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Zonal Pricing, Trump’s Visit & Why Scotland Can’t Build

July 25, 2025 at 6:47 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This week’s @HolyroodSources , streaming now and on video on YouTube:

💨 zonal pricing rural cost/benefit from wind farms
🛣️ infrastructure spending
🇺🇸 Trump in Scotland
🗳️ & the disconnect between parties and people

@geoffaberdein | @CalumAM

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

Podcast Episode · Holyrood Sources · 23/07/2025 · 45m

podcasts.apple.com

July 23, 2025 at 3:57 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

The time is right to make independence the settled will, but nationalists will have to perform much better to make it so. My thoughts on today’s @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Ten years to make indy the settled will: Can the SNP do it?

John Swinney and his indispensable deputy Kate Forbes are presented with opportunities that, in their wildest dreams, they never thought they would…

Labour's reform agenda is over. The rebels are in control

July 18, 2025 at 1:53 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

Tomorrow’s column today…

Labour's reform agenda is over. The rebels are in control | @heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

The Labour rebels are in charge now, and the same people who said no to welfare reform will also say no to healthcare reform

Let's have a conversation about debunking the NHS as a national cult

July 3, 2025 at 7:57 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

“Far from causing moral panic, using private health care in other countries is seen as an act of moral propriety.”

My thoughts on healthcare in today’s @heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Using private healthcare in this country is seen as an act of selfishness. A grotesque display of privilege. Two fingers to the little people…

The Tories are becoming two parties in one. Which one will prevail?

June 27, 2025 at 12:06 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

My thoughts in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social on the Scottish Tories woes, and the growing distinction between its urban and rural wings. www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

The Tory party in Scotland finds itself in the hottest water it has encountered since devolution began

A Grand Coalition between SNP and Labour may go from unthinkable to inevitable

June 20, 2025 at 7:58 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

🔴🟡From unthinkable to improbable to inevitable.

Why you shouldn't rule out the prospect of a 'grand coalition' between Labour and the SNP, for the same reason it happened in Germany 🇩🇪 and Ireland 🇮🇪.

By me in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Don’t bother publicly asking a politician from our two established mainstream parties about a Grand Coalition. But discuss it with some of them in…

By-election Aftermath... and Reform UK defector

June 13, 2025 at 9:56 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This week’s @holyroodsources.bsky.social ‬⁩, with me and my amigos @calumam.bsky.social ‬⁩ and ⁦‪Geoff Aberdein‬⁩ , and this week @reformukscotland.bsky.social ‘s ‬⁩ Labour 🔴 defector.

Plus, the grand coalition is back…..

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

Podcast Episode · Holyrood Sources · 11/06/2025 · 44m

podcasts.apple.com

June 11, 2025 at 8:33 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

The @heraldscotland.bsky.social has done a brilliant series on the future of Edinburgh this week - here's my contribution on suburbs and transport, and why the rail and the river give us the way forward:
www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

I know frustration of commuting from Edinburgh's suburbs by bus. Here's my solution

Growing up in Edinburgh's suburbs, Andy Maciver knows the frustration of commuting into town by bus but he has a solution...

Labour WIN Hamilton by-election

June 6, 2025 at 8:10 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

🚨 Streaming now from Rome @calumam.bsky.social, a park bench (Geoff Aberdein) and a leisure centre (me), immediate reaction to Labour’s remarkable by election win (and how @anassarwar.bsky.social can justifiably bask ☀️)

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

Podcast Episode · Holyrood Sources · S4, E27 Bonus · 25m

podcasts.apple.com

June 6, 2025 at 7:35 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

My thoughts in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social on how we can rescue our schools and avoid sleepwalking into a social and economic calamity www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Scotland's educational establishment is betraying our children - and our economy

In maths, reading and science - Scottish children’s scores are continually declining. We are now hovering around average in PISA rankings. If our…

Our MSPs can be better if we let them

May 30, 2025 at 7:44 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

ICYMI, my thoughts in yesterday's @heraldscotland.bsky.social on how the asissted dying debate showed our MSPs at their best, and how they could do it more often www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Most of what our lawmakers do on a day-to-day basis is fairly drab. This is not to say it is unimportant, but the issues they tackle and the…

What is a Woman? Susan Smith from For Women Scotland on the political reaction to the Supreme Court

May 17, 2025 at 6:04 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

Pleasure to have @adamboulton.bsky.social join us on @holyroodsources.bsky.social today. Streaming now on audio and video

Geoff Aberdein | @calumam.bsky.social

April 30, 2025 at 4:23 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

End your week with @holyroodsources.bsky.social , the most-listened-to Scottish political podcast. This week, the Supreme Court gender judgment.

