Scotcast

Voting is over in the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections. The BBC's Phil Sim and Dr Fraser McMillan from the University of Edinburgh tell us what to watch out for as the results come in. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also be interested in ‘Why are kids carrying knives?’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002cbd8 A teenager has admitted murdering 22-year-old John McNab (pictured) with a hunting knife in Edinburgh. Laura Miller speaks to Jimmy Paul, the head of the Scottish Violent Reduction Unit, about the societal changes fuelling youth violence. Scotcast is the B...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘How to fix the NHS - The Health Debate’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0ndvclm There has been a 28% increase in Scottish shops selling vapes in Scotland since 2020. We ask Richard Begg (pictured) from major vape retailer VPZ why he wants stricter regulation of his own industry. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like 'Do we need a minister for disco?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002gqdh Pubs are closing at a rate of one a week, according to the Scottish Beer and Pub Association. We ask Louise Maclean of Signature Pubs and workers including 23-year-old bartender Edward (pictured) whether Gen Z are partly responsible for the decline. Scotcast is the...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like 'Getting to know Sally Magnusson' https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0029hhz John MacKay (pictured) has retired as STV's News at Six anchorman after almost three decades. He talks to Laura Miller and Martin Geissler about the stories that have stayed with him, the strikes threatening to disrupt STV's election coverage and the future of broadc...

Only one week remains of the 2026 Holyrood Election campaign. David, Natalie and Phil discuss what the story of this campaign has been, and what they will be looking out for on results day. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show is hosted by David Wallace Lockhart, Natalie Higgins and Phil Sim. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘He’s a liar - Sarwar's latest spat with Reform’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002tzwb Reform UK's leader in Scotland Malcolm Offord (pictured right) has revealed he owns “six houses, six boats and five cars” in an exchange with Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer (pictured left) during the STV leaders’ debate. We ask how Offord’s revela...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘What’s going wrong at our universities?’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pf7r Lecturers at the University of Edinburgh are to begin a marking boycott in a dispute over planned cuts. The Herald’s education correspondent Garrett Stell explains why so many Scottish universities are dealing with staff strikes and facing the threat of furt...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Is Swinney respecting the Supreme Court on gender?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002q26k Kezia Dugdale (pictured), the incoming chair of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, has apologised for causing 'worry and anger' after praising JK Rowling during an interview about transgender rights. The BBC’s Paris Gourtsoyannis helps us assess the state o...

Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, we bring together three experts to debate what school is for. James McEnaney is an education specialist for The Herald. Gillian Campbell-Thow is the headteacher of Glasgow Gaelic School. Lisa Kerr is the principal of George Watson’s College. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller. Get in touch: scotcast@b...

Natalie talks to David Wallace Lockhart, Lynsey Bews and Phil Sim about the manifesto pledges of the six larger parties in Scotland. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show is hosted by Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Does Labour’s by-election loss vindicate Sarwar?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0n3rv8q Sir Keir Starmer has said evidence given by Sir Olly Robbins to MPs 'puts to bed all the allegations' made against him over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. BBC political correspondents David Wallace Lockhart and Paris Gourtsoyannis te...

If you're interested in this episode, you may also like 'Drill, maybe drill? Our North Sea dilemma' https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002t181 UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband (pictured) has announced a planned shake-up in the way electricity is priced. We ask energy analyst Ellen Fraser whether Miliband's plans will bring down our energy bills. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This epi...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Who’s to blame for Old Firm bedlam?' https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002sdxp’ Football pundit Michael Stewart has been banned from working at Hampden Park by the Scottish Football Association. The BBC's Chris McLaughlin, no stranger himself to a stadium ban, helps us explain why some think Stewart's criticism of referees has gone too far....

Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, we bring together three experts to debate how to fix the NHS. Dr Jayne McLaren is vice-chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Scotland. Dr Carey Lunan is a former chair of the Royal College of GPs. And Professor June Andrews is a nurse and dementia expert. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Natalie Hi...

Natalie, Lynsey and Phil talk about the campaign's first TV debates, that row between Anas Sarwar and Malcolm Offord and who could deal with who after the election. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show is hosted by Natalie Higgins, Lynsey Bews and Phil Sim. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘BBC leaders debate – the debrief’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0nd1ntq Anas Sarwar has called Malcolm Offord a 'liar' over a claim made by Reform UK’s leader in Scotland during a TV debate hosted by Channel 4. We unpack who’s saying what in the latest spat between Scottish Labour’s leader and Nigel Farage’s party. Scotcast is the BBC’...

Lee Milne was jailed for culpable homicide after his wife Kimberly (pictured) took her own life following a campaign of abuse at his hands. The head of the Crown Office, John Logue, and The Guardian's Geraldine McKelvie tell us how Milne became the first person to be convicted in Scotland in such a case. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler. Get in...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘BBC leaders debate – the debrief’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0nd1ntq UK Cabinet minister Wes Streeting (pictured) has ruled out an independence referendum in the event of an SNP majority at Holyrood. We ask Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff Liz Lloyd and ex-Labour adviser James Matthewson whether Streeting’s intervention helps...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘The Economy Debate: tax, spend and creating wealth’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0ncnnpg Leaders of six political parties have clashed in the first TV debate of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election campaign. The BBC’s Glenn Campbell helps us assess the performance of Russell Findlay (Scottish Conservatives), Ross Greer (Scottish Gree...

Ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, we bring together three experts to debate how we create a thriving economy. Tim Allan is an entrepreneur and former president of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce. Professor Mairi Spowage is an economist and director of the University of Strathclyde’s Fraser of Allander Institute. And Chris Birt is associate director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundatio...

Natalie and Phil talk about how problems with CalMac ferries became an election issue and decode the results of a flurry of opinion polls. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show is hosted by Natalie Higgins and Phil Sim. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Is the net closing on notorious gangster family?’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002td2j One of Scotland's most high-profile gangland figures – Steven Lyons (pictured) – has been deported to Amsterdam after his airport arrest in Bali. Former Police Scotland detective Martin Gallagher explains the world of organised crime and tells us wh...

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Ready to explode’: prisons and early release: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002n98h A proposal by Scottish Green Kate Nevens (pictured) to abolish jails has been described as 'absolutely bonkers' by the SNP. The BBC’s David Wallace Lockhart helps us unpick the Holyrood election candidate’s comments before we unpack prisons and sentencin...

Sophie (not her real name) was raped in a Glasgow barber shop by a man pretending to be a taxi driver. She talks to Laura about reporting the crime to police; giving evidence in court; and the sentence her attacker, Barzan Nawshowani, received. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller. Get in touch: scotcast@bbc.co.uk