My latest party leader interview is with Ruth Davidson, head of the Scottish Conservatives. She talked to me about her campaign to offer strong opposition to the Nationalists at Holyrood. That interview is published here. First up, her answers to my quick-fire round. Stephen Daisley (SD): Hillary or Bernie? Ruth Davidson (RD): Hillary. SD: TrumpContinue reading "Who is Ruth Davidson’s secret crush? (Hint: It’s not Murdo Fraser.)"
Colin Fox on Homer Simpson, strikes and the Marxist dialectic of pugs
Colin Fox was the sixth party leader to sit down with me for a conversation about the election. Technically, Fox is still the leader of the Scottish Socialist Party and the Lothians list candidate for Rise, a new left-unity coalition born out of the radical elements of the Yes campaign. However, he has become theContinue reading "Colin Fox on Homer Simpson, strikes and the Marxist dialectic of pugs"
Willie Rennie on drugs. Wait, not *on* drugs. At least I don’t think so…
Next up in my series of party leader interviews is Willie Rennie. Rennie is leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, God love him. Actually, he's had a belter of a campaign, hurling around on zip wires and inadvertently appearing in porcine pornography. I sat down with him to talk about liberalism, illiberalism and whether ScotlandContinue reading "Willie Rennie on drugs. Wait, not *on* drugs. At least I don’t think so…"
Kezia Dugdale: Is she tough enough to take on Nicola Sturgeon?
How do you begin an interview with Kezia Dugdale? I just want to give her a hug and tell her everything's going to be okay. Except it's not. Dugdale heads a party battered and bloody from its last encounter with the voters. The Holyrood election on May 5 is set to be another drubbing. ThereContinue reading "Kezia Dugdale: Is she tough enough to take on Nicola Sturgeon?"
Kezia Dugdale gave me a pug toy. As if I wasn’t enough of a Labour shill.
In the third in my series of party leader interviews, I sat down with Kezia Dugdale. Despite being a really nice person, Kez is leader of the Scottish Labour Party. And she's had a pretty eventful campaign so far, what with coming out, U-turning on her central tax policy, having to clarify her stance onContinue reading "Kezia Dugdale gave me a pug toy. As if I wasn’t enough of a Labour shill."
Sturgeon, the Stasi and state guardians: A conversation with David Coburn
David Coburn is wrong about absolutely everything. Immigration? Wrong. The European Union? Wrong. TTIP? Wrong. (I am in the unusual position of being both to the left and the right of Ukip.) And we won't get into his crass comments about Humza Yousaf, the lip-quiveringly luscious Scottish Government minister. No, there's nothing I could everContinue reading "Sturgeon, the Stasi and state guardians: A conversation with David Coburn"
David Coburn on Brussels, Bake Off and Bernie Sanders. (Yes, his mic’s on.)
The next interview in my series of conversations with party leaders is David Coburn. The leader of Ukip in Scotland sat down with me to talk about health, education and, yes, you guessed it, the European Union. I understand it was one of two interviews he's done in his entire career with someone other thanContinue reading "David Coburn on Brussels, Bake Off and Bernie Sanders. (Yes, his mic’s on.)"
In the path of the juggernaut
The 110th anniversary of the parliamentary Labour party passed by in February largely unremarked. The decision by Keir Hardie’s Labour Representation Committee to rename itself ‘the Labour party’ after winning 29 seats in the 1906 election was a historic one. It marked the beginning of organised labour as a force in the House of Commons,Continue reading "In the path of the juggernaut"
Will voters give Green light for bold policies?
It's good to be Green. After years of parrying barbs about tie-dyes and tofu, the party is getting the last laugh on those who dismissed them as a political punchline. Undeodorised tree-huggers and yurt-dwelling vegans no more; the Greens are a growing force in Scottish politics. They head into the Holyrood election in better shapeContinue reading "Will voters give Green light for bold policies?"
Patrick Harvie on Grumpy Cat, Donald Trump’s wig and Captain Planet
As part of STV's Holyrood election coverage, I am sitting down with all the major and minor party leaders to talk about their prospectus for government. First up is Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, who joined me to talk about taxation, education and a second referendum on independence. That interview will be publishedContinue reading "Patrick Harvie on Grumpy Cat, Donald Trump’s wig and Captain Planet"
Stephen Daisley 