{"podcast":{"title":"Holyrood Sources","slug":"holyrood-sources-6059290","podcast_index_feed_id":6059290,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/643d6492ae2be60011a66c8d","website_url":"https://holyroodsources.com","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/643d6492ae2be60011a66c8d/1770832623635-1d75b621-0366-4066-bbbe-fe4a156e1798.jpeg","author":"Shortbread Media","episode_count":235,"summary":"The Holyrood Sources podcast analyses Scottish politics through the experiences of those who have lived and breathed it as Special Advisers to the Scottish Government, SNP and opposition parties. Join hosts Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (Chief of Staff to the First Minister, 2007-2014) and Andy Maciver (Former Head of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives) as they take you inside Scottish politics. Their insight is second to none - they've been there, lived it, and maintain remarkable connections to Scotland's politicians and the world of Scottish politics. Join our mailing list and check out our latest live events: click holyroodsources.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T02:17:09.442387+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holyrood-sources-6059290"},"episode":{"title":"The Tories Win Stephen Flynn's Old Seat","slug":"the-tories-win-stephen-flynn-s-old-seat","published_at":"2026-06-19T13:42:58+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holyrood-sources-6059290/the-tories-win-stephen-flynn-s-old-seat","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holyrood-sources-6059290","url":"https://www.holyroodsources.com","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/643d6492ae2be60011a66c8d/e/6a354762db494ef85cb09c3f/media.mp3","summary":"The overnight by-election results are in, and Scottish politics has been turned completely on its head! In this bonus episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down a seismic night that saw the Scottish Conservatives secure a historic victory in Aberdeen South—their first by-election win since 1973. The panel dives into how Douglas Lumsden and Kemi Badenoch \"dictated the terms\" of the campaign by going all-in on oil and gas, leaving John Swinney’s SNP facing a brutal wake-up call over their muddled energy policy. We also look at the internal SNP friction exploding on X/Twitter between Stephen Flynn and Kate Higgins. Plus, we head south to Makerfield where Andy Burnham's massive 55% win has triggered what looks like an inevitable, high-stakes Labour leadership battle with a defiant Sir Keir Starmer. Is Starmer completely delusional, or can he survive a battle of ideas? 💬 WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! What is your reaction to the Aberdeen South result? Is the SNP's position on oil and gas completely broken? 📱 WhatsApp us: 0333 404 6507 (Start your message with the word Holyrood ) and we might read your thoughts out on next week's episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"The overnight by-election results are in, and Scottish politics has been turned completely on its head! In this bonus episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum M…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2002,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/holyrood-sources-6059290/episodes/the-tories-win-stephen-flynn-s-old-seat/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/holyrood-sources-6059290/the-tories-win-stephen-flynn-s-old-seat.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}