Scotcast

As Keir Starmer becomes the first UK Prime Minister to join a meeting of EU leaders since Brexit, could the decision to leave the union ever be unpicked by our politicians? We ask the BBC’s Glenn Campbell and Angus Robertson, the member of John Swinney’s cabinet responsible for European relations, who tells us why Brexit should be reversed. And Martin Geissler and Laura Miller debate whether it’s...

Will a legal win for environmental campaigners stop new North Sea oil and gas? As extreme weather events become more common, the team asks whether climate change is a political priority anymore - with Tessa Khan, founder of climate action organisation Uplift, and Professor Paul de Leeuw from the Energy Transition Institute at Robert Gordon University. And Martin and Natalie discuss the spike in vi...

With incidents of fraud soaring, can scammers be stopped in their tracks? Harleen Nottay from BBC’s Scam Interceptors gives us a flavour of the fraud she encounters on a daily basis. Plus, ‘Lisa’ tells us the impact a romance scam has had on her life. And Martin and Laura discuss why Harrison Ford is selling whisky. Get in touch with the Scotcast team by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

After the UK Government ruled out compensation for women affected by an increase to the state pension age, is the Waspi campaign over? On the day MPs debate the issue, Waspi campaigner Anne Potter tells us her story and BBC political correspondent Kirsten Campbell explains why it’s a headache for Scottish Labour. And Martin and Natalie discuss the resignation of Stuart Kettlewell, who quit as mana...

John Swinney is promising tens of thousands of extra NHS appointments: how is his government going to deliver them? We reflect on the First Minister's latest plan for the health service with Cancer Research UK’s Dr Sorcha Hume, a former junior doctor, and pharmacist Elizabeth Roddick, whose industry is absorbing an increasing number of potential GP appointments. Get in touch with Martin Geissler,...

With Edinburgh on the verge of approving the country’s first tourist tax, can Scotland cope with tourism at its current levels? We ask Dr Guillem Colom-Montero, an expert in overtourism, and Jo de Sylva, who runs a hospitality business in Inverness. And Martin and Natalie get BBC weather presenter and meteorologist Calum MacColl's take on Storm Éowyn and the red weather warnings in place for parts...

Children aren’t supposed to be able access pornography, but they do in significant numbers and at a very young age. We ask Mary Sharpe, a Scottish lawyer campaigning for stricter regulation of the industry, if adult content is harming our kids and how we can stop them from accessing it. And Martin and Laura Maciver discuss your reaction to our episode about "petrifying" maternity unit failings. Ge...

After a BBC exclusive revealed safety failings at a Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’s maternity unit, we hear about one mum’s 'petrifying' experience. The BBC’s Claire McAllister and Lisa Summers reveal how they came to report on the story, and what it says about the challenges facing the NHS. And Martin and Natalie reflect on Donald Trump’s first 24 hours back in the White House. Get in touch with the...

Donald Trump is back in the White House: can the president’s family and business links to Scotland be exploited? We ask Torcuil Crichton, the Labour MP for the Western Isles who has invited President Trump to his mother’s birthplace of Lewis, and the BBC’s Scotland Correspondent David Wallace Lockhart. And Martin and Laura Miller explore the rights and wrongs of pronouncing ‘Scotcast’ with a glott...

Average rents are edging towards £1,000 a month and house prices are on the up. We ask John Boyle from Rettie estate agents and campaigner Ruth Gilbert from Living Rent why housing is so expensive. And Martin and Natalie discuss the rise of Reform UK in Scottish politics. Get in touch with the Scotcast team by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

With the Lockerbie disaster back in the news, the team recall Britain's worst terror attack and discuss where the story goes from here. Kaye Adams reveals what it was like to be one of the first reporters on the scene. And the BBC's David Cowan explains how a new trial offers more questions than answers. And Martin and Laura Miller chat about the most expensive Gaelic drama ever made. Get in touch...

Are organised crime gangs fuelling a rise in shoplifting? And is the crime out of control? Martin hears from the BBC’s Jim Connolly, who’s investigated the issue, and campaigner Stephanie Karté from Retailers Against Crime. And Laura Miller reveals all about her scramble to board the ferry that seemed to take forever to build. Get in touch with the Scotcast team by emailing scotcast@bbc.co.uk

Will a new NHS facility which allows people to take heroin and other drugs under medical supervision be harmful or helpful? We ask the BBC’s Chris Clements, who’s making a documentary about why Scotland has the worst drug death rate in Europe. And we hear from Barry, who started taking heroin when he was 14. And Martin and Natalie discuss Alex Salmond’s widow urging the former First Minister’s cri...

What you can expect to hear from the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler.