Currently21 Sep 2025

Scotland Wants You

Nick Eardley explores the Scottish dimension to one of the most contentious issues facing the UK – immigration. With lower birthrates and a population that’s aging faster, Scotland desperately needs people to come here and take up jobs in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and hospitality. And now with Reform biting at their heels Labour plan to adopt a much tighter immigration policy. So does this ‘one size fits all’ immigration policy risk making Scotland’s problems worse?

Nick’s investigation probes into another central question: are higher immigration levels something that the average Scot is ready to accept? On the surface, Scotland presents itself as a hospitable, inclusive country, known for its strong values of egalitarianism. It avoided last year’s wave of immigration riots which hit parts of England and marred Labour’s first few weeks in power but recent protests outside asylum hotels in places like Perth and Falkirk suggest public opinion is shifting.

The recent rise in support for Reform UK reveal a complex picture. While there’s much enthusiasm for Scotland from immigrant communities, there are surprising undercurrents of resentment surfacing.

Nick will explore the often contradictory narratives and perspectives surrounding immigration in Scotland. His journey will uncover whether Scotland’s reputation for openness aligns with current attitudes, or if this image masks deeper ambivalences - does the old Scottish adage, about inclusivity - “We’re all Jock Tamson’s bairns,” still reflect the country today?

Presenter: Nick Eardley Producer: Peter McManus Sound: Gav Murchie

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(57)

The Return of the Youth Club

More than a thousand youth clubs have closed their doors since 2010. Local government spending on youth services was slashed by around three-quarters during the age of austerity leaving a generation ...

8 Sep 28min

The Dictators' Survival Guide

Xi Jinping is known to be a ruthless leader. In the last five years alone, China’s richest man, Jack Ma, China’s defence minister and the country’s foreign minister have all abruptly disappeared - som...

30 Aug 28min

The WhatsApp Underground

In June 2026, racist violence erupted across Northern Ireland. Masked groups circulated lists of homes where people of colour were believed to be living, forcing more than a hundred people to flee.As ...

23 Aug 28min

Pride Before the Fall

Across the country love for Pride events is waning. Councils are pulling funding saying that cash is better spent on potholes and emptying the bins and big companies, once eager to be associated with...

16 Aug 27min

Decency Politics

As a journalist, historian, constitutional scholar and member of the House of Lords, Peter Hennessy has been observing British public and political life for more than 50 years. But now he's retiring f...

13 Juli 28min

Lebanon's Abandoned Lives

People who've had to abandon their homes because of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, explain what life is like in Lebanon, a country which has been repeatedly hit by war. A social worker des...

15 Juni 29min

England’s Identity Crisis

England’s men's football team is once again preparing to shoulder the hopes of millions across the nation. A World Cup is traditionally a time to come together, but this tournament takes place in a t...

4 Juni 28min

When Shiraz Calls

A personal account of day-to-day life in Iran told through the calls of two Iranian sisters – one in the UK, the other in the Iranian city of Shiraz. Since the outbreak of war at the end of February,...

24 Maj 28min