16/02/2017 Reporting Scotland

what it says about the president and his administration.

Some companies are rebelling against new business rates coming

into force in April - with one leading hotelier

It's being claimed that the increases don't

take account of a drop in turnover since revaluation.

However the Scottish government say they're supporting smaller

businesses and an extra one hundred thousand will now

A busy lunchtime at the Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen.

But owner Stewart Spence isn't celebrating.

His business rates are set to rise by 25%, an extra ?1000 a week.

At the same time, turnover has plunged by 40%.

Mr Spence is refusing to pay the increased rates, and is calling

I'm going to continue to pay my old rates which is ?252,000 a year,

until I have a satisfactory answer to my appeal.

Are you concerned about legal ramifications?

I would love to go to court to challenge it.

Rates rises aren't confined to the hospitality sector.

The managing director of this nursery, and four others

in the west of Scotland, will see her bill increase

It's hugely concerning because a lot of people initially say, that's OK,

you can charge it back to the parents.

But there's obviously a ceiling to what we can do

there and there's a saturation point, and we will come to a point

where parents will say, we can't afford to go out and work.

And many businesses in Scotland will be affected.

The Scottish Conservatives are calling for an "immediate

The Scottish Government say thousands will play nothing at all.

We have taken decisions to support businesses.

We have increased the threshold for the small business bonus

to ?15,000, lifting about 100,000 businesses out of rates altogether.

Businesses like this one can appeal their revaluation

if they think the assessors have got it wrong.

One thing's for sure - this rates row looks set to rumple on.

So why are some businesses facing big increases while others are not?

Our Business and Economy Editor Douglas Fraser explains.

I have travelled all the way to my place of work,

the BBC headquarters in Glasgow, which is liable for nondomestic

rates, as our other offices, factories, warehouses,

schools and hospitals, a bothy, a satellite mast and salmon.

It depends on the business sector and on the location.

Seven years ago the value placed on renting this was ?3.75 million.

Along with office rental in this area, it's going up 15%.

That's not the actual bill, the bill is based on the poundage,

the rate levied on each pound of the valuation.

That's roughly half the annual rental cost.

In the case of the BBC, ?2.1 million from April.

That's quite a hike, but in the tourism sector,

That hotel across the Clyde, its rateable value is going up

around 50%, the bill will be around ?570,000 per year.

There are catches around this, big properties pay a supplement,

and 100,000 smaller properties are exempt.

In total, ?2.8 billion this year, that is to pay the government bills,

Business isn't going to pay more in total, it will just pay different

shares depending on properties that have risen or fallen

Some will pay more and some will play less.

Those who pay less tend to make less of a fuss.

Three Labour-run councils are going to freeze the basic

rate of council tax - even though this adds

South Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde councils all decided

against increasing bills for the majority of local residents.

But the move leaves them open to criticism

Our local government correspondent Jamie McIvor reports.

In Glasgow the basic rate of council taxes going up by 3%, and just

territory campaigners gathered here as councillors took the decision.

