27/08/2014 Reporting Scotland

again. Something to look forward to. That is all from

The CBI in Scotland is forced to scale down a dinner involving

the Prime Minister after fears it would break campaign law.

Meanwhile, voting is already underway in the referendum

My work is offshore. This was too important to leave to say, in four

years, I will get another chance. This is it, the one chance.

Encouraging people to have a voice in Scotland's future.

Hundreds of thousands are yet to register to vote.

After their exit from the Champions League, the Celtic manager

says his team wasn't good enough for the competition.

And he was one of the darlings of the Commonwealth Games.

Now, Ross Murdoch is trying to trace a mystery five-year-old

The CBI has had to scale down a large business dinner in Glasgow

tomorrow evening, to be attended by the Prime Minister, after

the electoral commission warned it could be breaking the law.

The commission, which monitors referendum rules,

says it is a campaign event and so could break spending limits.

Let's cross to our political editor Brian Taylor.

The CBI Scotland regularly attracts really big-name political speakers,

Prime Minister 's, member of Cabinet, etc. This is so normal, the

snag is, these are not normal times. We are in the middle of an

incredibly tight fought referendum campaign. The electoral commission

has ruled that the dinner due to be addressed by the Prime Minister

counts as a campaign event, because the Prime Minister intends to make a

strong rallying call for the union and an attack upon independence. In

those circumstances, they say, the Electoral Commission are having to

scrutinise the expenditure very closely, it is understood. The CBI

have confirmed that they have had to scale down their event as a

consequence, with few guests attending, perhaps a less lavish

affair generally, in order to stay within spending limits and avoid

problems with the Electoral Commission, because the commission

are saying they are scrutinising in advance and they will want to see

the books, see the cost of this event, and if not satisfied, they

can report matters to the Crown Office or the Procurator Fiscal.

This is serious stuff. Yes, the CBI say they are adamant

they will be within spending rules, and they have contained their

proposals. But in April, they announced they were intending to

register in general as a campaigner in the referendum against

independence. They withdrew that plan following protests from some of

their members. If you like, this is almost a backwash of that. The Prime

Minister, I am sure, will try to brush his tomorrow and move on to

the positive arguments as he sees it for the union. Otherwise, it has

been a really busy day today on the campaign trail.

In government, they had their differences, but Alistair Darling

and Gordon Brown are now firmly on the same side. They shared a

platform in Dundee, arguing for the union. With them, football

commentator Archie MacPherson are speaking, he said, on behalf of

pensioners. Agreements all-round? As we see today... Rubbish! Absolute

rubbish! A heckler takes Gordon Brown to task. As the former Prime

Minister persists, other audio 's members condemned the protest.

After a lifetime in politics, Gordon Brown has seen it all, and so he

carries on, arguing that UK wide funding protect pensions, welfare

and the health service in Scotland. Our pride in being Scottish is also

to defend our own institutions, support our Scottish Parliament, but

also recognise that we are stronger and Better Together by sharing our

resources as part of the United Kingdom. For Nicola Sturgeon, a more

placid, if somewhat chilly, ferry journey. You have got the right

idea! Their destination, Lerwick in Shetland, part of an Island store.

She promised distinctive treatment for the islands under independence,

while telling critics that reform is already in motion. She said Shetland

and Scotland stood to gain from independence. This is about taking

control of the future of our country. It is a fantastic

opportunity, and I think the momentum is very firmly with the yes

campaign, and I am very confident it will be a yes vote in three weeks'

time. And more on the NHS. Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil says

anyone can see that respected spending cuts in England good filter

down to Scotland. . Are you organised? Posing for a selfie in

Inverness, Better Together leaders said this claim was nonsense.

The first people to vote in the referendum so early today.

While polling day might not be until September 18th, postal ballots

begun dropping on doormats across Scotland this morning.

Here's our political correspondent Tim Reid.

The nation's future rests in the hands of Scottish voters, voters

like Daniel Graham, who this afternoon in Peterhead became one of

the first to post his vote. It is a very important part of the next

couple of years. I just decided to do a postal vote, because I have a

bad back, and I was not sure if I would be OK on the day of the

referendum. I did not want to miss it. More people will post their

votes than ever before. So far, there have been more than

680,000 applications, a total of 16% of the electorate. Those figures

will rise as people continue to register. We have more people

applying for a postal vote. They are always more likely to

actually cashed their vote than people who are not postal voters. We

have the largest electorate, so I think it is safe to say we will have

the largest number of postal votes to handle.

