNP wins again — but the victory comes with serious caveatsJohn Swinney secures a remarkable third decade of SNP governmentLabour and Reform tied for second in seats - a brutal night for the old partiesScottish Labour’s decline continues — and the damage may have been made in LondonAnas Sarwar’s future: safe for now, but questions are unavoidableKeir Starmer under mounting pressure after disastrous UK-wide resultsReform’s Scottish breakthrough: from nowhere to 17 MSPsHas Farageism now found a place in Scottish politics?The Conservatives collapse from second place to fifthCalls to ‘unite the right’ may grow after Reform splits the unionist voteThe Greens surge with breakthrough wins in Edinburgh Central and Glasgow SouthsideRoss Greer’s targeted campaign hailed as one of the most effective of the electionLib Dem revival gives them real leverage in the next parliamentLiam McArthur tipped as possible next Presiding OfficerWill SNP deal with Lib Dems rather than Greens on budgets?Stephen Flynn’s arrival at Holyrood could reshape SNP politicsOil and gas tensions expose a divide between North East SNP and Central Belt SNPTurnout falls sharply — nearly half of voters stayed at homeA parliament transformed beneath the surface, even if the SNP still dominatesThe next Holyrood term may be the most difficult of the devolution eraFocussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SCOTTISH ELECTION - Final Polls, Predictions & Campaign Verdict
2w ago00:47:28Tap to summarizeFinal polls before Scotland votesSNP on course to be largest party - but can they form a government?Reform tipped for a major breakthroughCould Reform become the main opposition?Polls say Labour facing a potentially disastrous night but how will electoral quirks effect this? What a bad result means for Anas SarwarConservatives under pressure as support fallsTurnout fears and the “don’t know” votersWhy the campaign failed to inspireGreens and Lib Dems eye influence at HolyroodWhat happens if the SNP fall short of a majorityCould Scottish results deepen Keir Starmer’s crisis?Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SCOT PARL 2026 - ONE WEEK TO GO - Electoral Maths and Key Seats
2w ago00:40:22Tap to summarizeSCOTTISH PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS 2026 Why boundary changes make election-night swings harder to readProf Chris Hanretty explains “notional results” — the hidden baseline for 2026Reform’s zero-start problem: easy for notionals, difficult for interpretationCould a split unionist vote hand the SNP a majority on a third of the vote?Knife-edge seats: Edinburgh South, Glasgow list battles and the local-factor problemIs Holyrood’s voting system still proportional enough for a six-party Scotland?Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SCOT PARL 2026 - 2 WEEKS TO GO - Is this the most boring campaign ever?
3w ago00:34:31Tap to summarizeScottish election campaign is being eclipsed by Westminster politics and feels flat:Starmer’s Mandelson/Olly Robbins row is deepening:Labour MPs appear to be losing faith in Starmer:The real damage is about competence and cronyism:Low turnout could be the big story of the Scottish election:SNP still look best placed despite a lacklustre campaign:Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SCOT PARL 2026 - 3 WEEKS TO GO - Latest Polling Insights With Mark Diffley
4w ago00:48:10Tap to summarizeWith 3 weeks until the Scottish Parliament Elections 2026, leading pollster, Mark Diffley, joins Bernard and Alex with the latest insights. What are the latest polls saying?Why there is much to play for in marginal seats?How vote share translates to seats and the big changes that can come from small marginsWhich seats to watch for upsets?Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SCOT PARL 2026 - 4 Weeks To Go - Latest Polls and Leaders Debate Preview
Apr 1000:39:23Tap to summarizeNew polls suggest the SNP remains on course to win comfortably, but key questions remain over whether John Swinney secures a majority or must rely on support from other parties.Is Reform UK Scotland losing some momentum, with recent polling and campaign controversies raising doubts about whether it can sustain earlier advances.Sunday’s televised leaders’ debate is especially high-stakes for Malcolm Offord, while Anas Sarwar, John Swinney and Russell Findlay each face different political and performance pressures.After the election the real challenge may be Scotland’s fiscal crunch, with all parties accused of avoiding hard truths about spending, deficits and the affordability of manifesto promises.Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Scottish Campaigning Begins - What Chance of an Upset?
Mar 2700:43:35Tap to summarizeThe Scottish Parliament is winding up ahead of the election in May. Is there any chance of a real upset ofr is it another SNP shoo-in?Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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REFORM UK SCOTLAND MANIFESTO - Is it all populist absurdity?
Mar 2000:46:39Tap to summarizeReform UK Scotland manifesto launchPresented as the first major manifesto of the 2026 election campaignFramed as more about political messaging than a detailed governing programmeTax cuts versus realityBig promises on cutting income taxStrong scepticism about whether the sums add up or the savings are deliverableManifestos as political brandingDiscussion that modern manifestos are often just headline documentsCostings are often vague once properly examinedLaw and order agendaReform proposals on tougher sentencing, more prisons, ending early release, and scrapping hate crime lawsArgument that these policies are popular-sounding but very expensivePressure on Scottish public financesWider discussion that all parties face a difficult fiscal backdropConcerns about long-term affordability of spending promises and welfare growthReform’s electoral strategy and vulnerabilitiesReform portrayed as a home for angry or disillusioned votersBut also as vulnerable to scrutiny, weak candidates, and campaign mistakesCandidate controversyMention of a Reform candidate being suspended over alleged Covid loan misuseUsed as an example of how election campaigns expose candidate problemsAssisted dying vote at HolyroodReview of the bill being defeatedFocus on lobbying, safeguards, and why MSPs may have changed positionParliament doing its jobArgument that rejecting a bill after detailed scrutiny is part of how democracy should workEmphasis on lawmakers judging the actual legislation, not just the principleWar in Iran and economic falloutThe conflict presented as the biggest external event shaping politicsConcern about its effects on oil, gas, inflation, and wider economic stabilityRisk of a new cost-of-living crisisDiscussion of rising energy bills, persistent mortgage pressure, and fewer hopes of interest-rate cutsQuestion of whether the UK is heading into “cost of living crisis part two”Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Labour instabilityDiscussion of shrinking fiscal headroom and pressure on the governmentSpeculation about Starmer’s future and Angela Rayner positioning herself for a leadership moveA broader failure of political honestyFinal theme that politicians are not being frank with voters about the scale of the economic problemsSuggestion that leadership across politics is avoiding hard truthsFocussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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SNP - HIGH IN POLLS, LOW IN INDEPENDENCE - WHAT NOW?
Mar 1300:43:10Tap to summarizeOn the eve of the SNP's one day conference ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May, the party looks like winning on around a third of the vote but with little talk of Independence. What now for the SNP? Bernard Ponsonby and Alex Massie discuss. Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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CANDIDATES & CRISES
Mar 500:45:01Tap to summarizeThe conflict in Iran has given cover to a lot of stories in the news this week but Bernard and Alex are on watch. Sally Donald has stood down as an SNP candidate amid allegations and the candidacy and position of Irshad Ahmad on the Labour Lothian list is drawing controversy. A warning for all parties that there may be more to come. Also, the challenges facing the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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