Some big pennies are dropping this week. The biggest, probably, is the US disengagement from Ukraine. It's not just Ukrainians that are being given the heave-ho, it seems to be Europe as a whole.

We also look at the big statement about energy for an independent Scotland and the promise of a third off bills. Is that realistic? of course, it actually is, but quite how would you get there? And does John Swinney have to spell it out? We analyise the nuclear consensus amongst Labour, Tory, and the Westminster parties. Why on earth are they so keen to have new nuclear plants in Scotland? We talk about Lord Malcolm Offord and his defection to Reform to stand for the Scottish Parliament. And we look at the Sandy Peggie verdict. Does anybody really see clearly what it means?

The A'Chraobh Forest Project
Producing a professional film from the footage will cost £600-£1000.
The Spiral Forrest at Borgie in Sutherland is an attempt by descendants of the people cleared by the Duke of Sutherland from Strathnaver to have their say about the landscape. It’s composed of the 18 trees native to Scotland which are also part of the unique Gàidhlig alphabet. Lesley planted the first tree in 2000 along with hundreds of school kids from North Sutherland and returned this weekend with organisers, some of those children now adults and their own children, to commemorate 25 years of a very different kind of woodland. She captured footage while she was there and is looking to raise some money to pay an editor. If any Sutherland folk or people who feel strongly about native Woodland or indeed the clearances, want to contribute, please contact her at hello@lesleyriddoch.com

Links

Norway the Twin Nation
https://youtu.be/oUbMAFO6kA4

Makar Homes
https://www.makar.co.uk/

In this week’s episode, we have a long reflection on the trauma that's around at the moment. Some of it is faced by people who have campaigned against things like the battery storage plants that are abounding around rural Scotland. Sleepless nights, disappointment, disillusionment. That may not seem like a big deal in the face of all the other trauma going around, the terrorist attack on Jews in Australia, the enduring horrible genocide being experienced in Gaza, and the suggestion by President Netanyahu that you can't speak about one without getting on the wrong side of the other.

So we discuss all of that. Donald Trump's allegation that, putting it bluntly, Europe is crap, and perhaps the difficulty in managing to get a common position when giving funds to Ukraine would bear that out. We also discuss the Question Time furor over the question about school children and fluency in English, which turned into a debate about second languages among young people All that and more.

Links
Jen Strout - Night Train to Odesa
https://birlinn.co.uk/product/night-train-to-odesa-2/

Jim Sillars - The New Case for Optimism
https://www.vagabondvoices.co.uk/rants/the-new-case-for-optimism

This week, we learnt that there was no black hole in the UK finances all along. We discuss Rachel Reeves and her doom and gloom pre-budget speech, the controversies that have followed and the stoochie caused by the Office for Budget Responsibility having already told the chancellor that she had some money in the kitty after all. The resignation of the head bummer of the OBR and calls for the resignation of the Chancellor.

We discuss all things Saint Andrew’s Day, planning nightmares in the Highlands over wind farm expansion.
That and Barclays Hamden Stadium, whether anybody will ever call it that, and does it matter?

Links
Find out more about the Birthplace of the Saltire and the new Saltire Monument
https://saltire.scot/

Well, there's the football and the football and the reaction to the football and the football, and the goals and the radio commentary and the hope and the exhilaration and the football. So we talk about that even though Fraser's nae all that keen. We talk also about the lessons you might learn from Denmark, which is being heralded by Labour as their template for their new crackdown on refugees and asylum seekers.

We look at the recent Copenhagen mayoral election where the Social Democrats have lost the control that they have held for 100 years, mostly over the pact with the far right. So beware what you wish for Labour. We talk also about the new Good Morning Scotland that isn't called that anymore. Is it all that different, and what could it be doing more? We look at the COVID inquiry verdicts and the tragedy of the UK establishment telling the Scottish Government that their big mistake was not deviating completely from what the British government was doing. All this and more..

Links
Celebrate Saint Andrew's Day at the birthplace of Scotland's Flag

Pipes and Drums from 1.30pm, Flag Ceremony 2pm followed by a service in Athelstaneford Parish Church. (small hand flags only, plesase, no personal flags, saltires or banners) https://www.facebook.com/events/800678686169345

Pennie Taylor - scroll to 1:27:49 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mp06

Richard Murphy and budget - https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25643726.scotland-needs-budget-wont-get/

Guardian and Danish left resurgent - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/22/danish-model-centre-left-parties-labour-doesnt-work

Down Cemetery Road 5 stars from Graudian https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/29/down-cemetery-road-review-emma-thompson-thriller-apple-tv

In this podcast extra Lesley speaks to writer, human rights campaigner and former diplomate Craig Murray and to Sara Salayers of Salvo about their work in the UN in both Geneva and New York taking forward the case for Liberation Scotland find out more at https://liberation.scot/

Suddenly, Denmark is in the news and not necessarily in a good way. We discuss the UK Government's plans for changes to immigration and asylum in the UK.