Many campaigners say they are unhappy with the weight some

councils are acting saying they would like to see councils do more

to fight cuts and say the Scottish and UK governments should take some

blame for cuts to local services. That is the situation here in

Glasgow. Three other labour led councils confirmed they would not be

putting up the basic rate of council tax, the strategy could be risky

anti-austerity campaigners could argue a council which does not put

up tax is not doing all it can to try to mitigate cuts locally while

the Scottish government could say a council which does not put up

council tax can hardly complain about how much government funding it

is getting. Four people have been

arrested in Slovakia as part of an investigation into human

trafficking, which also saw the arrest of five people

in Glasgow last week. The operation has so far

uncovered sixteen possible victims of trafficking,

with officers from Police Scotland, Slovakian Police and Europol

involved in the raids Glasgow University has been granted

planning permission by the city council for a one billion

pound redevelopment project. It will see the university expand

into the old Western Infirmary site The plans include new research

and teaching buildings. Its 19th century tower may be one

of the city's famous landmarks, but Glasgow University has a whole

variety of buildings, old and modern, spread

around University Avenue, Now the Western Infirmary next door

has closed and the university wants to transform that site from one

where patients of the past were treated, to a centre pioneering

cure is for patients of the future. That vision, though,

spreads far beyond just Mixing it up, they say,

could bring the rewards. Here we would produce

a campus that is innovative and Glasgow University will be

at the centre of that translation of research for economic

activity in Scotland, driving care industries like quantum

technology and precise medicines. As well as prestigious research,

universities are competing to attract students

from around the world. They have doubled the number

of international students here in recent years,

so there will be new lecture theatres and study areas

to encourage more. West end shops saw a dip in trade

with the closure of the hospital and there have been some objections

to the proposal with concerns new on-campus shops and cafes

will take trade, rather Concerns the University

is keen to calm. We think it will actually create

an extra buzz that will attract more We really want it to be

part of this community. Where we are standing now

will be a new Square. It will be a square similar

to many of the other large We want that to be used

by the university, but also Outside of graduation,

you will not see many members of the public wandering round this

part of the University. This is the preserve

of students and professors. But the development plan

will last ten years. But five years from now,

that square down the hill should be in place and handier for everyone,

whether your degree is from here The Motherwell boss and Scotland

assistant manager, Mark McGhee, could be in trouble again

with his part-time employers at the Scottish

Football Association. McGhee was sent

to the stands during his side's Afterwards, he said a match

official had an "agenda" It was enough to make

a manager's blood boil. With his team already 4-0

down and on their way to an even bigger defeat,

a clearly furious Mark McGeeney is sent to the stands

by the referee. The dismissal came about

on the advice of the fourth I was horrified by the attitude

the fourth official took. I wasn't getting excited about

the fact we were losing the game. I wasn't losing my

patience or tempter. But from the first minute

the fourth made up his mind. If the attention of a police

officer was unwanted, Mark McGhee's evening got worse

when he got up to the stands to find It's not just that outburst that

could land the assistant manager When asked if he would consult the

head referee... McGhee has already served a two

match ban this season for insulting or abusive language towards a match

official in November. It was a miserable night

all round for Motherwell who shipped seven goals to Aberdeen,

the pick of which came from on loan But it's his words post match that

might yet hurt the manager more. Following McGhee's comments

we contacted Motherwell, the Scottish Football Association

at the National Stadium, and senior figures from the refereeing world,

none of whom wanted to comment for fear of prejudicing

a possible disciplinary case. But it's clear the SFA who employs

Mark McGhee as assistant manager to the national team,

will want a full explanation. Let's get the weather outlook

for tonight and tomorrow now, Cold tonight, colder than last night

with clear spells, frost and mist and fog. The reason being a ridge of

high pressure on the charts, a warm front so thick cloud and a few spots

of rain tonight and tomorrow morning. Elsewhere, dry tonight and

tomorrow but a murky morning, low cloud, mist and fog across the

southern uplands and into the central belt. Milder with a warm

front, thicker cloud and spots of rain for the Hebrides but elsewhere

dry and cool. Further north, towards Murray, Inverness, morning sunshine,

similar for Orkney and if you passing showers likely across

Shetland. Through tomorrow, the sunshine across the North and

north-east will be short lived in places because this weather front

will edge its way eastwards, little in the way of rain bringing cloud

further east, brighter moments over the Lothians and towards the eastern

borders. Across the UK, that ridge stays in place keeping things

largely dry, you can see the weather front meaning a band of cloud down

largely dry, you can see the weather the spine of the country, outbreaks

of rain in the Irish Sea and Wales and Cornwall, mild, temperatures

around nine to 11 Celsius. Through tomorrow night, fairly cloudy, the

around nine to 11 Celsius. Through breeze picks up on the West Coast

and outbreaks of rain as the cold front follows on meaning Saturday

gets off to a soggy start. And improving day, through the afternoon

the rain tending to ease off turning more showery, brightness and where

it does mild. 13 degrees. Sunday, generally a dryer Dave Romney off

but outbreaks of rain across the North West. -- a dry day.

Our next update is during Breakfast at 6:25am tomorrow morning.

But from everyone on the late team here in Glasgow

and around the country - goodnight.