Brian Leishman MP, future of Scottish Labour, Grangemouth and Suspension. Ep 53

Our guest tonight is Brian Leishman MP, one of Scottish Labour's most outspoken politicians and a man who seems to have spent much of his Westminster career testing the theory that MPs are supposed to do what the party leadership tells them.A former councillor, trade unionist and professional golfer, Brian made the jump from local government to Westminster in 2024 when he was elected as the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth. Since then, he's built a reputation for saying exactly what he thinks, whether his own party likes it or not.That independent streak landed him in hot water in 2025 when he became one of four Labour MPs suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party after repeatedly rebelling against the Government, particularly over welfare reforms. While Labour HQ was counting votes, Brian was telling anyone who'd listen that he wasn't elected to make vulnerable people poorer.He's campaigned on the future of Grangemouth, challenged his party leadership on welfare, and become one of the most recognisable voices on Labour's left. Depending on who you ask, he's either standing up for his principles or giving party whips regular headaches.Tonight we'll find out whether Westminster is everything he thought it would be, what really happened behind the scenes during his suspension, whether Labour is still the party of working people, and perhaps most importantly whether being suspended by your own party is actually as stressful as it sounds.#WhatsThePoint#localgovernment #BrianLeishman#ScottishPolitics #ScottishLabour #LabourParty#Westminster #Politics #PoliticalPodcast