We also look back to what's been described as the circular firing squad of Labor's inept briefing against Wes Streeting and the kind of will she won't she hokey cokey budget where the tax rises that were supposed to be inevitable have suddenly been offlaid by discovering some money down the back of the sofa. We take a look at the latest news on WASPI Women, The Alba Party's policy announcements on Onshore Wind, and muse over what is going on with Your Party as it continues to move forward despite repeated setbacks.

Links
Celebrate Saint Andrew's Day at the birthplace of Scotland's Flag

Pipes and Drums from 1.30pm, Flag Ceremony 2pm followed by a service in Athelstaneford Parish Church. (small hand flags only, plesase, no personal flags, saltires or banners)
https://www.facebook.com/events/800678686169345

Danish Immigration System by BBC's Iain Watson

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002m315

Interesting land reform piece which Lesley contributed background for;

https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/green-lairds-lego-millions-and-the-battle-to-buy-back-scotlands-land

The BBC's had a pretty bad week, North and South of the border. We look at the suggestions that Robbie Gibb, the right-winger on the BBC board, has led a bit of a coup to get rid of the Director General and Head of News. What happens next? Does the license fee payer have to cough up millions to compensate Donald Trump for apparent hurt to his reputation?

We discuss that, plus the hurt to Yesers in Scotland and that there has hardly been a mention of the lack of trust, visible and measurable in Scotland as a result of handling of the Indyref. We examine some of the most outragous examples of BBC Bias and recall the protests. We also look also at prisons and the problems in England with the mistaken release of dangerous offenders. We also discuss planned early release in Scotland. What's that about, and why are our prisons filled to bursting?

Donate to support the Podcast https://lesleyriddoch.com/podcast/subscribe

Links
Magnus Turpie

If you would like to support Magnus Turpie and Friends you can vote for them at Question 11 and Dick Gaughanich at Question 6

https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotstradmusicawards/voting/

Listen to the full band https://www.youtube.com/@mcturpie/videos

Watch the Scotland’s Lost Forests Film

https://youtu.be/MuTV1SiYeu4

Forest film write up in the National https://www.thenational.scot/news/25610918.lesley-riddoch-launched-new-film-scotlands-missing-forests/

London Calling: BBC bias during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum

https://youtu.be/TXQYuLUAbyw?si=H1mN3ZCRFDsKLcnB

Scotcast about BBC bias on Panorama starts with Senior Producer Natalie Higgins and Martin Geissler

Then Brian Taylor and Liz Lloyd on IndyRef

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002m077

YouGov Media Trust findings
https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/45744-which-media-outlets-do-britons-trust-2023

In this week's eposide we give first reactions to Rachel Reeves' speech outlining all the terrible problems of the UK which land us with some of the highest Governent borrowing costs in the world. We look at what might lie ahead in the UK budget and discuss how Reform's economic strategies are falling off the edge at a rate of knots with the council they actually run Kent County Council looks set to increase council taxes rather than managing to save money.

We also discuss the land reform legislation that was going through Holyrood last week, which seems destined to make no difference whatsoever, except to complicate things even more. All this with a sprinkling of Edinburgh trams, Highland Council's seemingly robust response to SSEN's High Votage Transmission plans, and forays into the US and New York's mayoral election. But we end (before Lesley has to run out the door) with reflections on Scottish cultre and the life of the curator Elspeth King.

Links
Tacking stitches - The first thing you should do when you buy a new coat
https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/a46500500/tacking-stitch-coat-jacket-vent-men/

Elspeth King
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25589816.former-glasgow-peoples-palace-curator-elspeth-king-dies/

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/peoples-palace-curator-elspeth-king-on-becoming-the-glasgow-midden-raker - great STV interview with Elspeth King 2022.

Land Reform
Briefing by Andy Whiteman
https://andywightman.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/stage_3_briefing.pdf

Council Tax (not) Reform
https://www.commonweal.scot/articles/magazine-e2ype

Edinburgh Trams

https://padfletcher.substack.com/p/edinburgh-council-and-its-tram-extension

Paddy Fletcher piece on economics of new edinburgh tram.