Is Labour Bust Economically and Electorally?

02/08/25 • 51 min

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

Focussing on UK, Scottish and Global politics, if you like other great political podcasts like The Rest is Politics, The News Agents, Newscast, Questions Time, Holyrood Sources, Planet Holyrood, The Stooshie, The Steamie, Scotcast, Americast etc etc then The Ponsonby and Massie Podcast could be a great show to add to your list of favourites.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

📌 On Labour’s Economic Problems:

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

🗣️ "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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

TRUMP'S PROTECTIONISM - An Opportunity for the UK & Scotland?

Does Trump's "America First" start to his second term as US President, with trade wars, tough immigration policies, border controls and pulling back from international cooperation actually create an opportunity for the UK and Scotland?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

TRUMP & PUTIN - Carve-Up Ukraine & Rip-Up Western Defence

Alex and Bernard are joined by former SNP Defence Spokesperson in the UK Parliament, Stewart McDonald.On the Ukraine War and Trump's Role

“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
“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
“Trump sees this as a transaction, and a transaction is not a peace deal.” – Stewart McDonald on Trump's approach to Ukraine
“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
“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

On Russia’s Long-Term Strategy

“Putin’s long game is avenging Russia for its 1990s humiliation as he sees it.” – Alex Massie on Putin’s geopolitical ambitions
“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
“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

On the Future of NATO and Western Security

“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
“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
“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
“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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