The National Podcast
188 episodes listed below
Scottish politics, plainly worked through.
The National Podcast follows Scottish politics from inside a busy newsroom. It pairs election briefings and media scrutiny with longer interviews on left politics, culture, independence, Palestine, and public life.
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The National Podcast is a Scottish politics show built around newsroom conversation rather than polished monologue. Its centre of gravity is clear: independence, Holyrood, Scottish parties, and the way Westminster politics is reported back to Scotland. The tone is brisk and informal. It often begins with a pointed question, then widens into the practical detail behind the headline. Laura Webster and Abby Garton-Crosby appear across the excerpts as named newsroom voices, joined by political colleagues, campaigners, party figures, performers, and writers. The show is comfortable explaining basics without flattening the politics. It talks through SNP manifesto reaction, food and bus price caps, a second independence referendum, BBC interviews, ferries, the NHS, and the language used by unionist politicians and Scottish media. It also pays attention to campaign theatre. Anas Sarwar’s battle bus, polling numbers, debate claims about Reform and Labour, and denials around a possible deal all become material for close, slightly dry analysis. The interview episodes broaden the frame. Niall Christie discusses why Your Party struggled in Scotland, with attention to activists, membership, conference decisions, and the tension between Scottish and UK structures. Colin Fox explains the Scottish Socialist Party’s regional-list approach and the arithmetic of Holyrood elections. Elaine C Smith brings comedy, disillusionment, working-class Scotland, women, and independence into one restless conversation. Alan Cumming’s interview connects stage and screen fame with Scottish independence, LGBT rights, and his decision to hand back an OBE. Peter Oborne’s appearance shifts the show into a heavier register, discussing Jerusalem, Gaza, Iran, Palestine, and what the media gets wrong. The result is openly political but rarely abstract. It keeps returning to voters, activists, households, candidates, broadcasters, and the ordinary consequences of big constitutional arguments.
Made for: For listeners who follow Scottish politics closely, especially those interested in independence, Holyrood campaigns, party strategy, and media scrutiny. It also suits politically curious listeners who want context without procedural fog.
What sets it apart: It combines The National’s newsroom access with a conversational, independence-focused lens, letting campaign reporters and interview guests work through the detail in real time. The show’s range stretches from manifesto mechanics and polling rows to comedy, culture, Palestine, and activist politics.
We discuss the day's biggest stories and interview the people you want to hear from. Hear about the behind-the-scenes that doesn't always make it into print, and get to know our brilliant team of reporters.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Reporter-led interviews and newsroom discussion make Scottish campaigns, party disputes and independence arguments unusually tangible.
The National Podcast keeps Scottish politics close to the campaign trail, moving between reporter-led interviews, newsroom discussion and a live election hustings.
Holyrood gets the full treatment when your ballot-brain wants detail, disagreement, and the media row afterward.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A lively look at SNP manifesto politics, broadcaster backlash, and the cost-of-living argument around both.
The piece keeps its attention on the SNP manifesto and the sharper debate it stirred over how Scottish politics gets covered. It stays concrete, moving through food and bus price caps, a second independence referendum, ferries, and the NHS, then turns to the BBC Scotland…
Politics, comedy, and independence land as one living-room argument.
The episode turns politics into something lived rather than abstract: family rows, public fatigue, the pull of easy answers, and the hard work of persuading people again. It is strongest when it refuses to treat independence as a slogan.
A clear look at a Scottish party split, with the activists and local branches trying to keep things together.
The episode traces how a left-wing socialist party in Scotland went from a hopeful Dundee conference to a public split, with the guest laying out the break between the Scottish side and the UK leadership in plain language.
A live hustings that turns election strategy into plain political argument.
A live Scottish Parliament hustings gives the episode its frame: a Glasgow room, an election one month out, and a panel pressed to say what comes next for Scottish politics.
Scottish campaign chaos and Reform UK turnover, handled with newsroom clarity.
The episode is at its best when it stays with the messy mechanics of a Scottish campaign that has clearly gone off script, with Reform UK candidate turnover and the loss of a key staffer giving the conversation a real sense of movement.
Sharp political debate with policy detail and real disagreement.
Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson debate Canadian politics, from Alberta separatism to Ottawa's bureaucracy.
Robert Evans, Katie Stoll, and Cody Johnston build fake conspiracies and mock right-wing media.
Steve Hayes and Dispatch panelists argue through the week's Iran, DOJ, and Supreme Court news.
Jonah Goldberg's solo political rants and author interviews on conservatism, courts, and current events.
John Donvan moderates two-sided debates on AI, bioethics, feminism, and film's future.
Laura Webster opens the show with Abby Garton-Crosby, fresh from the campaign trail and making her first live podcast appearance.
The National Podcast sits down with Elaine Seisman, and the conversation begins where politics and culture meet.
Abi Garton-Crosby opens by asking how the party got to this point.
This episode analyzes claims made during a Channel 4 leaders debate about a potential pact between Reform UK and Labour to remove the SNP in Scotland, featuring political editor Xander Eliards.
This episode features an interview with actor and activist Alan Cumming discussing his career, Scottish independence, and his decision to return his OBE.
This episode discusses Anas Sarwar's launch of a campaign bus with his face on it despite his plummeting approval ratings, as analyzed by journalists from The National.
Peter Oborne discusses media misrepresentations of Palestine and shares insights from Jerusalem on the recent ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran.
This episode features an interview with Colin Fox, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, discussing his party's strategy of running on regional lists in the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections and his vision for a radical approach.
This episode features comedian Susie McCabe discussing why working class voters are supporting the Reform party, interspersed with personal anecdotes about her car troubles and upcoming comedy tours.
The National stages a live Scottish Parliament election hustings from Glasgow, one month before the election.
The National Podcast opens with a calm holiday-week newsroom check-in.
Political reporter Steph Brawn interviews Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton about his campaign activities and election strategy as the Scottish election gets underway.