This episode is sponsored by Canacore Genuity Wealth Management.

Experience Wealth Managers who go above and beyond to guide and support you.

Kandu is more than just an attitude.

Kandu is navigating today for a brighter tomorrow.

Visit KanduWealth.com.

Hello, I'm Michael Simmons and this is Coffee House Scots.

Today I'm joined by Stephen Dazley, Katie Balls and Fraser Nelson.

Now, for anyone who listened to our first edition, we all had to justify how Scottish we were to earn our place on this podcast.

And Fraser is joining us for the first time today.

So Fraser, could you state your claim to why you should be on Coffee House Scots?

Well, before I joined the spectator, I was particular to the Scotsman and kind of marinated in this world.

I served a tour of duty in the Scottish Parliament and I was also educated in Scotland's primary secondary and uni.

However, that is quite often not enough for the SMP self-appointed genealogists.

I've been challenged a couple of times about how pure my Scottish blood is by Trish Marwick, the former S&B presiding officer.

Scottish berth, she once told me, does not a Scotsman make?

Sometimes it signifies a Scotsman on the make, that was her suspicion.

And Mike Russell, the S&B president, has also questioned my Scottish credentials.

Partly, I accept it because my accent is a little bit unusual, strikes a lot of Scots as irritable vowels in drum rather than an accent.

But what can I say? I've lived abroad, but I am and will be while I breathe, a Scotsman.

Fair enough, we'll take that as a pass.

Now, Katie, there's a story that is just dropped about Kate Forbes. Can you take us through that?

Yes, so this is the daily record, which has been running, I think, fair to say, probably more negative Kate Forbes stories and positive Kate Forbes stories.

...