Those in charge one tip your boat is to count, it is just one cross, yes

or no. Packing up, his ballot paper already posted, this oil worker, one

of thousands of Scots who could be away from home on September the

18th. My work is offshore, I did not know whether I would be here or

offshore. So this was too important to leave, to say, in four years, I

will get another chance. This is it. This is the one chance Scotland will

get to vote one the other. However you vote, whether in post or

in person, the question remains the same and the ballot they do very

much like this. Despite the large number of postal voters in this

referendum, the vast majority will visit the polling booth and cut

their vote in a ballot box much like this.

And if you do have a postal vote, there is a warning to night to avoid

taking a photograph of your boat and then posting it online. Scotland's

chief returning officer says while it is not necessarily a criminal

offence to photograph a completed ballot paper, it is strongly

discouraged as it could violate the secrecy of the ballot, which is

fundamental to the integrity of the process.

Senior figures in Scottish business have clashed

In an open letter, 130 leading business people warned

that leaving the UK would threaten jobs and investment.

But supporters of the Yes campaign insist the move would boost

Scotland's economic growth, and they're expected to name more than

Here's our business correspondent David Henderson.

They don't back independence, and they have spoken out now. The bosses

of some of the country's biggest known brands, like Famous Grouse and

Toner's Teacakes spelled-out today why they will vote no. They stress

they speak only for themselves, but they claim the business case for

independence has not been made. What currency do we trade in? That is a

very fundamental question for business. As we look at the options,

whichever route is adopted by an independent Scotland, there will be

additional costs for Scottish business. In an open letter, the

business figures point to uncertainty about regulation,

taxation, and they say, uncertainty is bad for business.

Different firms have different priorities. The company bosses who

have signed this open letter today are looking to trade across the

border with the rest of the UK, but other firms have different

customers. They may take a different view.

Campaigners on both sides of the debate have been reaching out to

Scottish firms. And some business leaders here say a

yes vote would give a boost to Scotland's trade overseas and grow

market at home as well. I don't think there is any greater

risk at this moment. I think it is exactly opposite, I think we will

see great opportunity for an independent Scotland. We can promote

ourselves around the world and attract inward investment by

promoting our best interests. With the campaign hotting up and the

referendum just weeks away, this may not be the last intervention of its

kind, as voters and firms weigh up potential risks and rewards.

We will be live tonight in Shetland, where the islands find themselves

besieged by referendum campaign is promising them more powers. I will

be talking to the Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael and the Deputy

First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who are both in Lerwick. Join us at

10:30 BBC Two. The Royal Bank of Scotland is to

be hit with a multimillion-pound The BBC has learned that

the penalty from the The bank says it is very sorry for

getting bad mortgage advice to customers. The regulator found staff

failed to consider budgets, and did not advise customers on a suitable

mortgage term. HM Revenue and Customs has been

granted permission to appeal against a tax ruling over

Rangers Football Club's use In July, an upper-tier tax tribunal

dismissed an HMRC appeal against a first-tier decision on payments made

to players and other employees. The tax authority argued

unsuccessfully that The Murray Group, which formerly

owned Rangers, had argued that A Virgin Atlantic aircraft was

forced to make an emergency landing at Edinburgh airport this evening

after suffering a loss of cabin pressure shortly after take-off. The

incident ended shortly before six o'clock, the London bound flight

turned around and landed safely. A look at some other stories

from around the country now. Giving honey bees a home is

the latest idea from Glasgow City Council to improve

the city's green credentials. Two hives, containing 120,000 bees,

have been placed on There's hope of polish and honey

being produced, as well as more One of Britain's historic

cinemas has closed its doors. They are great pollinators. It is a

magnificent contribution to nature. The bee population is in decline,

and the council are determined to do its bit to keep Glasgow baby

friendly place. One of Britain's historic

cinemas has closed its doors. The Picture House in Campbeltown

opened in 1913 and was one of the first purpose-built cinemas

in Scotland. A local business hopes to raise

enough money to restore the building in the hope

of re-opening in two years' time. Police investigating the theft

of three plaques from Orkney's Italian Chapel have narrowed down

the time the crime was committed. Police believe they were

taken between 6:30 on the evening of August 6th, and

11 o'clock the following morning. Visitors submitted photos

taken inside the chapel to help There are calls for

a task force to be set up to deal Scottish Borders Councillor Bill

White says planning policies should be "tweaked" and owners of vacant

shops should consider reducing rents in order to tackle what he called

the "blight" of empty premises. A lorry load

of fish heads has spilled onto a road in Aberdeenshire after the

vehicle carrying them overturned. The accident happened at the

Kirk Street roundabout in Peterhead Earlier today, we told you about

postal voting papers arriving today but how do you take part in the

referendum if you don't have a home? One charity that works with homeless

people has held a hustings for people who live

on the very fringes of society, many of whom can't read or write and find

it hard to fill out a ballot paper. Goodness! Already a mixed response.

Heckling, booing and a heated debate, and I was just the first

five minutes. The exercise on the 18th of September is forever. This

was a husband with a difference. Many people here do not have a home

or can afford food, but they certainly have a view on

independence. Politicians started off by urging them to vote. For too

long, disadvantaged people have not had a say. This is a day you can

have a say. This is Scotland's time. Please, use your vote. Take Kirsty

and Tracey. One is Yes, the other No.

Kirsty now has a flat, but has been homeless and she was 16. Tracey is

disabled and has to use foodbank. I think the benefit system would

improve. It can't be worse than it is now. We have a benefit Capcom

which I do not agree with it all. I doubt we could do it England. I

don't think we could cope on our own. No, I do think we could. I

think the benefits system with the totally gutted.

This group of people traditionally have the lowest turnout of any voter

group. There is a suspicion of the system, and a feeling that they do

not count. People sometimes become

disillusioned when they try to engage with local authorities or

with government, or with the system. They seem to struggle, and nothing

seems to change, and often, they shrug their shoulders and give up,

and say, nothing will change No matter how I vote, and we are trying

to engage with people and say, it really matter that you vote. And you

can do that by filling out a declaration of local correction.

You don't have to have a home, it could be a bust up, shelter, or a

friend's house. We have come out of the hat stings now, because it is

essentially a private event, and many people use the mission say they

would feel intimidated by cameras being there. That just goes to show

how difficult it is for this group of people to feel that they are

voices are being heard. To sport now

and David has the latest. The Celtic manager Ronny Deila says

his team simply aren't good enough They were knocked out

in the final qualifying round last night by Maribor of Slovenia,

who beat them at Celtic Park. But Deila is promising that

his team will get better. A dangerous run into the six yard

box. It comes back! Oh, No! Grim viewing for Celtic fans, grim

reading today as well. But No excuses.

IN the end, there is only one thing to say. We have not been good enough

and we did not deserve to go to Champions League. That is the level

now, and that is where we have to work up front. After the match last

night, some supporters staged a protest. Those at Celtic Park

today, less angry was still disappointed. Terrible. Awful. He's

obviously not getting the support, moneywise. He has got to get support

from the board. They have dropped down. Their level so for now, that I

think a lot of people lost interest. There can be many who expect Celtic

to win the greatest club competition in Europe.

Things have changed since they did in 1967, and they have qualified

just twice for the Champions League the last five years. So, our

expectations simply high? It is a tall order, because everything has

to be in place. You must have the right players, a manager. This year,

it has been difficult with a new manager coming in and some players

leaving. So maybe you are right, maybe we are setting bar very high,

but that is what the fans expect. Maryland law at the second got to

knock Celtic out of the competition this season. Warsaw did it as well,

the four UEFA reinstated them. This time, there is No reprieve, just a

place in the less prestigious Europa League.

Celtic have completed the loan signing of Rubin Kazan

winger Wakaso Mubarak on a one-year deal, with the option

The deal to bring the 24-year-old to Scotland could make

Stephen Gallacher says he's "excited" by the challenge of trying

to qualify for next month's Ryder Cup at the final ranking event.

He's in Turin for the Italian Open where nothing short

of a very good week will leave him sweating on a captain's pick.

Also in Turin is our golf reporter Phil Goodlad.

Here in Turin, it is clear to say the Italian open is a two and for

those players not usually in the spotlight. It is a little different

this year, however, because of this man chasing his Ryder Cup dream.

It has been my goal since I started playing golf, really, side and up I

can get any higher than that. With just one automatic qualifying place

still up for grabs, Stephen Gallagher needs to win here or

finish second to make the European team. If he does not, it is an

agonising wait for one of Captain Paul McGinley's three wild cards. A

Scot trying to get is the Ryder Cup in Scotland.

I want to get in it. I think the public would like it. Again, that is

not a thing I can control, and until I can, it is up to someone public

opinion. We will wait and see. Marc Warren also tees off here with

Ryder Cup hopes. They are much slimmer than Gallagher's, however.

If I win this week, I don't know what could happen, but I still think

personally it is an outside chance. So, more than a decade after it was

chosen to host the Ryder Cup, and after a year of team qualifying, the

last few steps towards Gleneagles are about to take place.

