Can the next Scottish Government Revive the Economy? On the Elections Ep.5
UofG Spotlight
In today’s episode, we’re talking about the economy, and particularly whether the next Scottish Government can revive the economy in Scotland. Host Professor Graeme Roy is joined by three experts. Sara Carter, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow, Dr David Waite, senior lecturer in Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow, and Stephen Boyd, Director of the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland). They look at what the current future looks like for Scotland’s economy; the...
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The Manifestos - On the Elections Ep.4
UofG Spotlight
In this episode of the UofG Spotlight On the Elections podcast, we’re looking at what’s in the manifestos of the Scottish parties. Hosts Nicola McEwen and Kezia Dugdale talk to Professor Alistair Clark, a political scientist from the University of Newcastle and Chris Birt, Associate Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Together they discuss whether manifestos really matter, what’s in them, what’s not and how what they choose to emphasise gives us a greater insight into their priorities and outlook. Tune in and subscribe. ...
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The Rise of the Right - On the Elections Ep.3
UofG Spotlight
This week we’re looking at the rise of the right in Scotland. We're seeing Reform UK emerge in Scotland as a serious contender, and given the electoral system one that is likely to see a sizeable number of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. In this episode, we explore: What’s driving the rise of parties like Reform UK What can we learn from similar parties elsewhere? And what are the implications for public policy more generally? First up we talk to Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future, an independent, non-partisan thinktank and registered charity, engaging people’s hopes and...
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An Election in the Shadow of War? On the Elections Ep.2
UofG Spotlight
In today’s episode of our UofG Spotlight: On the Elections series, we're looking at the election through the lens of global politics and growing global insecurity, specifically the US and Israel's war with Iran. We’re joined by John Edward, Head of Operations at the Scottish Council on Global Affairs and Geoff Aberdein, Managing Partner at True North, co-host of the podcast Holyrood Sources, and a former Special Adviser to the SNP Scottish Government. We examine what the impact of the events in the Middle East are closer to home, on devolution and for Scotland’s wider place in the...
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On the Elections Ep.1: The Polls and the Policies So Far
UofG Spotlight
Kicking off our ‘On the Elections’ series of the UofG Spotlight podcast, hosts Nicola McEwen and Kez Dugdale talk to guests Chris Carman and Mark McGeoghegan. A ‘state of the race’ episode, they talk about the key issues for the campaign ahead. How much do the campaigns really matter? What are the polls saying, and how are key issues ranking with voters? What about Reform UK and just how volatile is the electorate? Tune in for a fantastic primer on the upcoming election in Scotland. Follow the election day by day with the Centre for Public Policy on our website here: ...
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Are We Tackling Poverty in Scotland?
UofG Spotlight
In this episode of Spotlight, Kezia Dugdale speaks with Jim McCormick, Chief Executive of The Robertson Trust, about the Scottish Government’s new Child Poverty Framework and what truly drives progress on lifting families out of poverty, from boosting incomes to delivering strong local services. Kezia is joined first by Dr Thomas Rochow to preview insights from the Centre’s State of Poverty project and why income support alone isn’t enough without accessible services and joined‑up systems.
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The Future of Higher Education in the UK
UofG Spotlight
Higher education is facing one of the most challenging periods in its recent history. Rising financial pressures, declining international student numbers, and shifting expectations. So what does a sustainable, inclusive, and future‑ready higher education system look like? In this episode, Prof Nicola McEwen explores the future of higher education with two leading voices. First, she speaks to Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli, former Principal of the University of Glasgow and now President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Anton sets out the scale of the financial pressures facing universities...
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Hard choices ahead? Budget Challenges Facing the Next Scottish Government
UofG Spotlight
In this episode, Nicola McEwen and Graeme Roy look ahead to the challenges facing the next Scottish Government as it confronts a tight fiscal landscape. Nicola speaks with Matt Donoghue from the State Government of Victoria about Australia’s Early Intervention and Investment Framework (EIIF) - an interesting approach to pooled budgeting and preventative spending that’s gaining international attention. They explore how the model works, how departments are incentivised to collaborate, and what it takes to shift resources toward long‑term prevention. Nicola then...
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Work, Ageing and the Employment Rights Act
UofG Spotlight
This week Kez Dugdale is joined by Professor Kathleen Riach and Professor Melanie Simms from the University of Glasgow to discuss work, ageing and employment rights. Kat takes us through her recent research on work and ageing, looking at what it means to become older in work, whether policymakers and employers are doing enough to support people and what impacts how ‘old’ we feel. Then Mel discusses the details, politics and implications of the Employment Rights Act, which recently received Royal Assent in Westminster. She talks about how the changes could impact workers and...
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Challenging Scotland's Political Leaders
UofG Spotlight
We’re kicking off Season 7 of our UofG Spotlight podcast with a live episode challenging our political leaders on public service reform in Scotland. Recorded live on Monday 19 January 2026 at our event, Stop/Start: Making Public Service Reform Stick in Scotland, our host Professor Kezia Dugdale talks to: Michael Marra MSP - Scottish Labour Alison Thewliss - SNP Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP - Scottish Conservatives Graham Simpson MSP - Reform UK Jamie Greene MSP - Scottish Liberal Democrats Gillian Mackay MSP - Scottish Greens Kez quizzed our panel about whether politicians can work together to...
info_outlineIn this episode of Spotlight, hosts Nicola McEwen and Kezia Dugdale are joined by Professors Nasar Meer and Sergi Pardos-Prado from the University of Glasgow to unpack the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper. This episode offers an evidence-based insight into the politics shaping UK immigration discourse.
The discussion explores the policy, politics and the rhetoric being used - particularly language like "island of strangers" and its implications for integration and public perception. They examine whether the proposals reflect genuine policy concerns or are driven by political positioning. Challenging some assumptions around immigration, including the idea of a zero-sum labour market and the notion that stricter conditions foster better integration. They also consider Scotland’s distinct workforce needs and the differences in response from the Scottish Government.