Lesley Riddoch

Mostly Belfast

This week’s @lesleyriddoch podcast was recorded after Lesley’s return from a stay in Belfast and today's Scotsman column. It’s been a couple of weeks since the last pod and there was a lot to catch up with. Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, the Boston Marathon bombing and the perspectives from Belfast all feature in a lively digest.

Happy birthday to Belfast

Belfast is 400 years old this week – but the city has fewer obvious reasons to celebrate than a century back, when the loss of the “unsinkable” Titanic delivered a massive blow to morale.

Economic performance indicators published last week proved Northern Ireland still has the highest level of inactivity among the UK’s 12 regions and the highest overall unemployment.

No disrespect, but debate goes on

The five-member Green and Independent group at Holyrood prompted a salvo of (generally) hostile headlines by announcing they’ll debate “There is still such a thing as society” just after Mrs Thatcher’s coffin has been carried to St Paul’s Cathedral for a ceremonial funeral with military honours.

The group gets one debate a year. The date was chosen in January, long before the Iron Lady’s demise, but the topic was chosen after her death. The group could only ignore or tackle a momentous coincidence they did not create. With just one more debate in their gift before next year’s referendum they chose the latter option. Were they right?

All for one and one for all

A petition with half a million names will be handed to Iain Duncan Smith today, urging him to live on £53 per week. The “put up or shut up” call to the bedroom tax architect is controversial. Some say it plays the man, not the ball, and is pointless since IDS is clearly no more for turning than the Tory heroine from whose era his welfare “reform” appears to have been drawn.

April Fool, Eggs, Paolo and Bedroom Blockers

This week’s podcast was recorded after noon on Monday 1^st April, the day after Easter. Naturally enough, the papers were full of funny fictional stories. One caught Chris’ eye and Lesley wonders aloud about eggs and Easter before commenting about the reaction of Sunderland fans to their new manager. Finally, Lesley gets stuck into the latest set of revelations around the Bedroom Tax and takes the debate a little bit further on and asks “What is the vision for welfare?” in the independence debate.

Finally, unlike Amazon deliveries , you don't have to be in to sign for this podcast. You can subscribe to the Lesley Riddoch podcast directly, at no cost, at iTunes via this link or search for the podcast under ‘Feisty Productions’ on the iTunes Store.

Black Monday for many on benefits

So “ratbag” Iain Duncan Smith has decided to leave his £2 million mansion and sleep rough this Easter Monday to express solidarity with those facing the bedroom tax.

Stung to the quick by Scottish hostility, the erstwhile “compassionate Conservative” said: “We are all in this together. And anyway I can buy another big hoose when things calm doon.”

Yes indeed – it is 1 April. But not even the coincidence of April Fools’ Day and Easter Monday has prompted a second’s hesitation or remorse from the man dismantling the welfare state.

Shovel Ready Early Years, Wind Turbines and We Are Northern Lights

This week’s @lesleyriddoch podcast tries to cover a lot of ground. Lesley watched the First Minister’s speech at the SNP Conference and was fairly unconvinced about the new emphasis on ‘child care’. There seems to be a lot of muddled thinking going on around this topic. And the same could be said about the UK’s policy on renewable energy, if Ed Davey is anything to go by. Lesley reports back from the Scottish Renewables Conference with her thoughts.

Finally, ranked “most Scottish film I've ever seen” , Lesley is a big fan of “We Are Northern Lights” and there are no ‘spoiler alerts’ in this section of the podcast – just a clear endorsement.

Gender may sway referendum vote

Men say yes to independence – women say no. That was the bittersweet reality behind a weekend poll which gave the SNP a 20-point lead over Labour and reduced the swing needed for a Yes vote to 5 per cent.

On the face of it, that’s achievable – but the lion’s share of undecided voters are women, who are more likely to vote No. The Panelbase survey found men almost twice as likely to support independence (47 per cent against 25 per cent) and that 22 per cent gender gap is part of a trend – 15 per cent last year and 13 per cent last month (recorded by Ipsos Mori).

Lesson in islands’ bid for autonomy

It may not be the top question on anyone’s lips – but since the Northern Isles are Scotland’s offshore energy capital (in oil, gas and marine renewables) rumbles of discontent carry weight. But are these mere rumbles, what do they mean and are they being deliberately magnified?

COSLA, Bedroom Tax, the Clash of Titans and Comrie Conversations

Lesley chaired sessions at the 2013 COSLA  Conference in St Andrews. She reports back from a conference where the architect of the ‘Bedroom Tax’, Lord Freud delivered a presentation. It was a tense session as Lesley recounts.  Lesley later chaired a session where Nicola Sturgeon ‘debated’ with Alistair Darling.  She also outlines some of the protocols which surrounded this ‘first’ clash of the ‘Leaders’ of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. Shades of ‘Kennedy and Nixon’.  However, Lesley does gives a broader perspective to a number of the ‘community’ related initiatives that Local Authorities are facing up to.

Finally, Lesley and Andy Wightman were invited to take part in a ‘Comrie Conversation’; a community which came together to talk about ‘independence’ at the grassroots. You’ll be surprised at the links in topics between COSLA and Comrie.

Finally, in response to questions, you can subscribe to the Lesley Riddoch podcast directly, at no cost, at iTunes via this link or search for the podcast under ‘Feisty Productions’ on the iTunes Store. ( We would like some ratings too – hint hint. )

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