13/09/2014 Reporting Scotland

Tonight on Reporting Scotland, the final weekend of campaigning is

under way. Thousands of supporters on both sides of the referendum

debate have taken their messages to the streets. Voices from the

business world continue to intervene on both sides. We join canvassers

and campaigners in Lanarkshire as they battle for the hearts and minds

of traditional Labour voters. Good evening. The two sides in the

referendum debate are halfway through the final hectic weekend of

campaigning. Voters go to the polls on Thursday. A row over banks and

businesses is continuing. Fresh polling says it is still neck and

neck. We will look at the polls and new people entering the campaign in

a moment. First series David Porter. It is getting closer and closer, in

more ways than one. The final Saturday, the busiest day of

political campaigning Scotland has ever seen. Both sides trying to win

over undecided voters. ES campaign says they have had 35,000 activists

leafleting. The no side says it has been present at over 1000 locations.

The First Minister continued his tour by helicopter, making his

arguments for a yes vote. The failure of the negative campaign to

get over the scaremongering is very pleased he will, how can you compete

with a positive message that Scotland can be a prosperous country

and fairer society? If all you are going to do is try and crowd them in

Downing Street and Westminster to try and scare the Scottish people.

Marching down this street, Better Together say they are out the length

and breadth of Scotland demanding answers from their opponents. Every

government is temporary, but independence is for ever, there is

no going back, if it does not work out how Alex Salmond tells us, we

cannot go back, there are no guarantees or sense of buyer's

remorse. Thursday is not about making history, but the biggest

decision of our lives. After one week of claim and counterclaim over

how independence would impact business, new claims in the wider

economic battle. The telecoms companies have waded in, warning of

higher costs of independence. One of the world's biggest banks as compare

the possibility of a yes vote to mistakes that led to the great

depression of the 1930s. The yes vote would be quite catastrophic

economically for Scotland, bordering on the possibility of depression

lasting years. It is not independence that threatens the

financial services industry, we want to give a competitive advantage, it

is the union which has threatened the growth of the industry in

Scotland. In Edinburgh, thousands of people joined a rally by the Orange

order in support of the union. Yes Scotland said that why they were

entitled to campaign for a no boat, that campaign was mobilising

thousands of supporters. Better Together said they had nothing to do

with their campaign for a no boat. A further twist, the boss of News

Corporation, Rupert Murdoch was spotted in Aberdeen, prompting

further speculation what his newspapers would do. Both sides will

be watching closely. I am joined now by our political

correspondent, Tim Reid. Things getting very tense. So close, both

sides trying to grab an immense? It has been an absolutely feverish

state. It has been the busiest, most hectic day of campaigning that

Scotland has ever seen. A flurry of new polls suggesting with just over

100 hours to go, the narrowing of the gap, the race has never been

closer. Just two points between yes and no. Perhaps a health warning,

questions over individual sample sizes. Sunday Telegraph putting yes

ahead by eight points, the biggest lead for the pro-independence

campaign. Better Together, a campaign to them, but spend a point

ahead -- puts them eight points ahead. The Observer at it as 47-53.

It could not be closer. A new support for the yes campaign? John

McGlynn, former Conservative donor, who has bankrolled the party. Does

not have a former donation position in the Conservative Party. The

Tories would say he does not even vote Tory, he says he is a

conservative through and through, upset there was not a third option,

a so-called devo-max, he is unhappy that that has been offered by the

Prime Minister, saying it is too little, too late. He says he will

vote yes, not campaigning or donating, but he has said he will

vote yes. His pronouncement has been ostracised by the Tories. I would

love to see devo-max happening, it is not on offer. For those people

like me who want what can be loosely described as devo-max powers, you

have no choice. If you want economic powers for Scotland, you have two

vote yes. No surprise there. He and Alex Salmond have been Powells for

some time, he got Alex Salmond to open his new offices. That was about

as much of a shock to me as putting on my own socks. You have had a busy

day, before you go, what do you the sightings of Rupert Murdoch?

Interesting he's here on the final weekend of campaigning, he was

saying on Twitter he was trying to do his tour of Scotland incognito.

