The Jaggy Thistle Podcast

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: ​Today, with the Holyrood election just days away, I am talking about tactical voting. Up to a third of Scots intend to vote tactically on polling day on Thursday, either to kick out the SNP or block the rise of Reform. But this is easier said than done, for reasons I explain.Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment on this platform. Or, if you’d rather, email me direct at [email protected]’ve been writing about this subject this week in The Times, where I do a weekly column on Scottish politics. You can read it here:https://www.thetimes.com/profile/kenny-farquharsonI hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-WHAT IS THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST?The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

​THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I'm looking at the SNP campaign in the Holyrood election and asking why it is focused so heavily on Scottish independence. I explain that there are only three possible election campaign messages in politics, and two of them cannot be used by the SNP in this election, or at least not with any credibility. This leaves only one. Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment on this platform. Or, if you’d rather, email me direct at [email protected]’ve been writing about this subject this week in The Times, where I do a weekly column on Scottish politics. You can read it here:https://www.thetimes.com/profile/kenny-farquharsonI hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-WHAT IS THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST?The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I'm talking about a grave moral peril in this Holyrood election. Is Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, willing to use Reform MSPs to become first minister of Scotland? The answer seems to be yes. I argue that Sarwar should refuse to take power of the back of votes from Nigel Farage's party. And I urge a new chapter of co-operation between Labour and the SNP to freeze out Farage from a functional role in Scottish governance.Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment on this platform. Or, if you’d rather, email me direct at [email protected]’ve been writing about this subject this week in The Times, where I do a weekly column on Scottish politics. You can read it here:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/anas-sarwar-reform-nigel-farage-election-d8cwh63t8I hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-WHAT IS THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST?The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

​THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I am talking about the racist tropes used by Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord in the Holyrood election campaign. I locate these tropes in the centuries-long fight for civil rights in the United States. And I argue that their incendiary use in the Scottish Parliament election campaign must be called out at all times.I’ve been writing about this in my weekly column in The Times. You can read my column here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/malcolm-offord-is-recycling-a-dangerous-racist-trope-lv09ktkv7Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment on this platform. Or, if you’d rather, email me direct at [email protected] hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-WHAT IS THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST?The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

​Today I’m talking about the issue of independence in the Holyrood election campaign. And I’m arguing that an SNP parliamentary majority on May 7 will not be a legitimate mandate for a new referendum on independence.Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you think. Leave a comment on this platform. Or, if you’d rather, email me direct at [email protected] wrote about independence in my column in The Times last week. If you’d like to read it here is a link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/an-snp-majority-in-may-wont-justify-another-independence-push-9kcwkj5qmI hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-WHAT IS THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST?The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

Today I’m writing about the demise of Alex Salmond’s Alba party. The party’s current leader, Kenny MacAskill, says Alba is unlikely to be able to stand candidates in the forthcoming Holyrood elections. Why did Alba fail? I argue the party was never a legitimate political project. Rather, it was just a vehicle for Salmond’s animus towards his successor as SNP leader and first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. As such it never stood a chance with the Scottish public. Last week I wrote about the same subject in The Times. If you’d like to read that column here’s a link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/alba-party-was-vanity-project-that-became-a-vendetta-zk9whqkqvI hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode.If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

​THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, and his call for the prime minister to resign. I argue this is an inflection point in Scottish politics and the Holyrood parliament campaign.I wrote about the same subject in The Times last week. If you’d like to read that column here’s the link:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/far-from-futile-anas-sarwar-has-changed-the-national-conversation-lk5cggrj5I talk in this podcast about new polling in The Sunday Times today, showing Sarwar’s big moment earned the approval of Scottish voters. You can read more about that poll here:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/poll-anas-sarwar-revolt-keir-starmer-jtdc5m6vnI hope you’re enjoying The Jaggy Thistle Podcast. Please subscribe to this channel. That way you’ll never miss another episode. If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link in the blurb below.Alternatively, If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m looking at a fundamental problem in Scottish democracy - a flaw in the electoral system that could very well give us a Scottish parliament that does not reflect the political views of the Scottish people. My column in The Times this week is on the same subject. If you’d like to read it you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/holyrood-election-reform-2026-xkstxjlqjPlease subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast.If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST:Today I’m setting the scene for the Holyrood election in May and asking if Scottish Labour has its strategy right for confronting Reform UK. I’ve been writing on the same subject in The Times this week, and if you’d like to read that column you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scottish-labour-needs-to-make-up-its-mind-about-reform-wkmhlkvhzPlease subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast.If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about Nigel Farage’s incendiary comments about Glasgow children. He said one in three of the city’s children live in homes where English is a second language, and he called this the “cultural smashing” of Glasgow. I challenge this and call for an end to the complacency in some quarters of Scotland - and on some Scottish political podcasts - about the true nature of the Faragist threat at the Holyrood elections next May.I wrote about this in The Times this week. You can find my column here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/picture-smashes-nigel-farage-fear-mongering-27fjs5jffPlease subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast.If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m asking if the demise of Keir Starmer could be brought about by Scottish Labour MPs. Recent stories in The Times suggest that Scottish Labour backbenchers are the most fervent proponents of an early challenge to Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party. Why? Because these Scottish Labour MPs are desperate to avoid a disaster at the Holyrood elections next May. They want these elections to be treated as important in their own right, not just as a data point in a broader debate about UK general election strategy.I recently wrote about this subject in my weekly column in The Times. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/labours-story-scotland-two-pronged-tale-doesnt-work-xb0zvnhwqPlease subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast.If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m talking about lessons for Scotland from Wales. After the Caerphilly by-election last week it now seems clear that Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru will try to work together to deprive Nigel Farage’s Reform UK of power after the Senedd election next May.I argue that something similar may be necessary in Scotland. Please let me know what you think in the comments.I wrote about this subject recently in my weekly column for The Times. If you’d like to read it you can find it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/wales-can-teach-us-a-valuable-lesson-in-barring-farage-from-power-2j6xccq7xIf you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I look at the failure of John Swinney to reshuffle the Scottish cabinet in anticipation of the Holyrood elections, even though four of his most senior ministers are not seeking re-election in that contest. I argue that Swinney is in danger of taking Scottish voters for granted. After all, these ministers will be arguing for policies they will not be implementing, and for which they will not be accountable. Please subscribe to this channel if you haven’t already. That way you’ll never miss another podcast. I recently wrote about this subject in The Times. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/john-swinneys-weeshuffle-leaves-scotland-with-lame-duck-cabinet-bzjmzm2xjIf you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please!If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stushie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I take stock of the Scottish National Party’s annual conference and I argue that the nationalists are well placed to win next year’s Holyrood election, re-electing John Swinney as first minister.I outline three strands of SNP thinking for the coming campaign, and I argue that taken together these offer a more coherent and compelling strategy than any served up by their rivals. I recently wrote about this subject in The Times. You can read my column here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/independence-kenny-farquharson-comment-snp-johnswinney-kbc9chmk2If you enjoyed this podcast why not buy me a coffee?You can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/thejaggythistleTwo sugars, please! If you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle newsletter on Substack, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack newsletter with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may well enjoy this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The State of It, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Coffee House Shots, The New Statesman Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I argue that the sacking of Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States is an opportunity to walk back some of his malign influence on today’s Labour party.I also tell a story about how I had breakfast with Mandelson in a posh Edinburgh hotel, and ended up embarrassing myself. I also wrote about Mandelson in today’s issue of The Times. Here’s the link if you’d prefer to read rather than listen: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/labour-desperately-needs-a-win-so-get-rid-of-the-house-of-lords-zvd7cmvbtIf you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle, if you haven’t already?It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome.There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack publication with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may like this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m asking how much success Jeremy Corbyn’s new political party can expect in the Scottish Parliament elections in May next year.I also wrote about this subject in my column in The Times, if you’d prefer to read rather than listen. Here’s a link: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/jeremy-corbyn-party-holyrood-election-scotland-reform-z8zftmhwpIf you’d like to be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle, if you haven’t already. It’s a community and a conversation. You’d be very welcome. There’s a link below.-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack publication with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may like this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Scotcast and Americast.-o0o- “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST: Today I’m picking up on a telling moment in Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir where she admits a flaw in her famed emotional intelligence. I argue that this reveals a more general flaw in Scottish nationalist thinking, one that acts as a brake on SNP advancement. And I show how it is responsible for the most stupid idea in Scottish nationalism. What is that stupid idea? Listen and find out! I covered the same ground in my column in The Times this week. You can read it here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/snp-must-realise-not-everyone-is-nationalist-to-the-bone-q2jwd7gsf-o0o-The Jaggy Thistle is a podcast with a focus on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.The podcast is presented by Kenny Farquharson, an award-winning Scottish journalist who is a political commentator with The Times.The Jaggy Thistle is also a Substack publication with essays, reportage, analysis and documentary photography.Subscribe for free here: https://thejaggythistle.substack.comYou may like this podcast if you are a fan of The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast, Scotcast and Americast. “A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

THE JAGGY THISTLE PODCAST:Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir, entitled Frankly, is the talk of the steamie. In today’s podcast I argue that the book requires a reassessment of what we thought we knew about SNP strategy on Scottish independence over the past decade. Let me know what you think. I’d be interested in your views. I wrote about this subject in The Times today. You can read my column here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/nicola-sturgeon-dead-end-snp-independence-7d7jwxp86If you’d like more of this and you aren’t already a subscriber to The Jaggy Thistle, please feel free to sign up and get every new episode emailed to you inbox. The Jaggy Thistle is your one-stop shop for Scottish politics and Scottish culture. These podcasts are free.There’s a link in the bio. The Jaggy Thistle is a community and a conversation. It would be great to have you along. -o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

