Bernard and Alex chew over:

SECUIRTY CRISIS - NATO and Europe in a Security crisis as "strongmen" Trump and Putin carve up the geopolitical map.

GENDER - Last week's debate around gender issues and disagreements on the ability to debate them in the Scottish Parliament puts further pressure on First Minister, John Swinney, and the role of the Presiding Officer.

SCOTTISH LABOUR - With the Scottish Labour conference underway in Glasgow, what can Anas Sarwar do to stop the party tanking in the polls?

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Times journalist and co-author of a new book on the current Labour Government, Patrick Maguire, joins Bernard and Alex to discuss Keir Starmer and particularly the relationship with his Chief of Staff, Morgan McSweeney.

PATRICK MAGUIRE

ON McSWEENEY

"People say, ‘Why is this the Morgan McSweeney story with Keir Starmer as a supporting actor?’—because that’s what happened."

"Morgan McSweeney was doing this long before Keir Starmer began to think seriously about Labour politics."

"His polling showed, as early as 2017, that there was one person in the sweet spot to lead Labour: Keir Starmer."

"Morgan McSweeney recruits Keir Starmer. He picks Keir Starmer, not the other way around."

"McSweeney is seen by many in Labour as more important than Starmer himself—some say their ultimate loyalty is to him."

ON STARMER

"Keir didn’t start anywhere apart from vaguely progressive."

"He genuinely believes that if he can run things better, things will run more smoothly."

"His political formation, unusually for a leader of the Labour Party, has taken place in real time as Labour leader."

"Starmer is constantly defined by events and is something of a political opportunist."

"He is not thinking, ‘the political solution to this is X or Y’—he just takes advice and adapts."

"There is no such thing as Starmerism because Starmer abhors ideology—when the left accuse him of it, he is genuinely horrified."

"It’s remarkable that as late as 2022, Starmer needed outside advisors to ask, 'What is it you actually believe?'"

"You can bet against Keir Starmer, but often he will, despite himself, surprise you."

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1. “We survived this old man one time before, we'll survive him a second time around.” – Stewart McDonald on Ukrainian resilience against Putin and Trump
2. “This idea that their land can just be chopped up by Washington DC and the Kremlin in Moscow, over the heads of Ukraine, over the heads of Ukraine's neighboring allies in Poland and the Baltic States and the rest of European NATO, is something that horrifies them. But it's not something that necessarily surprises them.” – Stewart McDonald on Ukrainian fears of an imposed deal
3. “Trump sees this as a transaction, and a transaction is not a peace deal.” – Stewart McDonald on Trump's approach to Ukraine
4. “The real consequence of Trump's manoeuvres on Ukraine won't actually be Ukraine—because if they're not in the room, there won't be a deal—but he's risking in the process a whole series of transatlantic relationships.” – Bernard Ponsonby on the diplomatic fallout
5. “If Putin has his ear, and I think he has more than his ear, who knows what Trump will come out and impose in Ukraine?” – Stewart McDonald on the dangers of Trump’s relationship with Putin

1. “Putin’s long game is avenging Russia for its 1990s humiliation as he sees it.” – Alex Massie on Putin’s geopolitical ambitions
2. “Russia wants to sow, feed and cause as much chaos as possible. It’s not necessarily about getting you to think in a certain way—it just wants to throw so much stuff at you that people become confused, distrusting, and retreat into information vacuums.” – Stewart McDonald on Russia’s disinformation tactics
3. “This has been Trump's most successful week… sorry, I mean Putin’s most successful week in a while.” – Stewart McDonald on how recent events have played into Russia’s hands

1. “A huge wedge has now been driven between Europe and the US. I would go so far as to suggest that Article 5 is practically meaningless.” – Stewart McDonald on NATO’s weakening position
2. “If you lose the essential guarantor of Western security, and if the United States can no longer be considered a fully trustworthy actor or partner on the international stage, then you have an enormous vacuum at the heart of the international security apparatus.” – Alex Massie on the crumbling transatlantic alliance
3. “If we go back to the old rules of might is right, then not only will that be catastrophic in terms of loss of life, it will be far more financially expensive than making the investments in defence today.” – Stewart McDonald on the long-term risks of inaction
4. “Decades of conventional thinking on Western defence have been ripped up this week.” – Alex Massie on the impact of recent geopolitical events

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