The Leader of the Scottish Labour Party joined Lesley in the studio for the last Riddoch Questions for 2008. There were some remarkable revelations.

Halla Tomasdottir is  the executive director and co-founder of Audur capital - the only financial company left in Iceland currently recruiting staff. They set up in 2007, recruiting women, and committed to invest only in products they could understand. As a result, their clients are almost the only people in Iceland with savings intact. This is the full interview part of which was played on Women’s Hour in November. Here is the Scotsman column that made me decide to head north and see for myself how Iceland was responding to economic meltdown and here is the column that followed this visit.

This recording starts with angry punters at a demonstration outside the Icelandic parliament. Then I met up with Gudni Johannesson who  is a historian at Reykjavik University, Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir, a writer with Iceland Review and Alda Sigmundsdottir, the woman behind the cult website www.icelandweatherreport.com. And here are some photos as well.

As part of this Snow Queen end of year extra I recorded this half hour programme from Skalanes in East Iceland in June. This is where activists opposed hydro electric dams and lost – but realized the enormous dam-building drill could also force a tunnel through the mountains and connect their isolated communities. In other words, inspiring conservationists and very quick thinkers! For some context before you listen check out Scotsman Column I emailed over from Skalanes.

Lesley’s guests on Riddoch Questions this week are Anne McGuire, Labour MP for Stirling and former Minister for Disabled People; Christopher Harvie, SNP MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife and Honorary President of the Scottish Association for Public Transport; and Mike Dailly, principal solicitor at Govan Law Centre.

The crew meet after a Riddoch Questions much influenced by a German theme. So naturally enough, the posse meander from drug counselling to Christmas shopping with detours via Germany and the high street.

Joining Lesley on Riddoch Questions this week are Derek Mackay, leader of Renfrewshire Council, Stephen Curran, treasurer on Glasgow City Council and Geoff Mawdsley, Director of public services think-tank Reform Scotland. Council finances get a robust airing.

After a packed Riddoch Questions which concentrated on the Councils; the crew waxed lyrical about the good things their local councils did. And the conversation turned to pantos. Oh yes, it did. And will next week's Riddoch Questions reflect this? Listen and find out. Also you might not want to play this Aftermath in the car on the school run; some terms used are of an adult venacular nature.

This special edition of Riddoch Questions was recorded at Scotland’s Philanthropy Debate – a live event in Edinburgh, organised by the Scottish Community Foundation.