Yes Cowal Scottish Independence Podcast

In this thought provoking interview, Marlene and Fiona sit down with data analyst Stuart Donald to discuss his fascinating research on the "union dividend".  Stuart's research delves into the origins of the Barnett formula and even further back to pre war economics to unpack the myths and misconceptions about the financial benefits Scotland supposedly receives from England and how much better off we would be if we were able to make our own political choices.  Stuart also highlights how the Westminster First Past The Post electoral system disproportionately favours the right and disenfranchises poorer communities.  Could Proportional Representation hold the key to a fairer system?   Will independence come soon enough to save Scotland from the demographic time bomb created by Westminster mismanagement? Main chapters 00:01:27  What is this Union Dividend? 00:03:10  Why does Scotland get more funding than England? 00:06:48   The Barnett formula 00:08:50   Unionist Spin 00:11:50   Debunking the myths 00:18:47  Eur

Join Fiona, Marlene, and regular guest Lynne as they dive into the most pressing topics in Scottish and Westminster politics. From Labour's disastrous welfare cuts and the ongoing battle over PIP (Personal Independence Payments) to the Scottish Tories desperate attempts to run down Ferguson Marine,  the trio offers insightful analysis and opinion.  Tune in for an eye-opening discussions on topics as diverse as the dangers of the nuclear industry, the latest Believe in Scotland litterpicking campaign, and Canada's spirited stand against Trump’s aggressive rhetoric.  Stay informed with topical chat, thought-provoking clips, and expert commentary on current events shaping our world today. Chapters: 00:00:53  Nicola Sturgeon cleared  00:02:16  Decolonising Scotland 00:08:41  Lorna Slater - return of the Deposit Return Scheme  00:11:03  Believe in Scotland litterpicking campaign 00:14:44  PIP - Labour's Poll Tax Moment? 00:16:04  Stephen Flynn calls out Labour's manifesto 00:18:36  What is PIP and who is affected?

It's Time to Reclaim Our Clyde! Join Fiona and Marlene's discussion with passionate SCND activists David Kelly and David Peutherer as we talk about the vital need to rid the River Clyde of nuclear weapons.  We dive into the engaging new campaign "It's Time to Reclaim Our Clyde" urging young people to find out more and take action for a nuclear free Scotland. Discover why independence is the only way to ensure a safer nuclear-free future for Scotland and how the campaign is empowering the next generation to rise up and make a difference.   Key themes: 00:02:40   Background to the campaign 00:12:45   But what about the nuclear jobs? 00:15:00   Increasing our defences? 00:17:45   Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) 00:18:42    Independence is key 00:19:44    Campaign next steps 00:25:34     Generational differences 00:28:23     Trump 00:31:00     Cuddly green nuclear power? 00:35:49      Whatever happened to the Labour party? It's time to act before it's too late!  Find out more including how to

In this insightful discussion, Fiona and Marlene are joined by expert commentators Bill Ramsay and Isobel Lindsay to analyse the latest developments from the White House. They explore the growing implications for Ukraine, the evolving UK-US relationship, and the global push for increased defence spending. As tensions rise, the panel delves into whether this military build up truly benefits nations or if it mainly serves the interests of arms manufacturers Key themes: 00:01:54  -  context 00:03:45  -  US vs China 00:05:27  -  implications for the Russian war in Ukraine 00:18:29  -  UK-US relations 00:20:48  -  Re-armament in Europe 00:33:31  -  Defence priorities for Scotland 00:39:24  -  Ukraine peace settlement 00:44:32  -  The psychology of invasion 00:47:09  -  Trump's state visit 00:49:23  -  Creativity from adversity #ukraine #trump #defence The Scottish Independence Podcasts team produce a NEW podcast episode every Friday search for Scottish Independence Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.  Remembe

Miners' Strike 40th Anniversary | Alex Shanks & Richie Venton at Jim McVicar Memorial Lecture In this episode, Marlene and Fiona attend the Scottish Socialist Party's Jim McVicar Memorial Lecture to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. Featuring Alex Shanks, a young miner during the strike, and Richie Venton, author of Class War on Workers, this event offers passionate speeches that explore the strike’s lasting impact on the working class. The discussions dive into the history of the Miners' Strike, its consequences, and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights. Whether you remember the strike or are engaged in class warfare studies, this episode offers powerful insights into one of the most significant labour movements in recent history. 00:01:31 Welcome by Natalie Reid 00:03:34 Alex Shanks' first hand account of the miners strike 1984/85 00:28:24 Richie Venton explores the wider context and lessons learned Find our more at www.scottishsocialistparty.org #MinersStrike40 #Class

