Scotcast

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) to predict the results of the vote.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox, should be left alone.

And after the power cuts in Spain and Portugal, David Wallace Lockhart reveals the action he’s taken.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 public spaces.

And with Martin off on holiday, Laura and David wonder how easy it is to impersonate him.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 'headphone dodgers'?

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 Faithful or a Traitor?

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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 deputy convener of Holyrood's equalities committee - was filmed at a weekend rally condemning what she called 'bigotry, prejudice and hatred coming from the Supreme Court'.

Martin asks Lynsey Bews and Phil Sim what the decision means.

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]

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/sounds/play/m0027430

Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast, with Martin Geissler, Laura Miller and Natalie Higgins.

Get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]