Burns Night is one of Scotland’s best-known traditions, celebrating the life of poet Robert Burns each year on 25th January. But new research reveals a striking gap between awareness and action — while most Brits have heard of Burns Night, only a quarter actually celebrate it, and many people, including Scots themselves, are unclear about what it really represents. Joining Rory McGowan to discuss this is Aberfeldy Global Brand Ambassador Matthew Cordiner.
Guests: Matthew Cordiner
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
For his first appearance in 2026, Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks as what he feels will be the big themes for the United Kingdom this year: geopolitics; living standards; state efficiency; devolution; leadership, the EU; trade & tech; and Net Zero. When it comes to ID cards, with the government heavily influenced by Tony Blair, the protests against the scheme made the public – who had been moderately in favour – realise the drawbacks and cost, so that it became a political liability. Tim cantered through the various Labour U-turns on income tax thresholds, workers' rights, the WASPI women, grooming gangs, winter fuel payments, pub business rates, farming inheritance tax and welfare reforms. Labour appears to have no strategy. The U-turns smack of weakness and, in the public mind, echo the 14 years of Conservative rule.
Guests: Professor Tim Evans
Published:
Rory McGowan is joined by Mary Hubbard, executive director of the first website created, WordPress, to answer these questions: Tell us more about the first website created? Why do websites still matter in an age dominated by apps and closed platforms? How have user expectations of websites changed over the last decade? What needs to happen to ensure the web remains open for the next 35 years? Where can listeners go for more information on this?
Guests: Mary Hubbard
Published:
If you’ve set yourself the goal of improving your sleep this year, but already feel you’ve failed, there may be more at play than standard insomnia. Leading psychiatrist, Dr Bruna Sanader Vukadinovic, is warning that an over-reliance on insomnia medication may be doing more harm than good — especially when ADHD is involved. She joins Rory McGowan to discuss this further and give her top tips.
Guests: Bruna Sanader Vukadinovic
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Bigger Picture
Political commentator Mike Indian tries his best not to mention “the giant orange elephant in the room”. He discusses the Lords amendment which would impose a ban on social media for the under-16s. This would follow a similar move in Australia and has strong cross-party consensus. Robert Jenrick’s defection to Reform was undermined to some extent by the response from a more assertive Kemi Badenoch which took some of the wind out of Nigel Farage’s sails. He does not have a history of playing nicely with people and Jenrick may yet find himself a bit player in the Nigel Farage Show. As for Trump’s speech in Davos, despite his trampling of the rule-based international order, he clearly yearns for acceptance from the world elite. But, as his health fails, he is becoming increasingly erratic and may yet try and find a way to get a third term.
Guests: Mike Indian
Published:
Original Broadcast: Gadgets and Gizmos
Steve Caplin is intrigued by a robot that the University of Columbia has been training to lip-sync to make it more lifelike. He discusses the history of the laser, originally called a death ray and yet which is only now apparently worthy of the name. There’s also an airbag for cyclists, a cycle helmet that protects more than just head-on crashes as current helmets do, while the Australians have come up with a semi-recumbent electric trike. Peugot have tried to reinvent the steering wheel, which they claim will be the “future of driving”, and there’s a Norwegian sewing app that may defeat any non-Norwegians trying to find it.
Guests: Steve Caplin
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #1 28 Years Later – The Bone Temple deserves its 18 certificate as you will need a strong constitution. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, it’s hard to watch but is a gripping horror film with style, beauty and terrific dialogue. #7 Rental Family, starring Brendan Fraser, is set in Japan and directed by the Japanese Hikari. It’s an odd but enthralling story with a light touch about an actor rented out as a family member. On Netflix, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star in The Rip, a generic, often confusing but hard-hitting action thriller. It seems far-fetched but is based on a true story so outlandish, it had to be scaled back.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Financial Outlook for Personal Investors
Russ Mould of A J Bell asks what lessons we can draw from Donald Trump’s speech at Davos, an event Russ would normally ignore. We know Trump likes to deal and to keep the US stock market happy and running hot. We can probably expect market volatility and there are indications that it makes sense not being too over-exposed to US equities. Investors keen to protect themselves should opt for shares that aren’t so highly-priced, which applies to lots of UK stocks. American shares are now such a high proportion of the world stock market that it makes sense to diversify away. The FTSE All-World ex-US index has broken out to a new all-time high. Once you go above a previous peak, momentum can be very strong. The UK has had 3 or 4 bids already this year including one for a FTSE100 company. You can still make a valuation case for the UK.
Guests: Russ Mould
Published:
Original Broadcast: Thought for the Week
We're getting increasingly used to Donald Trump's bullying tactics; it's time to encourage U.S. tech leaders to persuade him to back off, by applying the same (Greenland-based) level of tariffs on their exports to Europe and the UK. Meanwhile, ID verification should not be used so much to restrict young people from work in the UK as to help them make a good start to adult life in their countries of origin. Background music: 'Dance of the Mammoths' by The Whole Other
Published:
Original Broadcast: This is Money
Life isn't what it once was for star fund managers. The investment industry once thrived on big names but these widely recognisable figures are few and far between nowadays. Two that remain are Terry Smith and Nick Train but their Fundsmith and Finsbury Growth & Income investors have had their patience tested by five years of underperformance compared to just sticking money in a cheap market tracker fund. Both managers defended their approach this week, while offering their investors an apology of sorts. So, is it time to swap your star fund manager for a cheap index fund, or are the stock pickers likely to be proved right in the end? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert discuss the cult of the fund manager and whether it's had its day. Meanwhile, The Chancellor wants to get more of us investing but MPs have looked into her plans to cut the cash ISA limit and said it's unlikely to lead more people to the UK stock market. That's exactly what most investment experts told the Chancellor before the Budget, so is there any chance of change of heart? Parts of the London property market have been having a quiet house price crash; Georgie, Helen and Simon discuss what's going on and what kind of properties are affected. The team also ask if cashback is worth it — and look at the deals that could cost you money. And finally, if you want a cheap electric car runaround, what are your best options and what would it cost you?
Guests: Helen Crane
Published:
Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Matt Frankel, Tyler Crowe, and Jon Quast discuss earnings from six of the largest U.S. banks, the president's proposed cap on credit card interest rates, and stocks on our radar. Companies discussed: JPM, BAC, C, WFC, GS, MS, COF, SOFI, KLAR, FIVE, ASR. Host — Matt Frankel; Guests — Tyler Crowe, Jon Quast.o
Guests: Tyler Crowe,Jon Quast
Published:
Original Broadcast: Motley Fool Show
Data centers are still the headline, but the real pinch points are power and real estate. Emily Flippen is joined by Motley Fool analysts Anders Bylund and Dan Caplinger to map the data center buildout, the risks of “overbuild,” and where investors can look for exposure without paying bubble prices. Companies discussed: MSFT, AMZN, NEE, GOOGL, HPE, AAON, STRL, DLR, FIX, EME, AMT, EQIX, IRM, STN, SBGSY. Host — Emily Flippen; Guests — Dan Caplinger, Anders Bylund.
Guests: Dan Caplinger,Anders Bylund
Published:
