Alex Salmond has returned to Scottish politics by launching the pro-independence Alba party – a move that, according to the New Statesman, makes the Scottish independence movement look like an “utter, unsupportable shambles”.
On this episode of the New Statesman Podcast, Anoosh Chakelian and Ailbhe Rea discuss the implications for Scottish voters, and whether Salmond’s return to the political arena is appropriate.
Then, in You Ask Us, they look at a weekend of briefings about a potential reshuffle of Keir Starmer’s top team.
Further reading
Ailbhe has been following the developments in Scotland and argues that Salmond’s return to politics raises grave questions about what we accept in public life. She also asks what is the point of Alex Salmond’s new Alba party?
She also reports on the latest developments in the Labour Party, and asks whether Keir Starmer will sack Anneliese Dodds.
Elswhere, Anoosh has been exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the NHS backlog. Read her extended data piece here.
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