Becoming first minister was the easy bit for John Swinney. Now the handshakes and warm words are over, the hard work of governing begins. We speak with Kayleigh Quinn, who knows a thing or two about wrangling a difficult group at Holyrood. The former Scottish Labour organiser tells us what might be going through the new leader’s head as he looks at reshaping the SNP.

Humza Yousaf folded on April 29 after losing authority by ditching his Green coalition partners. We ask people in the outgoing first minister’s home city of Dundee what they think of his year in charge. We also hear from Green MSP Maggie Chapman, who was asked if she still has confidence in her own party leaders. Our political reporters look at the wreckage and discuss what might happen next as another SNP leadership contest looms.

A long-running plea for justice in the north of Scotland is being described as similar in scale to the Post Office scandal. At its heart are the dozens of families devastated by conman Alistair Greig. He was a respected financial advisor based in Aberdeen who ended up duping 184 victims out of £13 million. Now they want justice. To tell the story, we’re joined by Dale Haslam, an investigations reporter with the Press and Journal newspaper. He has just returned from Westminster to hear from...

Jennifer Lees-Marshment has studied political marketing and management since the rise of Tony Blair. In this episode, she tells us how the main parties are approaching the phony war before the election date is set. She also describes concerns that politicians are simply not trained to actually do their job when in power. Would you go to a surgeon who hasn’t been trained? Why should we expect to be governed well by people who don’t know how to put their promises into practice?

Ahead of their conference in Dundee next week, Justin Bowie sits down with Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, to discuss what she thinks a potential Labour win in Westminster will mean for workers in Scotland.    Roz Foyer also shared her passion for ensuring Dundee women subject to years of unequal pay finally receive compensation from the city council after a years-long battle for justice.    And Justin asks what trade unions want see for those working in...

Our team takes stock of a turbulent end of term at the Scottish Parliament. We look at the reaction to the Hate Crime Act, and the high profile interventions from JK Rowling to Ally McCoist. Meanwhile, there's an election looming - are social policy problems like housing making an impact? And we speak to North East Scotland College principal Neil Cowie for a featured interview on the impact of cuts regionally and nationally.

We speak to Liam McArthur, the MSP steering controversial assisted dying laws through Holyrood at the third time of asking. Are the safeguards enough to convince sceptics? Has Scotland’s parliament changed its mind since the last time it was debated? The Bill will be lodged at Holyrood on Friday - and then the serious job of scrutiny will begin.

Description: Survivors of historical abuse at Fornethy House in Angus tell us about their experience, and fury at being snubbed for compensation. Four women join us to explain what happened to them as children, with harrowing memories. And they react to Deputy First Minister Shona Robison’s comments in the Scottish parliament about why they can’t get access to a financial compensation scheme.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton speaks to The Stooshie about his party's hopes for the General Election, and how they want to oust the SNP as the third largest party in Westminster.    We also discuss his position on the windfall tax for oil and gas giants, and how he thinks "fair minded" voters in the north east will understand the need to tax their profits. 

Alarm bells are ringing that people don’t realise the sheer scale of lifestyle changes needed to meet climate targets and “net zero”. At the same time, voters see governments balance the books off their backs, and fail to hit the big targets and big business. The authors of an annual “state of the state” report pull all that together in our featured interview with the backdrop of another painful budget. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. But where do they find the positives?

Michael Gove is the special guest for a feature length interview.The Aberdeen-raised UK Government minister has plenty to say in the run-up to Conservative party conference in the Granite City.He responds to concerns about “Islamophobia” in his party, gets into the future of energy in the north-east and offers frank views on his rivals in the SNP and Labour.He also describes how his Aberdeen childhood played a part in his political outlook - and reveals whether he intends to hit dance floor...

We're joined by Nicola Sturgeon's former chief of staff, Liz Lloyd, and ex Scottish Labour communications director Alan Roden for a conference special. The weekend gathering in Glasgow saw a set-piece speech from leader Anas Sarwar and UK party boss Sir Keir Starmer. What do our panel of political experts make of the party's pitch to voters?