Join Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene and guests Lynne Dougan and Jacqui Jensen as we mull over the latest Scottish political snippets from Holyrood, Westminster and beyond. Themes include: 00:01:19 - The power of the positive outlook 00:09:47 - Outside the Labour Party conference 00:15:51 - Findlay's Barlinnie Paradise 00:19:05 - Pam Ghosal's Wild West Schools 00:25:35 - Bailey alarms patients 00:32:58 - Kate Forbes on the Internal Market Act threat 00:35:40 - Sarwar goes nuclear 00:38:50 - What does GB energy do? 00:38:50 - Lumsden's bad language 00:41:37 - investing in our people 00:45:40 - Westminster tactics 00:49:09 - Trudeau and Trump 00:51:05 - Stand up, speak up, act up #scottishpolitics #holyrood #topicalclips 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, news

A bonus podcast episode from Rising Clyde, the Scottish Climate Justice Show.   Host Iain Bruce discusses the potentially unjust transition of workers at Grangemouth following the announcement that over 400 redundancy notices are being issued by refinery operator Petroineos.  Iain's guests are Rosie Hampton of Friends of the Earth Scotland and Ewan Gibbs, historian of industry, energy and protest at the University of Glasgow with contributions from Chris Hamilton, Unite convenor at the plant, aviation engineer Finlay Asher of Safe Landing and Lewis Conroy, one of five climate protestors from this is Rigged, up for trial for occupying part of the plant in 2023   #grangemouth #justtransition #petroineos  You can also watch the video version of this episode 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https:/

With special guest Dr Philippa Whitford, retired surgeon and former SNP MP. Trump's astonishing proposal to turn Gaza into a waterfront resort may have dominated the headlines, but the real story is the ongoing plight of the people of Gaza as the fragile ceasefire takes effect.   Dr Philippa has lived and worked in Gaza and here she offers her unique personal perspective on the recent conflict and the prospects of a peaceful solution.  If you would like to support the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians you can do so here https://map.org.uk You can also find our previous video about Dr Whitford's work in Gaza  here : https://youtu.be/1Qz-kyrGYBc Our coverage of the Glasgow march against BBC bias is here https://youtu.be/picyGeQtyzA #gaza #palestine #ceasefire   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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https

With guests Andy Anderson and Leah Gunn Barratt of Respect Scottish Sovereignty we take a closer look at the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights ( ICCPR) and what incorporation of these rights into Scots Law could mean to the Scottish people. Key themes include: 00:01:00  Overview of Human Rights legislation 00:03:30  Why should we incorporate ICCPR? 00:06:00   Petition before the Scottish Parliament 00:08:50   Example - Switzerland 00:10:30   Example - Taiwan 00:13:15   Example - South Korea 00:16:30   Scottish Referendums Act 2020 00:19:14   Popular initiatives 00:25:27    UK Supreme Court 00:27:48    So what could Scotland do differently? 00:32:41    Does Article 1 apply to Scotland? 00:44:27    UN Convention of the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) 00:49:21    People power! 00:52:51    Our Conclusions Previous episodes mentioned in this one: Respect Scottish Sovereignty https://scottishindypod.scot/grassroots-indy-campaign/respect-scottish-sovereignty/ Building a Local Scotland https://scottishi

Ringwood Publishing is an independent Scottish publisher based in Glasgow.  In January they hosted an even called Reflections and Revelations: Our Memoirs Event showcasing several of their authors who have written books based on Memoir.   Fiona and Marlene were delighted to attend and record the event.  Speakers and readings are: 00:01:04  Mary McCabe, author of Two Closes and a Referendum and Stirring the Dust 00:08:27  Carol Fox, author of Memoirs of a Feminist Mother 00:16:36  Sandy Jamieson, Chief Executive of Ringwood introducing the work of the late Brendan McLaughlin and John Keeman 00:22:57  Brendan McLaughlin's daughter Siobhan  00:24:51  Reading from First of May by Brendan McLaughlin 00:27:32  Reading from In the Shadow of the Crane by John Keeman 00:32:13  Maureen Cullen, author of Kitten Heels 00:40:43  Kirsten McQuarrie, author of Remember the Rowan 00:45:03   Panel discussion and questions from the audience  More about Ringwood publishers, featured authors and their books at  https://www.ringwo

