Scotcast

A proposal to legalise assisted dying has been backed in principle by MSPs. The BBC’s Kirsten Campbell explains why the bill, brought forward by Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur (pictured), won’t necessarily become law. And MSPs Patrick Harvie and Pam Duncan-Glancy (also pictured) tell us why they voted for and against it respectively. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissle...

Norma and Michelle are both living with life-changing health conditions. But they disagree on whether it should become legal to give terminally-ill people assistance to end their lives. As MSPs prepare to vote on the broad principles of a proposed assisted dying bill, Norma and Michelle explain their perspectives on this emotive and controversial issue. If you are suffering distress or despair and...

The UK is at the forefront of an AI copyright debate, with politicians deciding whether to allow AI models to use music without paying artists for their work. Scottish band Glasvegas joined more than a thousand artists in releasing a silent album in protest at the plans. They want the government to side with creatives over technology companies. Robert Allan, lead guitarist in the band (pictured) a...

The alcohol ban on ScotRail trains, which has been in place since the Covid pandemic, will be scrapped. Martin and Laura discuss why the Scottish Government dropped the measure. And we ask Kirsty Mulcahy (pictured) from Sober Buzz what the change tells us about our drinking culture. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch wi...

First Minister John Swinney has revealed his programme for government for the next year to MSPs at Holyrood - including plans to scrap peak rail fares, tackle youth anti-social behaviour on buses and to increase in GP appointments. Oppositions parties say his government has run out of ideas. And with one year to go before Scots go to the polls, we ask Bernard Ponsonby and Andy Maciver (pictured) t...

Scots are, on average, having fewer children than ever before. And our population is ageing rapidly. We ask demographer Paul Morland, author of ‘No One Left: Why the World Needs More Children’, why our falling birth rate is such a big problem – and how we can fix it. And Kryptonite: Martin responds to Laura and Natalie’s allegation he had no idea what he was talking about. Scotcast is the BBC’s Sc...

Actor, comedian and star of ‘Chewin’ the Fat’, Karen Dunbar, drops by the studio to discuss fame, cancel culture and what it means to laugh. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins. This episode contains some use of strong language. Get in touch with us by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

Jim Ratcliffe (pictured), part-owner of the Grangemouth refinery, has blamed carbon taxes after it stopped processing crude oil. We ask energy historian Ewan Gibbs and the BBC’s Kevin Keane what led to the loss of 430 jobs at the 100-year-old site. And Laura and Natalie question whether Martin really understands Kryptonite. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura M...

First Minister John Swinney says rap group Kneecap should be axed from Glasgow's TRNSMT music festival after old footage emerged of one of its members appearing to say: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." Former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill tells Laura why Mr Swinney's intervention is “utterly pointless” and why the group, who have apologised to the families of murdered M...

Why is Nicola Sturgeon yet to respond to the UK Supreme Court’s gender ruling? The BBC’s David Wallace Lockhart explains why some are keen to hear from the former First Minister. And employment lawyer Ingrid McGhee and Nick McKerrell, a law lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, give Laura expert takes on what new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance means for trans people in p...

The future of River City has been the subject of debate in the Scottish Parliament after the BBC’s decision to cancel the long-running soap due to "changing viewing patterns". Actor Tom Urie, who played Big Bob in the show, tells us how important it has been in launching careers. And we ask TV critic Siobhan Synott if Scotland is a place for creatives to thrive. And what should we do about 'headph...

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says 'the Scottish political establishment is scared' of his party after being excluded from a summit organised by First Minister John Swinney. We ask Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff Liz Lloyd whether Mr Swinney’s description of Mr Farage’s party as 'far right' is fair. And as rumours swirl about the celebrity lineup, would Martin and Laura prefer to be a Fait...

The Scottish Government has accepted that it has an 'obligation' to move at pace to implement the effects of the UK Supreme Court’s decision that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Meanwhile, a top Scottish lawyer, Roddy Dunlop, has criticised Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman for what he described as 'reprehensible' comments attacking the judiciary. Ms Chapman - the deput...

