13/09/2014 BBC Weekend News

Intense campaigning in Scotland as the Yes and No camps fight it

In the last weekend before the referendum, each side

What they will hear from the Yes campaign is a positive vision about

the future of Scotland. On that ground we stand, and on that ground

we're winning. I'm confident of victory but I'm not complacent. I'm

working as hard as everybody in the campaign. We are all doing an

immense amount of work up and down the country.

We'll be looking at the latest opinion polls which this evening

Ukrainian government troops say they've repelled an attack

by pro-Russian rebels on an airport in the east of the country.

And how the new all-electric Formula E Prix delivered a few sparks - and

There's been a frenetic round of campaigning for votes in the last

weekend before Thursday's Scottish referendum, with the latest opinion

Today, a rally in Edinburgh in support

of the Union was joined by thousands of people from all over the United

Kingdom - while campaigners for a Yes vote started delivering leaflets

We'll take a closer look at the polls in a moment,

but first with just five days left before Scotland decides, here's

On Scotland's streets, politics has come alive. Westminster

politicians... They'll make a better job of it. So they are better than

us now? Are they? Passion aplenty, as a nation debates its future. Go

out and persuade one more of our fellow citizens to join this great

Yes campaign. Will you do that? Yes. Yes campaigners, for so long the

underdogs, are now fired up. The First Minister, Alex Salmond, is

touring town after town this weekend. He continues to dismiss

concerns about the cost of independence, insisting voters are

being turned off by his opponents' negative images. -- messages What

people will hear from the Yes campaign is a positive vision on the

future of Scotland. On that ground we stand and on that ground we are

winning. From the Highlands to the lowlands, Scotland today is a nation

frantic with political activity. This is the busiest day's

campaigning in this country's history, as it tries to decide Yes,

or No. In the heart of Glasgow, campaigners

against independence were out in force. Their message - we're at

patriotic as the next Scot and we don't want disruption and disunity.

How are you? There was no missing the same message in Edinburgh, it

was hammered home by thousands of Orangemen, marching through the

city, in support of the union. This campaign has brought political

friend and foe together, to campaign for the same cause. Well, I'm

confident of victory, but I'm not complacent. I'm working as hard as

everybody in the campaign. We are all doing an immense amount of work

right up and down the country. It is clear that the silent majority is

finding its voice as we enter the closing stages. I am looking forward

to polling day and to the result, confident but still a lot of work to

do between now and then. For Scotland, the stakes are getting

higher, the referendum ever-closer. Well, today there have been further

warnings about the possible negative consequences

of Scottish independence. Deutsche Bank said

a Yes vote would be comparable to the mistakes that led to the

Great Depression of the 1930s. It's a claim rejected

by the Business for Scotland group, It's been a week of bleak head Lynx

and dire warnings from big business. Banks said they moved south and

retailers said prices would go up, now another, possibly the most

pessimistic of all It would be catastrophic economically for

Scotland, bordering on the depression in Scotland that would

last a number of years. A few reasons for that. First up is

Scottish national institutions, mainly banks would lose access to

bore ying from the Bank of England, a Central Bank. The Deutsche Bank

report also said that companies and Scottish shoppers would stop

spending, due to the uncertaintive a Yes vote. That was echoed by a

letter from large retailers including B and Marks and

Spencers, who warned today that families would have to spend even

more on their weekly shop as prices would rise. But that was dismissed

by companies in favour of independence, who said Scotland

would be one of the richest new countries in the world. The point to

this is it is bluff and bluster. They are talking really an economic

tsunami that would affect Scotland on the basing of independence. But

this is being superceded because the banks have said they would move

their registered offices under certain circumstances to London so

they would have the protection of the lender of the last resort in

England. What has changed is the sudden realisation in financial

centres that Scottish independence would have massive ramifications.

Over the past weeks some of Britain's largest companies, mostly

based here in London have warned of the consequences of a Yes vote but

they will not be deciding. It will be decided by the Scottish people on

Thursday. #12k3w4r

Well, tonight many of the Sunday newspapers have details

The latest Poll of Polls suggests support for the No

campaign stands at 51%, with 49% for Yes, indicating that it

Well, let's go now to our Political Correspondent,

Iain, is really is on a knife-edge now, isn't it? It is. Let me

underline why it is too close to call. One poll is showing the No

campaign up at 54% but it was commissioned by the No campaign.

