Subscribers - The Lesley Riddoch Podcast
from Lesley Riddoch and Fraser Thompson
The World Has Changed
We speculate on what will be in Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement. Will the extra spending on building social/affordable housing be enough to stave off a revolt over social security cuts? Is she repeating the failures of a previous Labour government in thrall to iron clad ,self imposed fiscal rules? What impact has the Bank of England's monetary policy had on creating the "debt crisis"?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/25/reeves-to-put-2bn-into-affordable-housing-to-sweeten-the-pill-of-cuts
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/24/the-guardian-view-on-rachel-reevess-spending-cuts-a-choice-not-an-economic-necessity
Cowal Community Energy has had its bid to take over the lease for a large scale windfarm rejected by Forestry Land Scotland. Are the rules stacked against any community winning a contract? Why won't the Scottish Government step in, create winnable contracts, or even openly favour community bids?
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25022447.lesley-riddoch-welcoming-community-wind-farm-bid/
We also look at why Ferguson Marine failed to win the contract for seven new electric ferries, losing out to Poland.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25015931.ferguson-marine-built-seven-new-ferries-says-ex-owner/
Oscar winner Hamdan Billal has vanished after being removed from an ambulance following an attack on his home by Israeli settlers. We examine the escalation of illegal Israeli violence on the West Bank since October the 7th 2023.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/israel-ramps-settlement-and-annexation-west-bank-dire-human-rights
https://www.btselem.org/topic/settler_violence
23 year old Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat became the 208th media worker to be killed in Gaza after his car was specifically targeted by the IDF. Will his plea that we "Do not stop talking about Gaza Do not let the world look away." be heeded by the western media?
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/mar/25/journalists-killed-israeli-strikes-hossam-shabat-mohammed-mansour-press-freedom-groups-condemn
On a lighter note here's the link to the Mark Carney, Mike Myers video we spoke about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972fCFe0Nt8
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/25/reeves-to-put-2bn-into-affordable-housing-to-sweeten-the-pill-of-cuts
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/24/the-guardian-view-on-rachel-reevess-spending-cuts-a-choice-not-an-economic-necessity
Cowal Community Energy has had its bid to take over the lease for a large scale windfarm rejected by Forestry Land Scotland. Are the rules stacked against any community winning a contract? Why won't the Scottish Government step in, create winnable contracts, or even openly favour community bids?
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25022447.lesley-riddoch-welcoming-community-wind-farm-bid/
We also look at why Ferguson Marine failed to win the contract for seven new electric ferries, losing out to Poland.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/25015931.ferguson-marine-built-seven-new-ferries-says-ex-owner/
Oscar winner Hamdan Billal has vanished after being removed from an ambulance following an attack on his home by Israeli settlers. We examine the escalation of illegal Israeli violence on the West Bank since October the 7th 2023.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/israel-ramps-settlement-and-annexation-west-bank-dire-human-rights
https://www.btselem.org/topic/settler_violence
23 year old Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat became the 208th media worker to be killed in Gaza after his car was specifically targeted by the IDF. Will his plea that we "Do not stop talking about Gaza Do not let the world look away." be heeded by the western media?
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/mar/25/journalists-killed-israeli-strikes-hossam-shabat-mohammed-mansour-press-freedom-groups-condemn
On a lighter note here's the link to the Mark Carney, Mike Myers video we spoke about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972fCFe0Nt8