UKIP’s recent election results stirred things up down in England. Lesley was keen to point out the differences between UKIP and the SNP after parallels had been drawn in her Scotsman column.

After an event “Who Runs Culture in Scotland?” in the Tron with a packed panel, including Alasdair Gray, the answer is a bit clearer.

The ‘Poverty in South Lanarkshire’ conference and some biological explanations from the Chief Medical Officer prompt some out loud thinking.

The long overdue recognition of the Arctic Convoy  heroes  is something we also touch upon respectfully  in this week’s @lesleyriddoch podcast.

There’s a lot on the menu this week. A recent YouGov Poll suggests the Scottish public is unconvinced by Alex Salmond’s arguments for independence – are the wheels coming off ?

Lesley was at the ‘Future is Local’ event at the Scottish Parliament and comes back with a few insights , including  Angus Macmillan of Storas Uibhist.

And finally, Barack Obama was a top performer at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Leadership and comedy – is this possible ?

Lesley went to Belfast and watched Margaret Thatcher's funeral from there. News of the Boston Marathon bombing came through during her visit and these topics feature in this week's Lesley Riddoch podcast.

This week's @lesleyriddoch Podcast was recorded on April 1st, in the afternoon. The combination of the date and Easter meant amusement and questions about both. Similarly, the appointment of Paolo di Canio prompted questions. Finally, it's not the Bedroom Taxed; they are the 'Bedroom Blockers'. The implications of this new benefit cuts are starting to emerge.

Alex Salmond addresses the SNP on the subject of child care, Ed Davey talks through the UK's commitments and Lesley goes to the movies. Her reactions, as ever, are livley and insightful.

Lesley chaired sessions at the 2013 COSLA  Conference in St Andrews. She reports back from a conference where the architect of the ‘Bedroom Tax’, Lord Freud delivered a presentation and where Nicola Sturgeon ‘debated’ with Alistair Darling; in the first clash of the political heavyweights. She gives you some of the colour and atmosphere of these particular sessions. You may well get annoyed as Lesley by some of the attitudes. Finally, Lesley and Andy Wightman were invited to take part in a ‘Comrie Conversation’; a community that came together to talk about ‘independence’ at the grassroots.

We tried this week to round up the highlights from a Nordic Horizon event 'Beyond NATO' ( fascinating ), the departure of Cardinal O'Brien ( thought provoking ) and the all the cross border issues thrown up with the current state of the independence debate ( perplexing ). There is a lot to pack into this week's @lesleyriddoch podcast.

This week’s podcast is full of discussions about inappropriate behaviour, unanswered questions and AAA ratings or should we concentrate on the Commonwealth? Behaviour in the Roman Catholic Church and theLib Dems has been put under the microscope and there seem to be a number of questions hanging in the air…not all posed nor answered. But this @lesleyriddoch podcast will have a go! 

Between the constitutional debates being largely male,  graduates being ‘too posh to stack’ and councils being cheap; this week’s Lesley Riddoch podcast is on the look out for heroes. We think we may have found them. Step forward, Cait Reilly, Stephen Jardine and Mike Small.

In this week's podcast, we try to unpick all the challenges which surround EVs, that's electric cars to you and me. We also mention the Pope in passing. In the continuing long running independence debate, there have been developments which centre around what happens after the referendum. Finally, last weekend, Lesley chaired a discussion at Falkland with the folks from the Centre for Stewardship and there were unlikely revelations.