Yes Cowal Scottish Independence Podcast

Scotland has practically the largest units of local government in the world.  An average Scottish council has 175,000 people compared to an average across the EU of 10,000.  There seems to be widespread consensus that something needs to be done about the over-centralisation of Scotland, but little agreement about what that should be. A group of individuals from a range of backgrounds - activists, academics, trade unionists and more - have set themselves the task of raising the profile of this democratic deficit and engaging the public and politicians in a discussion about how to address it. Indypodcasters have been presenting a series of podcasts on the topic of the kind of national conversation Scots are having and this seemed a perfect fit for that series so we went along to the launch event which was held in Edinburgh on 9th September 2024.   This is our recording of the public launch event.  You can find out more from the website www.buildlocal.scot  You can also sign the declaration calling for citizens'

In this month's livestream Indypodcasters Marlene, Fiona and Lynne reflect on the Believe in Scotland 10th anniversary rally and other indy events, whether marches have had their day, the Labour party's disastrous first 2 months in power and how the the SNP is adjusting to life as a minority government. With clips, chat and listeners comments, we hope this brings a flavour of events in September 2024 Watch Charlie Stuart's film Still Yes here https://youtu.be/M_5hQM_NRAg?si=atCbI7x4wlMOaHDf Find out more about the Building A Local Scotland campaign and sign the declaration here https://buildlocal.scot/ The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Thanks to everyone who supports us by buying us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also nominate us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising.org.uk Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit

On the 10th anniversary of Scotland's Independence Referendum film maker Charlie Stuart has released his tribute to the grassroots campaigners who refuse to give up!   We chat to Charlie about the making of the film and his thoughts on the campaign a decade after the indyref. You can watch Charlie's film "Still Yes"  here: https://youtu.be/M_5hQM_NRAg?si=4DXHh1bAmsfIWOxM The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also nominate us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising.org.uk Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

On 18th September 2024 we marked the 10th anniversary of the historic first Scottish Independence Referendum, Indyref for short.  During a passionate and exhilarating campaign, support for the Yes side grew from around 30% to over 50% before settling back at 45% on the day of the vote.  In the words of Professor Sir John Curtace, the Yes side lost the vote but we won the campaign.  Support for independence has hovered around the 50% mark for the last decade. Campaign group Believe In Scotland organised events throughout Scotland to mark the occasion.  The mood was reflective, but upbeat and determined.  We are STILL YES.   Speeches from the Holyrood rally: 00:00:48   Gordon MacIntyre Kemp, founder of Believe In Scotland 00:12:56    Lesley Riddoch, award winning journalist, author, filmmaker 00:28:32    Richard Walker, Editor of the Sunday National 00:40:31    Andrew Barr, co-founder of the National Collective 00:46:52    Gordon MacIntyre Kemp You can contribute to the Believe in Scotland crowdfunder here http

10 years on from the Independence Referendum we catch up with "artist, writer and deviant collagist" Greg Moodie. Greg's artwork and cartoons were iconic elements of the 2014 campaign and he has continued to produce political commentary in the guise of humour ever since. Greg has a new book out this month called The Unbearable Stupidity of Being which you can get from his website at https://gregmoodie.com/shop/   The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also nominate us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising.org.uk Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot/ for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

After weeks of violent outbreaks in England, the far right racist contingent tried to bring their poison to Glasgow's George Square last weekend. Glasgow was having none of it and organised an anti racist demonstration which drew a far bigger crowd than the racists could muster. We reflect on the event with our guests Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay and consider whether Scotland's distinctive national culture is enough to protect us from these malignant influences. The conversation ranges from our sense of our own Scottishness, our colonial past, the haunting experience of the clearances, our shared values and the inevitable fracturing of the UK state. We also consider whether the SNP can rise to the challenge of making the changes necessary to survive the 2026 Holyrood Elections. The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishi

Part 1 of a 2 part episode this week as Fiona and Marlene go on the trail of the Radical Uprising of 1820, with the help of historian Tom Dowds.   What we found is a fascinating tale of plots, intrigue, government spies, revolution and Scottish radicals dreaming of democracy and the creation of a Scottish Government. To be continued..... Look out for Part 2 next month. Tom Dowds' book "Scotland Free or a Desart" is available from good bookshops Find out more about the 1820 Society from their FB page and twitter The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also nominate us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising.org.uk Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe to our Youtube channel @scottish

We chat to Tim Rideout and Ian Stewart about the Scottish Currency Group Conference coming up on 21st and 22nd of September and the exciting line up of guest speakers.    Online and In Person tickets are available from Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scottish-currency-group-conference-tickets-965256055847?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Hope to see you there!   The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also nominate us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising.org.uk Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod  

Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene mull over August's events with guest Lynne Dougan in our Livestream for August 2024.   We share some of our escapades this month - Lynne was at Elgin, Fiona got stuck in the mud, Marlene celebrated Ukraine Day.   We also cover the Winter Fuel Payment debacle - Marlene has the stats! As Rachel Reeves perfects her eye roll, we delve into electricity prices here and in Norway, and no, we STILL don't know what GB Energy really is. ( NOTE: This episode has been edited to remove an incorrect statistic quoted in the discussion) You can watch the video version of this podcast here https://www.youtube.com/live/nIgVneUz_J4?si=TDe2jiJ9WGlO9Mjg Links mentioned in this episode: Watch our Hiroshima episode here    • Hiroshima 79th Anniversary Commemoration   Book tickets for the Scottish Currency Gp conference here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scotti... Find out more about the Believe in Scotland rally here https://www.believeinscotland.org/ral... The Scottish Independence Podcasts team p

It is 79 years since the nuclear and atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.   Every year Scottish CND organises events to commemorate this anniversary.   Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were invited to record the Glasgow even at the peace tree in the grounds of Kelvingrove Art Gallery.  It was a moving, yet uplifting event with songs and wonderful speakers sharing their stories such as the seeds from the "survivor tree", a ginko tree in Hiroshima which sprouted again following the bombing.   We also had an interview with Jacqueline McLaren the Lord Provost of Glasgow about her role in the Mayors for Peace project and her determination to leave a lasting legacy of peace gardens in Glasgow parks.   Contributors are: 00:01:37  Interview with Jacqueline McManus, Lord Provost of Glasgow 00:13:37  Opening remarks by David Peutherer, Chair of Glasgow CND 00:16:00   Lord Provost's address at the event 00:20:28   Hiro Shimai, Curator at Glasgow Botanic Gardens 00:22:35   Down By t

The Battle of Falkirk took place on 22nd July 1298 and was a tragic loss for the Scots under William Wallace.  His comrade Sir John de Graham, or Graeme, died in the battle and is buried at Trinity church in Falkirk. The De Graeme Society organise an annual commemoration of the battle and the brave Scots who gave their lives defending our freedom.   This year's event, whilst a moving occasion, was also a family friendly day out with medieval market, battle re-enactments, performers, a town Crier and all sorts of other activities to engage, entertain and educate Scots in our own history. Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene went along to Falkirk and this is their souvenir of the day. The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts You can also support us by nominating us as your good cause on www.Easyfundraising

Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp is our guest for the second episode in our new series of podcasts on the theme of A National Conversation for Scotland.   Gordon is head of campaigning organisation Believe in Scotland and he joined Indypodcasters Marlene and Fiona in the studio to talk about ambitious plans for a Scottish Citizens' Convention. Topics covered include: 00:00:27   What is a Citizens' Convention? 00:06:16   Timescale and other Challenges 00:09:28   Not an Indy Trojan horse 00:13:02   Not a Citizens' Assembly 00:16:17   Who runs the Indy Movement? 00:19:45   A Broader Conversation 00:24:00   A Deeper Conversation 00:33:14   Political Reactions 00:37:12   Trusting the Trustees 00:41:58    Creating solutions?     00:49:00     Holyrood 2026   You can find Believe in Scotland's proposal paper here: https://www.believeinscotland.org/delivering_independence_via_a_new_style_citizens_convention/ Coming up:  17th August: Campaign Day in Inverness                      21st August:  Scottish Independence Congress meeti

Part 1 of our new podcast series A National Conversation for Scotland . Following the shockwaves from the General Election result, we decided to revisit the topic of a national conversation for Scotland, starting with a fresh look at the conversation we had with Leanne Wood about the Welsh Constitutional Commission. In this episode we revisit that conversation and consider what ideas and opportunities can be applied in Scotland too. Main themes: 00:04:46 A healthy debate 00:10:09 A democratic revolution 00:17:39 Silence from Westminster 00:20:24 Practising for a Constitution 00:28:10 Crux of the Report 00:33:55 A Voice for the People The Final report from the Welsh Constitutional Commission is here https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2024-07/independent-commission-on-the-constitutional-future-of-wales-final-report.pdf Believe in Scotland's Citizen's Convention proposal is here https://www.believeinscotland.org/delivering_independence_via_a_new_style_citizens_convention The Scottish Indepe

This month saw the 750th anniversary of the birth of one of Scotland's greatest heroes, Robert the Bruce.   In this episode, filmed mainly on location in Bannockburn, we draw from three different accounts of the Bruce's most famous battle and attempt to pinpoint the most likely sites of the different phases of the battle.  We also examine the military and strategic genius of a man whose plans for every eventuality were so thorough they even included his own escape from Hell!  We also reveal secrets hidden in the last verse of Burn's famous poem Scots Wha Hae. You can also find our Battle of Loudoun Hill episode here  Check out our Scottish History playlist on our Youtube channel @indypodextra here Music: Inspired by Kevin MacLeod and Epic Celtic Music The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts Contact