Another puts the Yes campaign, at 54% but, it talked to you fooer

voters than many other pollsters. It is against it backdrop where we are

seeing political trunch warfare with the big guns being wheeled out. Tony

Blair said it wouldn't be sensible economically or emotionally to rip

up the UK. Gordon Brown said if an independent Scotland failed to pay

its share of UK debts, it could end up as the Germany that contributed

to the rise to Hitler. So we are seeing strong rhetoric in the run-up

to this referendum during the course of the week. And I think we are also

seeing, potentially, Reeta, conventional political wisdom turned

on its head. If you are getting big businesses and big beasts saying

here are dire warnings, if it was a Westminster election, would you

expect any particular political party under that kind of criticism

to be losing votes but here, the Yes campaign are trying to turn these

interventions to their own advantage. They are saying - we are

the plucky underdogs standing up against the bullies and as we have

seen, their vote share is holding up. Tomorrow on the Andrew Marr

programme on BBC One, the leaders of the Yes and No campaigns, Alex

Salmond and Alistair Darling will be devoting the issue, with the future

of the UK on a knife edge. Thank you very much. A 36-year-old man has

been charged with the murder of mother of five, penny Davies in New

Hampshire. The accused will appear in court on Monday.

In eastern Ukraine, there's been heavy fighting

That's despite the ceasefire agreed a week ago between the government

Ukrainian soldiers say they've repelled an attack

by rebels who control much of the rest of the city.

From Donetsk, our World Affairs correspondent, Paul Adams, reports.

Deserted streets on the way to Donetsk Airport. Rebels said to be

mounting an assault. We make the final approach on foot, through an

area that's seen plenty of fighting in recent weeks.

Cl Most of what we are hearing at the moment is machine gun and small

arms fire. Every now and again an artillery round. The airport is just

over this bridge here. We are not very har from it at all. At the last

-- far from it. At the last checkpoint before the airport, the

soldiers seem relaxed but now the gunfire is close.

Tank rounds are landing behind the trees, on the far side of the

bridge. The airport is somewhere beyond. This has been a flashpoint

for months, but today's fighting seems more intense. It's not the

only part of the city where the ceasefire feels like a fiction. In

this suburb, buildings are scarred, nerves shredded. "Why are they doing

this to me, I'm Ukrainian", this woman says.

Nearby, another volley of shells sends people running for an air raid

shelter. Some have been living here for months. They don't know when it

will be safe to leave. The Premier League returned today

after the iternational break. All the goals are on Match

of the Day after the news. It's on slightly later

if you're watching in Scotland. But if you want the results now,

then here they come. Diego Costa scored a hatrick

for Chelsea against Swansea It finished 4-2 at Stamford Bridge

to make it four wins out of four and Newcastle are bottom of the table

after a 4-0 defeat at Southampton. Manager, Alan Pardew,

failed to attend the post-match news conference with his position

looking increasingly precarious. Saints move

into the top four with the win. Elsewhere the Champions Manchester

City got a late equaliser Burnley had a penalty saved in their

goalless draw at Crystal Palace. Gabby Agbonlahor's winner

at Liverpool moved Aston Villa up Leicester's first win

of the season came at Stoke. Sunderland and Spurs drew 2-2

and West Brom lost 2-2 There was relief for the

Scottish Champions Celtic. After failing to win

in their last four matches, Kris Commons scored

their second goal. They are now three points

behind the new leaders Hamilton There were also wins for Kilmarnock,

Partick, Motherwell and Dundee. Rory Mcilroy is one of five players

in Atalanta who can win the richest If he claims the Tour Championship,

he would also win the overall Fedex title and with it

a ?6 million pound bonus. He's nearing the end

of his third round he is currently joint leader at

9-under. Now, a new motorsport series started

today and there are some familiar drivers involved, Prost, Piquet,

Senna, sons and relatives of the Formula One greats,

but there the simlarity ends. The cars in Formula E are powered

by batteries. The 10 race series ends in London

next summer. Today's Beijing opener was marked

by a spectacular crash Jeremy Betts These the dramatic final scenes to a

race that had been far from electrifying. It is an Grand Prix

Championship but not as we know it. The roars, fumes and high octane

replaced by high voltage. Beijing provided the iconic setting and a

familiar name occupied pole, Nico Prost, son of Alain led the way. The

cars can reach top speeds of around 140 miles per hour. But the

batteries have a short life span forcing drivers to change to a

second vehicle half way through. Once Prost had, it seemed the

Frenchman was on course to claim a maiden victory. A nervous dad and

team owner looked on but nick Heidfeld was closing the gap. It

narrowed to the point where this happened. Fortunately Heidfeld

wasn't hurt so the opening race was wondy default by Lucas di Grassi. It

may be heralded as a cleaner motor sport but not one for pushovers.

Two Cycling tours finish tomorrow, Alberto Contador should win

his third Vuelta Espana as he leads Britain's Chris Froome

The Tour of Britain could be much closer.

The penultimate stage from Surrey to Brighton was won

Sir Bradley Wiggins is still in contention ahead of tomorrow's time

That's all the sport. Thank you very much. You can see

more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel but that's all

from me. Good night. Good evening. Well, Saturday

promised to be quite a fine day across the country and we did see

some good spells of sunshine, a top temperature of 23 Celsius in

Southampton. Through the course of the overnight period it stays fine

and settled across the