Anne Marie Ward from Faces and Voices of Recovery UK has dedicated her life to advocating for those recovering from addiction. She tells us why we need to think differently about our drugs deaths crisis. And gives her take on drug consumption rooms, which we talked about in the very first episode of Scotcast. You can listen to ‘UK’s first drug supervision room opens’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/so...

With a third of Scots classed as obese, it’s no wonder weight-loss medicines like Ozempic, which isn’t approved in the UK, are in demand. Pharmacist Sehar Shahid, who prescribes Wegovy and Mounjaro, tells Martin about the complications people are risking by getting these drugs without a prescription. You can listen to our first episode on so-called ‘skinny jabs’, 'Can weight-loss jabs save the NHS...

Some campaigners pushing for the reintroduction of lynx to the Highlands as part of a wider rewilding campaign. We ask former president of the National Farmers Union in Scotland, Martin Kennedy, why he and others have such strong objections. Martin also responds to some of the claims made in the first episode we did on this topic. You can listen to 'Who thinks lynx should roam the Highlands?' on B...

Age-checking techniques must be introduced to all UK websites where pornography can be found by July. We ask former porn producer Mike Stabile from the Free Speech Coalition, the US adult entertainment trade body, why his organisation opposes the measures. And Mike responds to allegations, made in the first episode we did on this topic, that the porn industry bullies its opponents. You can listen...

Martin Geissler speaks to BBC reporter Katie Hunter, who has been investigating millionaire Kevin Booth (pictured), who abused women in an underground chamber at his remote Highland home and in foreign hotel rooms. And with an 'extreme' wildfire warning in place across much of Scotland – we ask fire expert Professor Rory Hadden and environmental scientist and campaigner Laura Young if Scotland is...

Two weeks before Netflix released Adolescence, a debut novel by Scottish writer Chris McQueer with strikingly similar influences was published. Chris tells Martin about the 'boggin' things he saw while researching incels and the so-called manosphere for his book, Hermit, and reveals why he thinks some young men are so attracted to the message of online influencers like Andrew Tate. Scotcast is the...

Politicians in Holyrood and Westminster are preparing to vote on changing the law to allow terminally-ill people the right to seek medical help to die. We ask the BBC’s Phil Sim and health journalist Helen Puttick about the differences between the assisted dying bill going through the Scottish Parliament – put forward by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur – and Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s (both pic...

Edinburgh University’s principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, says the way we fund universities is 'broken'. We ask The Herald’s education correspondent, Garrett Stell (pictured), and political commentator Andy Maciver from the Holyrood Sources podcast if the Scottish Government’s free tuition policy – a key SNP commitment – should be up for debate. And Laura asks Martin how his latest politica...

BBC Reporting Scotland presenter Sally Magnusson sits down with Martin Geissler and Laura Miller to talk about her life and career as she prepares to stand down from the news programme after 27 years. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch with us by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

Industries like whisky and salmon are bracing themselves as Donald Trump prepares to announce taxes on goods imported into the US, on what he’s calling Liberation Day. We’re asking why exactly he’s so keen on tariffs, and what it could mean for our economy. Businessman Sir Tom Hunter, one of Scotland’s wealthiest people, helps us get inside the head of the man who wrote The Art of the Deal. And ec...

Emergency rent control measures which limited rent increases have expired, leading to concerns that some renters may be priced out of their homes. Martin asks landlord and Scottish Property Podcast co-host Steven Clark and tenants’ rights campaigner Ruth Gilbert from Living Rent if landlords can be trusted to set their own prices again. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geis...

BBC reporter Chris Clements has been looking into our problem with drug misuse for a new documentary, ‘One More Fix’. We ask Chris why Scotland has recorded the most drug-related deaths in Europe six years on the trot. And he tells us what he learned from reporting inside the UK’s first drug supervision room. And Martin and Laura discuss the story that's brought Boaty McBoatface and the Loch Ness...