Herald launches Brian Taylor podcast to address big issues of crucial election

THE BBC’S former political editor Brian Taylor makes a return to the airwaves as host of a brand new political podcast for The Herald.

“The Brian Taylor Podcast” will bring listeners the latest in Scottish politics every week, with discussion, analysis and updates from the heart of the country’s political debate.

Taylor, who also writes a Saturday column for The Herald, will add his expert analysis to that of the newspaper’s top political team as we build up to one of the most important elections in the country’s history. In the first six episodes Taylor, who spent 10 years in newspapers before enjoying a long and distinguished career as a BBC broadcast journalist, will be grilling each of Scotland’s party leaders – First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross, co-leader of the Scottish Greens Patrick Harvie, leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats Willie Rennie and leader of the Alba Party Alex Salmond.

Each episode will feature a 30-minute interview with each leader and will be broadcast in the weeks leading up to the election on May 6 and be available for streaming and downloading on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Amazon, as well as heraldscotland.com.

The first will be published on Monday with Douglas Ross, where the conversation covers the economy, public spending and why Jackson Carlaw was axed as leader.

After the election, the podcast will become a weekly discussion show, in which Taylor and guests tackle the subjects which are dominating the political debate.

The veteran presenter said: “I have covered every election since 1979. I have covered elections where very little changed as a consequence. Equally, I have covered elections which resulted in a transformation of the body politic.

“However, I have never, until now, covered an election where active, doorstep, face-to-face campaigning was all but impossible.

That sad inevitability makes online discourse all the more important.

“So I’m delighted to make a small contribution to that endeavour through these podcasts. At all times, I aim to challenge politicians with pertinent questions. To ask, in short, what the public needs to know.”

Herald Editor Donald Martin said: “As a quality journalist and broadcaster, Brian’s brilliant interview style gets to the heart of politics and the key issues: He is a master in forensic questioning with a velvet glove, and a joy to listen to.”