Legal Aid Reform: What It Means for Families and Women
UofG Spotlight
In this episode, we tackle a critical and timely issue in the Scottish policy landscape: access to justice. Kezia speaks with two leading academics and legal aid practitioners, Fiona McPhail and Jen Ang, about the Scottish Government’s ongoing consideration of Legal Aid Reform. With decades of experience in social justice law, they share insights on what reform could mean. Then, we take a deeper look at the experiences of people trying to access justice. Joined by Satwat Rehman, Chief Executive of One Parent Families Scotland, and Marsha Scott, Chief Executive of Scottish Women’s...
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The State of Poverty: Systems, Silos and Solutions
UofG Spotlight
In this Challenge Poverty Week special, Nicola McEwen and Kezia Dugdale explore the governance of poverty with Claire MacRae and Thomas Rochow from the Centre for Public Policy. This week the First Minister reiterated again that eradicating child poverty is the driving mission for his government. The State of Poverty research team discuss how institutional silos and fragmented decision-making can hinder progress towards tackling poverty. They also explain their innovative approach to including lived experience in their work through composite stories. In the second part of the...
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Beyond the Repair Shop: Rethinking Health Systems
UofG Spotlight
In this season opener of Spotlight, Nicola McEwen and Kezia Dugdale explore the future of Scotland’s health, focusing on prevention, systems change, and the social determinants of health. Nicola speaks with Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for the Scottish Government, about the long-term challenges facing the health service, the concept of Realistic Medicine, and why prevention must be central to Scotland’s public health strategy. Their wide-ranging conversation touches on political decision-making pressures and the potential of AI in healthcare, offering a compelling...
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Beyond Srebrenica and Responsibility to Protect
UofG Spotlight
This powerful episode marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. Hosts Nicola McEwen and Kez Dugale reflect on the events of July 1995, when over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were systematically murdered in a UN-declared "safe area" and 30,000 Bosnian Muslim women and children forcibly removed during the Bosnian War. They are joined by Sabina Kadić-Mackenzie, Chair of the Scottish charity Beyond Srebrenica and a survivor of the genocide, who shares her personal story and the mission to ensure remembrance and education in Scotland and beyond. Sabina discusses the...
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In Conversation with Anton Muscatelli
UofG Spotlight
In this special episode, we sit down with Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli as he prepares to step down after 16 transformative years as Principal of the University of Glasgow. We reflect on his time at the University and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for higher education in Scotland and beyond. From steering the institution through global upheavals — including the financial crisis, Brexit, and the pandemic — to championing internationalisation while staying rooted in civic responsibility, Sir Anton shares candid insights on leadership, resilience, and the balancing...
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The Immigration White Paper
UofG Spotlight
In 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...
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Parallel Politics: 2025 Elections in England, Canada, and Australia
UofG Spotlight
This week, co-hosts Nicola McEwen and Kez Dugdale bring together three expert guests to delve into the outcomes and potential parallels of the recent 2025 elections in England, Australia, and Canada for a special Elections Bumper episode. Nicola and Kez start us off with insights from Mark McGeoghegan, University of Glasgow researcher of nationalism and contentious politics, on local elections in England. Then Nicola brings us into conversation with Andre Lecours, world-leading scholar on Canadian politics from the University of Ottawa, who reflects on the outcomes of the Canadian...
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Energy Policy: Grangemouth and Panama in Transition
UofG Spotlight
In this special Energy Bumper episode of Spotlight, host Kez Dugdale explores how global energy policy decisions are shaping communities and industries from Central America to Central Scotland. First, Kez speaks with Dr Ewan Gibbs, Senior Lecturer in Economic and Social History, about the shifting energy and industrial landscape in Grangemouth and Scunthorpe — two UK towns at the frontline of transition debates. Then, Dr Hannah Salamon interviews Rosilena Lindo Riggs, former National Secretary of Energy for Panama and a leading voice in climate and energy policy. Their conversation touches...
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What do young people want from our politics?
UofG Spotlight
What do young people want from our politics? This week, Nicola McEwen is joined by Eddie Barnes and Elisabeth Loose from the John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow to discuss their newly published UK Youth Poll 2025. The UK Youth Poll 2025 explores the attitudes and priorities of young people aged 16-29 across the UK. The findings reveal strong support for democracy but concern for its future, with financial worries and material needs driving much of their anxiety. Young people are calling for a more honest, solutions-focused politics, while issues like toxic...
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Child Poverty and the Public Debt Crisis
UofG Spotlight
Our Associate Director, Kezia Dugdale hosted a political panel discussion, asking all the major parties in Scotland what we can expect to see from them in the run up to the election on the issues of poverty, public debt and the multi-level governance challenges at play. During the panel we heard from the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville; Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP; Cllr Blair Anderson; Miles Briggs MSP; and Paul O’Kane MSP. This was a joint conference the Centre for Public Policy hosted with Aberlour Children's Charity,...
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.