On audio 🎧

And here on YouTube 🖥️ youtu.be/-_OjvLl_HLI?...

@calumam.bsky.social | Geoff Aberdein

Which foes will the SNP become friends with? Greens or Lib Dems?

April 25, 2025 at 3:25 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

The SNP is likely to need some help after 2026, and it's probably only the Greens or the Lib Dems who can provide it. By me in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Who could be a governing partner for the SNP? There are probably only two options.

An SNP by-election win would defy gravity

April 25, 2025 at 6:07 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

"We are in Scotland, the Emerald City of politics, where, unlike Elphaba, John Swinney appears not to need a broomstick to defy gravity." @heraldscotland.bsky.social

Andy Maciver @akmaciver.bsky.social · Apr 18

What would an SNP win in the Hamilton by-election say about Scottish politics? By me in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Andy Maciver: An SNP by-election win would defy gravity

An SNP by-election win would defy gravity

April 18, 2025 at 6:24 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

What would an SNP win in the Hamilton by-election say about Scottish politics? By me in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

Andy Maciver: An SNP by-election win would defy gravity

What's the Alba party's strategy? Plus, defections | Jamie Greene MSP & Kenny MacAskill

April 18, 2025 at 6:20 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This week on @holyroodsources.bsky.social with me, Geoff Aberdein & @calumam.bsky.social

🔵➡️🟠 @jamiegreeneuk.bsky.social on his move from the Tories to the Libs
&
🟡➡️🔵 Kenny MacAskill on Alba’s prospects at #sp26

📺 Watch it here: youtu.be/PIxk4DoCQ4k?...

🎧 Streaming as usual as a podcast.

Scotland must act to save universities from economic abyss – Edinburgh University Vice-Chancellor

April 10, 2025 at 11:23 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This is why the press is still critical and must be supported. @edinburghuni.bsky.social re-starts funding debate in an op-ed in yesterday's Scotland on Sunday, carrying into @scotsman.com and other titles today, and onto broadcast, and into politics. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

If dire financial problems facing universities are not confronted, the education system as we know it will perish, says Professor Sir Peter Mathieson

www.scotsman.com

April 7, 2025 at 8:29 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

Some thoughts from me on @thespectator1828.bsky.social on @jamiegreeneuk.bsky.social joining @scotlibdems.org.uk

Will more Tories defect to the Lib Dems? www.spectator.co.uk/article/will...

Will more Tories defect to the Lib Dems?

Jamie Greene is a one-time Scottish Tory leadership contender who has resigned the Conservative whip and joined the Liberal Democrats.

www.spectator.co.uk

April 5, 2025 at 5:57 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

My thoughts in today's @heraldscotland.bsky.social , on how our agreeable mainstream politicians could make a roads revolution the biggest achievement of devolution www.heraldscotland.com/politics/vie...

An A-road revolution would be the highlight of devolution

Hurray, we built a road! The Cross Tay Link Road was opened this week, linking the A9 north of Scone to the A93 and A94, up into Scotland’s north…

April 4, 2025 at 9:31 AM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This week’s @holyroodsources.bsky.social , streaming now and on YouTube.

Today:
🟥 Labour & benefits
🟨 The SNP’s candidates
💨 Aberdeen & energy

And in listener questions, one happy customer asks who gave me and Geoff a platform? That would be @calumam.bsky.social …

youtu.be/9SGp_Qcn3uk?...

Getting Scotland Working

Sturgeon Quits, Labour and Welfare, and Outdoor Education

March 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM

Andy Maciver

@akmaciver.bsky.social

This week’s @HolyroodSources, in full on YouTube now

➡️ Sturgeon’s exit
🟨 Swinney’s reshuffle
🟥 Sarwar’s welfare
🥾 Smith’s outdoor ed

Also streaming 🎧

@CalumAM | @geoffaberdein | @mspliz

youtu.be/ZBetByw6q7w?...