Anas Sarwar tells The Stooshie how he attempts to lead his party by channelling legendary football managers Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. And he reveals which premiership manager he'd compare First Minister Humza Yousaf with. We also discuss Labour's plan to attract voters across Tayside, Fife, the north and north east; and why he think those worried about the future of the oil and gas sector in Aberdeen should put their faith in Keir Starmer.

We speak to the people of Dundee, Scotland’s Yes City, to test the mood on a difficult year for the SNP and independence. Have attitudes changed as the dust settles on Nicola Sturgeon’s appearance at the Covid inquiry? Perth and North Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart shares his thoughts on the way the inquiry was handled too.

Covid adviser Jason Leitch has been a recurring character in the Covid inquiry. We discuss how he has also become central to a second inquiry, one which looks into harm caused by ex Dundee surgeon Sam Eljamel. We're joined by MSP Liz Smith who raised questions about the Tayside links and campaigners' concerns over potential conflict of interest. The squeeze on budgets and terrible legacy of Liz Truss's hold on UK finances is causing major repercussions. We look at the big health, education...

Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar speaks to us about the damage of the Covid inquiry. He represents bereaved families who are furious at the drip-feed of private messages emerging from government figures and officials. We discuss the impact on national clinical director Jason Leitch, and what to expect next from Nicola Sturgeon. And we look at reaction from Eljamel inquiry campaigners upset that Prof Leitch has been linked to their investigation.

We hear from the man behind exciting plans to send rockets from Shetland. Scott Hammond tells us schools are changing their classwork, jobs are coming to the islands and offshore workers are finding new employment. The first launch could be this summer - could Scotland really lead Europe with this spaceport? Our politics team also rounds-up the latest stories, including more on the human cost of the Post Office scandal, and demands for a start date on the inquiry into disgraced Tayside...

Myra Philp’s mother, Mary, died before getting to clear her name in the Post Office fraud miscarriage of justice. In our featured interview, Myra, from Fife, tells us about the devastating impact of the flawed investigation in a national scandal. We also discuss the shock collapse of Stewart Milne Group and the knock-on impact for jobs, home owners and the economy. Is an XL Bully dog ban coming for Scotland? We look at the growing problem for the SNP Government.

You can play along as our top team takes part in an end of year quiz. We nominate our picks for Stooshie of the year. And we race through some news too, one day after a tough budget in parliament. See you in 2024!

We discuss our exclusive report on Labour’s Glenrothes candidate who has been ditched by party bosses over his “sexy” and “satanic” fiction output. Altany Craik is already a long-serving Fife councillor, but it seems he is no longer considered eligible for Westminster. We dig into the bigger picture - including Irvine Welsh’s withering reaction. The team also gets to grip with council budgets and the financial trauma coming their way. We hear from UK minister John Glen on new jobs for...

SNP Westminster boss Stephen Flynn joins The Stooshie for a featured interview on his rollercoaster first year in the job. The Aberdeen South politician reflects on everything from replacing Ian Blackford in the post to being named the UK’s ‘hardest’ MP. He responds to the polls, to SNP splits and scandals, and speculates on his next move. Could he end up in Holyrood one day? Maybe with an eye on the leader job there? Listen to the full interview on The Stooshie today.

We speak about the P&J’s new true crime podcast and how Arlene Fraser’s murder 25 years ago, and the murder of Suzanne Pilley, could lead to a change in the law. Our team discusses Humza Yousaf’s trip to COP28 climate conference in Dubai, days after shock for Grangemouth workers here. And we hear from people in Dundee about the proposed national crackdown on pavement parking.

As fighting in Gaza is temporarily halted, disputes within the Labour Party over whether to call for a permanent ceasefire show no sign of slowing down. With First Minister Humza Yousaf's family now safely back in Scotland and sharing details of their ordeal, we look at how the conflict is shaping politics closer to home. Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to call for a full ceasefire has seen councillors and even his own frontbenchers resign. Along with growing pressure from MPs and campaigners,...

David Cameron is back in government. The SNP are calling for independence in Europe. We look at the odd new political landscape, which looks eerily like it did in 2014. Our featured interview is with Kemnay mum Tracey Gibbon, who tells us about her son Kyle’s ordeal in Carstairs, the secure Scottish state hospital. She was at the Scottish Parliament where her case was put to the first minister. We also speak to Kyle’s local MSP, Alexander Burnett, what the government should be doing. The team...