We are about to find out whether Scotland's Ryder Cup will finish any

of our own hours on the course. Andy Murray says he's recovered

from the severe cramp that affected him during his opening match

at the US Open. He's been out

on the practice court with his hitting partner, and is feeling

good ahead of tomorrow's match. And. In our website, and if you more

to catch. You will get the League Cup draw on our website as well.

And now, the weather. Thank you. Good evening. Another day of

summer, some sunshine. Don't be surprised, as it is still August.

However, a change in the way. This weather front moves his way in as we

head into this evening, so turning cloudy overnight tonight, and

indeed, a bit wet. The chart from seven o'clock, and we can see the

rain and cloud spreading his way in, accompanied by strengthening winds,

potentially gale force around the south coast and inner Hebrides. But

overnight, because of the cloud, rain and wind, not as cold as last

night. Further north, where the rain and cloud isn't quite reaching a

little bit cooler. Tomorrow, the rain continues its journey

northwards. At daybreak, some rain around through the central belt, but

it quickly clears. Behind it, drying up, with some bright or even sunny

skies developing as we had through the day. By mid-afternoon, it is

brighter and sunnier, but as the temperatures rise, we will see a

number of showers being sparked off. One or two could well be quite

heavy, but with winds from the South, temperatures not too bad, to

19 degrees again, and certainly a better day for Dundee and Aberdeen.

Mid to high teen temperatures. Further north, rain in the islands,

but decent spells of sunshine by the end of the day. The rain continues

its journey northwards, some late evening sunshine, but more rain on

the way. Waiting in the wings, an area of low pressure, which will

work in overnight as we had towards Friday, and the wind strengthens

again from the South or Southwest, possibly touching gale force up the

West Coast. For Friday, fairly unsubtle. Some bright sunny skies,

but a number of blustery showers around, and the wind is quite strong

at times. Temperatures OK, but to 19 degrees, but at the strength of the

wind, and it will not feel that one. By Saturday, winds are lighter and

showers less frequent. Mostly in the north and north-west. Any brighter

skies up towards the high teens. Sunday looks good at the moment.

That is the forecast. I do very much.

In the aftermath of his commonwealth success, gold medal

winning swimmer Ross Murdoch has been busy training, competing...

and trying to track down a five-year-old fan.

The little boy wrote to Ross - the letter was addressed simply to

Ross Murdoch, Commonwealth Champion, Balloch.

It found its recipient, and now Ross wants to meet his young fan.

Catriona Renton has been helping out.

It was these images of Ross Murdock winning gold that have turned him

into an inspiration. Ross Murdock is going to take legal. And. Ross could

hardly believe it himself when he won the Best Rogat Glasgow 2014, and

now he has got a new biggest fan, but it is a mystery. Who is

five-year-old Brian? I got this in the post. It got posted to my

parents' address, but it was not actually the correct address. It got

there eventually, so the Royal Mail did a great job of getting this out

there! It says, Ross Murdoch, swimming pool, Balloch. Ross put out

an appeal on Twitter to try to find him, but there is a Glasgow

postmark, among few clues. He has had a great time doing it. He

has put some Norton crosses, drawn a couple of pictures, he says, I am

your biggest fan, and that he hopes that I really like it.

Ross is delighted that Brian has seen him swimming and has got in

touch. I think it is really good, the fact

I have supporters from such a young age. It makes doing all this sort of

stuff worthwhile, because I have always wanted to be that person that

can inspire the next generation. Ultimately, this boy could be the

future of Scottish women, and there are lots of children out there that

could also be. So, if Ross finds Brian, what can he expect to matter

I'd love him to come here to Sterling, show him the pool, maybe

get him in the pool and have a bit of a swim, show him the gang that I

train with. Just show him the whole setup here.

That would be a massive tree for him, wouldn't it? I think it could

be! I assume he would enjoy it. Tonight, a potential lead.

A lady has contacted Ross' Twitter, thinking the letter is from her son

Brian, so hopefully, he will meet his hero soon.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news.

The CBI has had to scale down a dinner to be held tomorrow night in

Glasgow, after the electoral commission warned it could be

breaking electoral spending law. The first people to vote in the

referendum did so today, well polling day may not be until

September the team, postal ballots began dropping across doormats Homs

in Scotland this morning. There are increasing calls for

people in positions of responsibility to be held to account

following the report into widespread sexual abuse in Rotherham. The

police, the council, and social services have been decided but

knowing about the abuse but failing to stop it.

And that is Reporting Scotland. I am back with the headline that they do

cry, and the late bulletin is just after the Ten O'Clock News. Until

then, from everyone here, good evening.