UofG Centre for Public Policy

7 September 2026: The Centre for Public Policy’s podcast UofG Spotlight is back for its eighth series, kicking off with an episode on the Scottish Government’s new Programme for Government, with CEO of Carnegie UK Sarah Davidson and broadcaster and commentator Peter MacMahon. 

The UofG Spotlight podcast is back for its eighth series, and in episode one, we’re examining the Scottish Government’s new Programme for Government, announced by First Minister John Swinney on 1 September.

Hosts Professor Nicola McEwen and Professor Kezia Dugdale are joined by two leading voices in Scottish policy and politics, Sarah Davidson, CEO of Carnegie UK and Honorary Professor at the Centre for Public Policy, and Peter MacMahon, writer, broadcaster and commentator on Scottish and UK politics.

We discuss what’s in (and not in) the new five-year Programme for Government, from the four over-arching themes and nine new bills, to the detail of public service reform, prevention, independence and devolution, food price caps, and lots more.

A brilliant conversation with expert insights on what last week’s announcement means for policy and politics in Scotland for the coming five years.

Listen

UofG Spotlight series 8 

Series 8 of Spotlight will run with fortnightly episodes from now until December. We’re looking forward to bringing you timely analysis on developments in the world of policy and politics and sharing expertise and insights from researchers at the University of Glasgow. 

Subscribe on your podcast app so you don’t miss an episode.

Listen and subscribe to UofG Spotlight on Spotify

Contact public-policy@glasgow.ac.uk if you have any questions about UofG Spotlight.

---

First published: 7 September 2026