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Natalie, Lynsey and Paris discuss Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s future following revelations about Peter Mandelson links to Jeffrey Epstein and For Women Scotland’s legal challenge over transgender prisoners at the Court of Session. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show is hosted by Natalie Higgins, Lynsey Bews and Paris Gourtsoyannis. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘How should Sarwar deal with Starmer?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002k35n Will Sir Keir Starmer survive the Peter Mandelson scandal? Well that was a question for Anas Sarwar today – and the Scottish Labour leader did not exactly give the Prime Minister an emphatic defence. But how did it get to this? Why has Peter Mandelson been so central to Labour politics for so long, what influence has he had in Scotland and what will become of Starmer’s government? Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins speak to Simon Pia – a Labour advisor during the Gordon Brown years, who had a front row seat in government at the time Peter Mandelson was sending information to his friend, the disgraced paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘What’s really going on in our schools?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002dl4q The number of children and adults diagnosed with autism and ADHD is rising. Waiting lists are overflowing, schools are struggling to cope and parents are looking for support. But what actually is neurodivergence? How many people have it? And is the way we live having an impact on that number? We hear from former Make Me Prime Minister finalist Kelly Given, who was diagnosed at 24, and consultant psychiatrist Dr Pavan Srireddy. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Sex worker: Listen to me’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002j5t1 An attempt by MSP Ash Regan (pictured) to criminalise the buying of sex is set to be voted down at Holyrood. SNP MSP Michelle Thomson tells us why she is rebelling against the Scottish Government to back the Prostitution Bill. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Natalie Higgins and David Wallace Lockhart. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘What’s really going on in our schools?’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002dl4q Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has proposed a ban on phones in all classrooms and backed an Australia-style social media ban for young people. We ask Sam Rice from Smartphone Free Children about the growing campaign to keep children away from smartphones. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Meet the new Scottish Green leaders’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002j5l7 David, Natalie and Phil talk about a change in the relationship between the Scottish Greens and Zack Polanski (pictured), fresh claims about political ‘pressure’ over the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the SNP’s election messaging. 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: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Is AI coming for your job?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002dl6n North Lanarkshire is to become home to a vast data centre – with the aim of turning the area into one of the world’s most advanced AI sites. But what actually is a data centre, why is Big Tech looking to Scotland and will their massive energy demands push our bills up? We hear from former Google executive and industry insider Michael Hunter. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller and Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also be interested in Martin’s extended interview with Malcolm Offord: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002n9d4 Martin and Laura talk about the significance of a row between Reform UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord and Deacon Blue (pictured) over the meaning of the band's hit song Dignity. And the BBC’s Kirsten Campbell explains how the Scottish Child Payment is in Conservative leader Russell Findlay’s sights as he urges restraint on benefits spending. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller and Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘What would it take to trigger a World Cup boycott?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002q34v An inquest has found repeatedly heading a football is 'likely' to have contributed to the brain disease which was a factor in the death of former Scotland international Gordon McQueen (pictured). Ex-Dundee defender Jim Duffy and the BBC’s Chris McLaughlin debate whether the laws of football could change to protect players. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Are Starmer’s Scottish MPs sick of him?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002mz40 Sir Keir Starmer has defended Labour’s decision to block Andy Burnham (pictured) from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election. We ask the BBC’s David Wallace Lockhart and Iain Watson what impact the National Executive Committee (NEC) ruling will have on Anas Sarwar’s Holyrood election campaign and the prime minister’s future. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]

David, Natalie and Lynsey discuss Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s (pictured) calls for a criminal investigation into failures at an NHS hospital, how MSPs are shifting on Liam McArthur’s (also pictured) assisted dying proposals and the so-called ‘Alex Salmond files’. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode of the Politics Show, recorded on Thursday 22 January, is hosted by David Wallace Lockhart, Lynsey Bews and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Priced out? The cost of the World Cup’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002n03l Has Donald Trump’s promise not to use force in Greenland removed the threat of a World Cup boycott? Former footballer Pat Nevin gives us his take on politics and the beautiful game - and sets the bar for when fans should protest. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller and Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also be interested in ‘The NHS surgeon who butchered his patients’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002j6zd Labour’s Anas Sarwar has branded failures at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) as “the biggest scandal in the history of the Scottish Parliament”. Lisa Summers (pictured), who investigated design flaws at the hospital for a BBC documentary, explains what we’ve learned from the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry as it hears closing arguments. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Laura Miller and Martin Geissler. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002pdx6 Last month, the Scottish Government dropped plans to reduce the national speed limit on single carriageway roads after an external consultation demonstrated it was unpopular. The BBC’s David Henderson, Martin and Natalie discuss whether we take speeding seriously enough and how safe Scotland’s roads are. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]

If you’re interested in this episode, you may also like ‘Is the Sandie Peggie ruling discredited?’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002njyw Campaigners For Women Scotland (pictured) are taking the Scottish Government to the Court of Session over where transgender prisoners are housed. We ask legal expert Dr Nick McKerrell from Glasgow Caledonian University whether John Swinney’s government is respecting the Supreme Court ruling on women and sex. Scotcast is the BBC’s Scottish news podcast. This episode is hosted by Martin Geissler and Natalie Higgins. Get in touch: [email protected]