This month's livestream of clips and chat covering a range of topics including: 00:00:42  Charles visits an Alloa foodbank 00:05:41  Colin Fox's prediction comes true 00:08:00  Dave Doogan calls out Starmer 00:10:16  Labour MP Brian Leishman finds out he has NO influence 00:14:43   The power of "devalation" 00:18:29   The cost of Scotgov mitigation 00:24:15    Patrick Harvie explains the "hoover up" economy 00:25:51    Housebuilding and Sarwar's empty rhetoric 00:31:57    Robin McAlpine schools the Energy Minister 00:37:40    Robert Reich - lessons from the US election 00:46:44    Mary Trump sniffs Donald's latest grift 00:48:18     Emma Harper brings Scots leid to Holyrood #scottishpolitics 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episod

Our guest this week is  William Thomson from the Scotonomics show.   In this episode we challenge William with our questions.  He tackles those and shares his own thoughts on independence,  Modern Monetary Theory and the economic situation in general.    Main topics: 00:02:00   Q1:  Can Scotland afford to be independent? 00:06:38   Q2:   But what about inflation? 00:11:37   Q3:   What about the Deficit? 00:16:48   Q4:   Should Scotland repay UK debt? 00:20:15   Q5    But doesn't borrowing create debt? 00:31:13   Q6    How will Scotland manage the economy? 00:32:25   Q7:   Does independence mean a decade of austerity? 00:41:42   Q8:   EU or EFTA? 00:47:13   Q9:   What if we had voted YES in 2014? 00:49:05   Q10  Next Steps? Still have questions?  Let us know in the comments. You can watch the Scotonomics show every week on  @IndependenceLive  and the articles William refers to are on the website https://scotonomics.scot/articles/ More information about this year's Festival of Economics is also available at   h

Burns Night 2025 is fast approaching and we've been out and about collecting poetry and stories to create a celebratory podcast episode. Featuring: 00:02:17 To A Louse - performed by Marlene Halliday 00:05:36 Oh Tibbie, I hae Seen the Day - performed by Susi Briggs 00:08:07 Tibbie's Reply - written and performed by Susi Briggs 00:11:31 The Flyting O' Bruce and Red Comyn - written and performed by Susi Briggs 00:18:15 Scots Wha Hae - performed by Lorraine Sinclair 00:22:03 The Stirling Lines - performed by Fiona McGregor 00:25:40 Tam O'Shanter - performed by Billy Kay You can watch the livestream of the whole Believe in Scotland event on their Youtube channel here https://www.youtube.com/live/a90mQdD4rkA?si=THPYYe2mOPGCp7sg Believe in Scotland's website is www.believeinscotland.org Other podcast episodes mentioned are: Telling Scotland's Stories with Mairi Sutherland https://youtu.be/QXeNMDvSN6k Tickets for the special screening of Mairi's film The Red Rose can be booked here https://www.odeon.co.uk/films/r

Fiona and Marlene share their highlights from the Big Land Question conference. In November the Revive Coalition held their biggest conference yet bringing together organisations and individuals with a shared interest in Scotland's land. Who owns it? What do they do with it? Is there a better way? These, and many more questions were covered on the day and you can watch the full day's event on  @IndependenceLive  's channel. This podcast covers our favourite bits from the following speakers: 00:01:43 - Lesley Riddoch introduces the event 00:07:42 - Kevin Cumming, Scottish Rewilding Alliance 00:16:07 - Josh Doble, Community Land Scotland 00:28:19 - Kirsty Jenkins. Onekind 00:30:32 - River Roding Interspecies Council 00:36:22- Jenny Barlow, Tarras Valley Nature Reserve 00:44:27 - Mhairi McFarlane, Diffley Partnership 00:51:09 - Donna Smith, Scottish Crofting Association 00:57:03 - Lesley Riddoch, Intro to part 2 01:02:03 - Robin McAlpine, Commonweal 01:09:41 - Mike Russell, Scottish Land Commission 01:14:05 - Ma

Greater Glasgow Pensioners for Independence invited guest speaker Andy Anderson to share some new ideas for a strategy to overcome the barriers created by Westminster and the UK supreme court using the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.   Andy's website is https://respectscottishsovereignty.scot You can find out more about the Covenant here https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights #scottishindependence #sovereignty #UNCPR 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscribe for free to our Youtube channel @scottishindypodExtra for more of our video footage and clips.  video premieres most Tuesdays at 8pm If you've enjoyed this podcast you might like to buy