I hope you enjoy this audio/video review from the Edinburgh International Festival. You can read my Times column on the same subject here.Please let me know what you think in the comments - The Jaggy Thistle is a conversation and a community.For more like this, as well as long-form journalism and documentary photography, why not become a free or paid subscriber, if you aren’t already? For details press this button:Be better informed about Scottish politics and Scottish culture!Thank you for your interest in The Jaggy Thistle. It is much appreciated. -o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

We have a tricky issue to discuss today, and I hope I have dealt with it sensitively.The issue is immigration, and the effect it has on the movement for Scottish independence.If you want to explore this subject more deeply, I wrote about it this week in my column in The Times:https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/independence-or-more-immigration-why-scotland-cant-have-both-53mjkl9xvAnd I also wrote about it, at length, in a Jaggy Thistle essay a couple of years ago:https://thejaggythistle.substack.com/p/are-new-immigrants-to-scotland-anti?r=23nr20If you've enjoyed this chat, why not subscribe to The Jaggy Thistle for more on Scottish politics and Scottish culture?To become a free or paid subscriber, use this link:https://thejaggythistle.substack.com/p/are-new-immigrants-to-scotland-anti?r=23nr20-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

Yes, this sixty-something boomer has done another video. Whatever next? A TikTok dance? Maybe not.Today I talk about my latest column in The Times, which asks if we in Scotland are ready for the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK.I suggest not. I explain why we need to get ourselves into a new headspace, especially when it comes to the tone we take in our day-to-day politics.If you’d like to read my column in full in The Times you can find it here.Please let me know what you think. Paid subscribers to The Jaggy Thistle can leave comments below this post.If you’re not a paid subscriber can I gently ask you to consider becoming one?As well as getting to join the conversation, you get full access to years of my long-form posts on Scottish politics and Scottish culture.Put aside that trashy beach novel! Read The Jaggy Thistle instead! Be better informed! Be entertained!Thanks for your time and your attention. As always, your interest is much appreciated.-o0o-“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe

Bit of an experiment today. I’ve been wondering how I could use more video on The Jaggy Thistle. And I’ve come up with the idea of doing a piece to camera describing what I’ve been writing about in The Times this week.Regular readers may be aware I write a weekly column on Scottish politics for The Times, and have done so since 2015. You can find my column in the Scottish edition of the paper most Wednesdays, in the main Comment section. Usually it goes online the previous evening, around teatime. So in this video I give a brief outline of my argument this week. You can read the column in full on the Times website here.This week I ask the question: Who are Labour’s hero voters in the Holyrood election that will be held in May next year? And is Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, ruthless enough to put these voters at the heart of his campaign?The Jaggy Thistle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.This is something that’s been on my mind for a while and it’s good to get it out there. And yes, I make a factual error in the very first minute. I say the UK general election was in 2025. Doh! I meant 2024. Great start. There are also numerous fumbles and misspeaks.Hey, I’m a typist not a talker. Not to betray any confidences, but I recently had to chance to put my “hero voter” argument to some senior Scottish Labour figures in a couple of private discussions. I have to say, I was given a hearing but not much more. Hence my lack of confidence, at this stage, that Scottish Labour will step up to the mark in the way I believe is necessary.I live in hope. Somebody has to. Whether or not I do another video like this, riffing off the top of my head about a column, I don’t know yet. Let’s see what kind of reaction it gets.Please let me know your thoughts. Have I identified the right hero voters? Is there a group of voters I have overlooked? Is there something else Sarwar needs to offer? Am I being too demanding? Is the kind of shift I am talking about unfeasible for Labour, given its history? Or does the moment require a leader who rewrites the rules? Paid subscribers to The Jaggy Thistle can leave comments here. If you’re not already a paid subscriber please consider becoming one. Join the conversation! Join the community!Please also let me know what you think of this experiment, and whether you’d like to see this as a regular feature on The Jaggy Thistle.Have I told you lately that I very much appreciate your interest in The Jaggy Thistle? Consider yourself cherished. -o0o-Did you enjoy this post? You did? Please press the heart button - it helps spread the word to other Substack readers.Why not show your appreciation by becoming a paid or unpaid subscriber to The Jaggy Thistle, if you aren’t already?A paid membership gives access to every post, plus the archive, plus the ability to comment on posts.And 10 per cent of every paid subscription goes to the children’s mental health charity The Wave Project, to be spent on their three Scottish operations.Join the community! Join the conversation! For more details press this button:Do you have a comment or observation on this post? Please share it by using this button:“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns-o0o- Get full access to The Jaggy Thistle at thejaggythistle.substack.com/subscribe