Alex and Bernard discuss the latest polls and fiscal challenges facing Labour so early in a new government.

Also, Trump continues to cut up the rule book in America and - what's it really like backstage at BBC Question Time.

📌 On Political Polls & SNP Strategy:

🗣️ "Do I believe any poll? No. All polls are a snapshot of opinion, but when a clear trend emerges, that’s when you have to take it seriously." – Bernard Ponsonby

🗣️ "The irony is that the SNP is doing relatively well just as they’ve stopped talking about independence." – Bernard Ponsonby

🗣️ "The question of a mandate for independence is no longer just about the number of seats—it’s about the percentage of the vote. And for that, Swinney has Nicola Sturgeon to thank." – Alex Massie

📌 On Labour’s Economic Problems:

🗣️ "Labour got into government and said, ‘Gosh, we’ve looked at the books and it’s all much worse than we thought.’ But despite that, all our pre-election promises remain good. There is an obvious tension here." – Alex Massie

🗣️ "The brutal reality for Scottish Labour is that they cannot control what happens in London. That is a problem." – Bernard Ponsonby

🗣️ "Labour has made the delivery of its economic plan virtually impossible because of pre-election promises. They will break a manifesto commitment on direct taxation. That’s my firm prediction." – Bernard Ponsonby

📌 On Trump’s America:

🗣️ "The Republican Party has ceased to operate like a democratic political party—it has become a cult." – Bernard Ponsonby

🗣️ "Trump isn’t behaving like a normal American president. He’s behaving like one of those Central Asian dictators who spend 80% of GDP on erecting a gold statue of themselves." – Alex Massie

🗣️ "If you campaign on ‘change,’ you have to be seen to be delivering change. That is something people are not feeling right now—certainly not in Scotland." – Alex Massie

📌 On Question Time & Political Dynamics:

🗣️ "Politicians have far more in common with each other behind the scenes than they let on in public." – Alex Massie

🗣️ "You don’t need Question Time—you just need the podcast." – Bernard Ponsonby

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