Episode details

Radio 4,24 Sep 2026,42 mins
Rights for the Unborn: How Should We Protect Future Generations? (Sophie Howe)
RadicalAvailable for over a year
Politicians are always making decisions that impact future generations, but how often do they really consider whether they are making life better, or worse, for people who haven’t been born yet? Rarely, thinks Sophie Howe, but she is part of a movement aiming to change that. She was the first future generations commissioner for Wales - at the time, the first role of its kind anywhere in the world - and her job was to make sure that decisions taken by the Welsh government would benefit its people in the long-term. She tells Gabriel Gatehouse about some of the key things she made happen, and one big thing she stopped happening, as well as her current work to encourage other countries to appoint future generations commissioners. Also, she explains why she thinks it’s sometimes necessary to put the needs of the unborn over those of the living, at least in the short-term. WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480 Email: radical@bbc.co.uk Episodes of Radical are released every Thursday. Series Producer: Simon Tulett Producer: Bob Howard Technical Producer: Dafydd Evans Digital Producer: Daniel Raza Senior News Editor: Sam Bonham
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