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Hi, you're listening to Podlitical BBC Scotland's podcast that brings you an inside look

at the big stories coming out of Hollywood and the Westminster election campaign.

For full disclosure, it is currently about half-past two on Thursday the 6th of June, although

that may well be yesterday to you at best, because we are recording two episodes back to back

today. Anyway, I am Phil Sim, I'm a journalist based at the Scottish Parliament, and today

I'm joined by Douglas Fraser, Business and Economy

Editor at BBC Scotland. Mary Spowage, the director of the Fraser of Allender Institute at Strasclade University.

You may have guessed from this guest list that we are going to talk about the economy today.

It's always a hot election topic but I think particularly so at this point in history.

I mean, Mary, can we come to you first, actually, just for some of the broader economic

context of this election, because the Tories called it, you know, in part because

inflation was falling.

But I don't, does it feel like people are actually feeling that in their household budgets

right now?

Are people feeling that in the pocket in real life?

Not particularly.

All of the data we're seeing from surveys of the Scottish population suggests that people are feeling very stretched. And one of the reasons is that although inflation has come down to

sort of normal levels, you know, it doesn't take away from the fact

that prices have risen considerably over the last few years. You know, and food prices, for example,

are considerably higher than they were a few years ago. Just because inflation's normal,

...