Andy Maciver

Not too far off…. 👇🏻

I don't usually write personal stuff, but a few words about my experience of being interviewed by Gary Stevenson. It started with a nice chat, comparing taste in hoodies... then the tone changed. He demanded to know why I'd deleted a tweet criticising him.

@CollaAlasdair @HolyroodSources @CalumAM @geoffaberdein So lovely to hear from you. But I must object in the strongest terms. Middle class and coffee shop fine. But I feel very hurt by the accusation of pontification. Anyway, if you’re taking advice in return, I’d say you’d benefit from a girlfriend.

@HolyroodSources @akmaciver @CalumAM @geoffaberdein You’d benefit from an honest days toil you middle class , pontificating coffee shop horror .

Does Scotland need fiscal autonomy? @akmaciver explains why he thinks the country would benefit and why the public should support it, no matter their thoughts on the constitution. @CalumAM | @geoffaberdein

The predictable outrage over Kate Forbes at the ARC event is mind-numbing. I once spent two days at a small defence and security event in Prague. As well as policy experts and figures from defence forces across Europe, it included one of Trump’s National Security Advisers, Orban’s then Chief of Staff, the head of the Margaret Thatcher Centre think tank in DC, and social democrat, conservative and green politicians from across Europe. We debated, agreed on some things and disagreed on others, without the sky falling in. We did, however, gain knowledge and better understand different and competing perspectives. Politicians talking to people they disagree with is part of the job - though worth pointing out that Kate is now a private citizen.

Kemi is the Tories’ best leader since Thatcher. (But I’m supposed to be a critic so don’t tell @AndrewBowie_MP 😜)

@AndrewBowie_MP You’re right Andrew, I stand corrected. 11.8% for the centre right alternative government at Holyrood is a very solid result. #OneMoreHeave

This is so predictably dull. The Conservatives secured 50% of the vote in Aberdeen just last week. In all but a brief four year period we have had representation in Westminster and always in double figures in Holyrood. Just cause Andy wants us to fail doesn’t mean we have.

@ginadavidsonlbc That is a mystery which will remain unsolved 🤷🏻‍♂️

@akmaciver Why is TRIP a Scottish podcast?

Tough to break into the Scottish 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 political podcast scene with a big local incumbent…. We tried 🙏🏻

heraldscotland.com/politics/viewp… "Andy Burnham is good news for Kemi Badenoch. Her liberalism needs a juxtaposition, and his socialism provides it."

THIS IS TONIGHT!! (We won’t win)

Tomorrow's @heraldscotland synopsis: "As Burnham gets ready to bring socialism from Manchester to the UK, the conditions are right for Badenoch to provide her alternative - traditional Scottish liberalism. But her party is so toxic that she can’t win." #buyapaper

“There's no reason why Scotland wouldn't have a free market, liberal, centre-right government if there was an acceptable vehicle to carry that message.” @akmaciver explains that why the Conservative party has failed in Scotland.

"They don't at the moment look like the party that's about to accelerate from 17 seats to 35 seats and potentially become a feature of government in five years time." @akmaciver on Reform's start to Scottish politics.

In 2024 voters asked themselves "how do we get rid of the Tories". In a Holyrood election they ask "who's gong to stand up for Scotland". The answer would not be Andy Burnham.

Classic self-deception of Scottish Labour folk to think they'd have won at Holyrood if someone else was in charge at Westminster. They'd probably have done a bit better - but the SNP would still have won. (1/2) heraldscotland.com/news/26217645.… @HannahMargBrown

"the presumption that... Anas Sarwar would be First Minister if Keir Starmer had done better, I think is fundamentally wrong" @akmaciver says Westminster party leaders don't affect devolved elections

@joycemcm Thanks Joyce!

Delighted that Andy Maciver has had the courage to point out the obvious - that Scotland’s Parliament is too small to cover the range of devolved policy, and to create committees with any real weight or focus. Some have as few as 5 members. Brave to raise the argument, though!

I'd stand by any of my reporters who decided to leave the pen to ask a politician a question. Let's see if they start throwing people out.

More MSPs? Yes please.... Hear me out.... heraldscotland.com/politics/viewp… @heraldscotland

“It shows the power of oil and gas in that part of the country.” @akmaciver says the SNP will have to reflect on the Conservatives winning the Aberdeen South by-election. “You can’t be a ‘little bit’ in favour of oil and gas… you’ve got to decide.” @CalumAM | @geoffaberdein

Tomorrow's @heraldscotland column synopsis for online: "The Scottish Parliament’s committee system has been reformed, but the fundamental cracks remain; they can only be fixed if we have more MSPs to sit on more committees, scrutinising legislation and investigating policy."