That chance of that happening. There are rumours that his newspapers may

come out in favour of independence. With the way the polls are, the

likelihood of that happening may have receded. He is a man... A

strategist, master tactician, he will not want to back the losing

side. Perhaps he will not back any of them. Then again, they may do.

For the moment, thank you. It has been a hectic weekend for

campaigners across the country. Perhaps the campaigning is at its

most intense in the West of Scotland, where both sides are

battling for the hearts and minds of traditional Labour voters. Our

correspondent has been meeting representatives from both campaigns

in Lanarkshire. It is the kind of community

campaigning some had thought were long gone. Public meetings, banging

on doors, handing out leaflets. Both sides are busy. What is a key issue

is what traditional Labour voters may do, how many may vote yes?

Public meetings have been important, this meeting in Hamilton was aimed

at undecided voters as well supporters. We have to stop

whingeing and complaining. We are not blaming Westminster, it be our

decisions. Some of the people here have been transformed into activists

for the first time by the referendum. Jim Savage, he thinks

the mood of Lanarkshire has changed at the old jobs of nationalised

industries have disappeared? 30 years ago, the biggest question is,

how safe is my job? Especially in Motherwell, British Steel was a huge

employer. The questions would have been job security of a British

corporation. Some other local activists are relatively new.

Victoria Campbell has gained a reputation for energy on the

doorstep. Up until the past few months, I was quite apathetic. I am

from a Labour Akram. -- from a Labour background. Seeing the

devastation in the local community, what happened in the 1980s.

The local Better Together campaign has had new recruits. Knocking on

doors, a tactic they considered to be more effective than meetings.

William McSween has never taken to campaigning before. Are you turning

out to cast a vote? I will be voting no. That saves me asking you? July

information? That is good. The magnitude of the vote, it stimulated

me to do something about it. I cannot imagine a Scotland without GB

behind it. The very thought of it fills me with horror, this is for

ever. The future of the whole country. As the polls have

tightened, others say they have become more energised. I have been

voting for a number of years, following it, I felt it necessary to

get involved in the campaign, put some time in, give the guys some

help. I feel it is making a contribution, something I am

passionate about, getting the message across. It is a battle for

hearts and minds, it has been echoed right across Scotland.

The more on the referendum, head to our website. Every addition of this

programme from the past week is available me I player. Extended

interviews with Alistair Darling Alex Salmond are there, as well as

Allah guides to the big campaign issues.

-- as well as our campaign guides. Celtic picked up all three points at

Parkhead against Aberdeen, to get their first win in three games.

Scott Brown making his first appearance of the season. A goal by

Jason Dunair. Chris Commons doubling the lead. Aberdeen scored, but could

not get the equaliser. Elsewhere in the Premiership, these

were the results. In the Championship, Hart Drury

Dumbarton, to go top, one point ahead of Rangers. -- Hearts. In the

Sinn T, Ken Ness won the title. It was a game at two halves in the

weather, beautiful in some parts of the country, not so good in others.

What is it like for the rest of the weekend?

Pretty misty and foggy, very good evening to you. It has been a day

with some good spells of sunshine, if we take a look at the earlier

satellite picture, we can see the best in the break in the cloud.

Temperatures reaching 21. Tonight, remaining dry overnight, but missed

and fog patches affecting many of us. Looking ahead to tomorrow, dry

start for many of us. Good spells of brightness and sunshine to start the

day. If you are heading out at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, this is

what we can expect, good spells of brightness, through Dunn Friesen

Galloway. More in the way of cloud through the borders, Perthshire,

Aberdeenshire. Some mist and fog lingering through the course of the

morning into the Western Isles. Mist and fog burning away during the

course of the morning to leave a largely dry day. Good spells of

brightness. Always a bit cloudier in the East, some light and patchy rain

likely. Temperatures reaching highs of around 19 Celsius. Always a bit

cooler along eastern coastal areas. This is what we can expect heading

into Monday, largely dry, cloudier in the East, some moderate

southeasterly breeze. That is it for now.

That is it for now, the next update during Sunday Politics Scotland. We

will leave you with a brief look back at the Proms in the park, where

thousands of people came out to enjoy the music at Glasgow Green.

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