Following the election results earlier this month, indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene invited guest and friend of the podcast Lynne Dougan into our studio for a chat.  Lynne was at the count of the Alloa and Grangemouth constituency and gives us some behind the scenes insights as to what goes on through the night of an election. This episode was originally broadcast live on our YT channel and you can also watch it  here  The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remember to like and subscribe! If you would like to help support the podcast you can buy us a coffee here:   https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Music - Inspired by Kevin MacLeod

Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were delighted to take part in a panel discussion which took place after Edinburgh Women for Independence group's AGM in June.  The format was: 00:01:09  Sam Page from Yes for EU on the topic of reasons to rejoin the EU 00:08:42   Ruth Ritchie on behalf of Believe in Scotland on the topic of grassroots activism 00:16:42    Marlene Halliday from Pensioners for Indy talking about the generation gap in independence support 00:24:30    Fiona McGregor talking about how and why we started this podcast 00:31:23    Q and A session You can find the podcast episodes mentioned in the discussions here:  Yes 4 EU workshop - https://scottishindypod.scot/mibbes-aye-show/scotland-in-the-eu/ Pat Kane discussion - https://scottishindypod.scot/mibbes-aye-show/over65s-why-still-not-yes/ You can find out more about Edinburgh Women for Independence on their website https://www.edinburghwfi.com/ The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish In

Why did Graeme McCormick decide to stand in the SNP leadership contest and why did he then withdraw his candidacy to allow John Swinney to be elected unopposed?  We last chatted to Graeme McCormick in September 2023 about his proposals to dissolve the UK union and how that might come about (you can listen to that episode here https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-axz4k-14a2c72 ) Since then, Graeme has stood for the Presidency of the SNP but was beaten by Mike Russell.  He brought his case to the SNP's independence strategy conference which Humza Yousaf held and most recently, announced his intention to stand in the latest SNP leadership contest.  In the event, John Swinney was elected unopposed.  But just why did Graeme withdraw his candidacy?  And where does he think the independence campaign needs to go next? This is a podcast  version of an episode of the TNT show on Independence Live's Youtube channel.  As a live broadcast, their episode was plagued with technical issues which we have edited out.  The Scottish I

As we enter the last week of the General election campaign trail, Marlene and Fiona chat to Indy supporters at the Bannockburn rally - and find a mixed set of views! We also consider what the turnout might be and whether people are sufficiently disenchanted with the election campaign that they will abstain, or spoil their ballots and what practical effect this has. We spill the beans on the cost of that GB Energy logo! We had a good chat with Bill Bonnar, the Scottish Socialist Party candidate standing in Rutherglen and asked just why smaller parties stand in first past the post elections they have no hope of winning. The John MacLean lecture we mentioned in the discussion is here https://youtu.be/F6xJPWf14K0?si=skAqf_WjxTydvE2A The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to like and subscribe! Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/scottishindependencepodcasts Contact Us: indypodcasters@gma

As the party manifestos start to appear, Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene are joined by guest Marion Robertson to pick out the bits we like from the manifestos on offer.   Note that the first half of this episode was recorded before the official launches of the Scottish Greens and Alba manifestos, links to both are below. Main themes are: 00:00:30   ISP (Independence for Scotland Party) 00:01:37   Scottish Greens 00:07:53    Alba party 00:15:37     SSP (Scottish Socialist Party) 00:20:29     Tory/Reform 00:23:26      Campaign checkpoint 00:27:38      SNP 00:35:03       Labour's response 00:48:00       Starmer - first steps and two faces 00:51:49       GB Energy 01:02:24        The Union's last gasp   Scottish Greens manifesto now published, available here https://greens.scot/Manifesto2024 Scottish Socialist Party policy statement available here https://scottishsocialistparty.org/4-july-general-election-drive-out-all-shades-of-tories-for-socialist-change/ Alba Party policy statement available here https://ww

Musician, author and journalist Pat Kane is our guest in this episode when we discuss why over 65s are still not convinced by independence. Pat suggests the answer might lie in our musical influences - are former hippies, punks and post punks more likely to challenge the status quo? Themes included in our discussion are: 00:02:43 Musical influences on attitudes 00:04:47 Post-war British consensus 00:06:24 Rise of Scottish music and culture in the 80s and 90s 00:07:10 Social class component shaping attitudes 00:09:26 Sterlingisation and continuity 00:10:28 Climate crisis and security 00:12:02 Community resilience and the role of elders 00:13:49 The long haul to indy 00:14:56 Cosmo - localism 00:16:16 War time experiences 00:19:45 Hippies, punks and post punks 00:23:17 Citizen self determination 00:25:40 Spirit of 2014 00:30:05 Community development 00:38:10 Project fear revisited 00:43:20 Our Third Act Pat's think tank - https://www.thealternative.org.uk/ More about Pat Kane https://www.patkane.global/who-is-