TNT Show host John Drummond interviews data analytics expert Stuart Donald about the insights we can gain from his research into electoral systems, Brexit and the Scottish Constitutional question.  Topics include: 00:02:06   Is the Union killing people? 00:05:28   Inequality and the FPTP system 00:07:41   The Myth of the Union Dividend 00:16:17    Slapstick Accounting 00:19:00    Faulty stats drive faulty narratives 00:20:37    Scottish "dividend" based on English needs 00:21:57    How much should Scotland get? 00:26:40    Starmer's Labour continuing inequality 00:30:33    Why can't UK have PR? 00:37:47    Labour elected on sufferance  00:40:00    Falling prey to the Far Right 00:44:53    England needs a national conversation 00:49:24    Building Messaging Stuart's website containing his research is www.sdonald4pr.com 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! Cont

As Westminster's Labour government continues to unravel, discarding election promises with careless abandon, we take a look at the Scottish government's budget proposals for 2025/26.  Beginning with John Swinney setting out his vision for Scotland and followed by Shona Robison's presentation of the draft Scottish budget we consider how well the two speeches match up.  Does the action match the aspiration? After hearing both speeches we award marks out of 10.  Do you agree with our score?  Let's find out! 00:00:55  John Swinney aspirations for Scotland 00:20:15  Shona Robison draft Scottish budget 2025-26 00:47:57   Indypodcasters Scorecard #scottishbudget2025 #johnswinney #scorecard 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our website https://scottishindypod.scot for blogposts, newsletter signup and more episodes Subscr

The Owning Our Futures event held in Edinburgh in October was a great opportunity to see our quest for independence in the context of other nations and regions across Europe who share similar aims.   The delegates took  part in three Q and A panels and brought their wisdom, experience and fresh thinking to the table.   Organised by the Scottish Independence Convention and the International Committee for European Citizens and chaired by Lesley Riddoch, this was a positive and uplifting event. Panels and speakers : 00:01:51  Panel 1 questions 00:02:06  Begotxu Olaizola Elordi, Basque Country 00:03:53  Alessandro Cucci, Sardinia 00:04:44  Anna Arque i Solsona, Catalonia 00:10:13  Panel 2 questions 00:11:16  Nick Peeters, Flanders 00:15:13  Paul Descarli, South Tyrol 00:16:53  Aka Hansen, Greenland 00:20:09  Bjort Samuelsen, Faroe Islands 00:27:59  Panel 3 questions 00:28:47 Gwern Gwynfil, Wales 00:33:07  Isobel Lindsay, Scotland 00:37:17  Richard Walker, Northumbria 00:38:28  Kerron O'Luain, Ireland 00:43:51   L

The Owning Our Futures conference was held in Edinburgh on 5th October 2024 and brought together representatives  Autonomy Movements and Self Government campaigners from 14 nations and regions in Europe. Indypodcasters Fiona and Marlene were there - these are our highlights! 00:02:09  Intro: Greg McCarra SIC 00:02:27  Basque:  Begotxu Olaizola Elordi 00:09:05  Catalonia:  Anna Arque i Solsona 00:15:10  Sicily: Anthony Graziano 00:20:04  Sardinia: Alessandro Cucci 00:26:17  Greenland: Aka Hansen 00:37:20  Flanders: Nick Peeters 00:39:41  Wales: Gwern Gwynfil 00:42:13  Ireland:  Kerron O'Luain Organised by:  The Scottish Independence Convention (SIC) www.independenceconvention.scot  and the International Commission for European Citizens (ICEC) www.icec.ngo Our episode with Prof Alf Baird which was mentioned in the discussion can be found here https://scottishindypod.scot/mibbes-aye-show/doun-hauden/ Livestream coverage of the full event is available on @IndependenceLive Youtube channel. #scottishindependence #

We meet independent film maker Mairi Sutherland who has  been making independent Scottish films for more than 20 years.  Mairi has credits as Producer, Director, Screen Writer including the award winning film Red Rose, about the life and mysterious early death of Robert Burns at the age of 37.   Mairi tells us about the making of the film back in 2004 and the changes she has seen in the film industry in Scotland and Hollywood since that time.   The film is celebrating its 20th anniversary and Mairi is looking to arrange showings in cinemas, theatres and other venues to share the story and take part in audience discussions. The film is available on Youtube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mntIL0HhciY and is also available on DVD. #robertburns #scottishhistory #redrose 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! Contact Us: indypodcasters@gmail.com  Visit our webs