16/09/2014 The Papers

And Greg Norman as he plans to be back playing golf next month.

Hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing

us tomorrow. Joining us from Glasgow this evening is Torcuil Crichton the

Westminster Editor for the Daily Record and here with me in London is

the Guardian columnist Hugh Muir. The Daily Telegraph reports women

could prove the decisive factor in the Independence vote, according to

their latest poll. The Times says David Cameron has no

regrets over his handling of the Scottish referendum.

The Scottish Daily highlights that the future of the Union lies in the

hands of Scottish voters this week. The Independent also reflects on the

growing tensions surrounding the campaigns ahead of Thursday's vote.

As well as reporting on the referendum ` the Guardian carries a

story that US ground troops could be sent to Iraq. The Metro has the

story of the families of two Britons paying tribute to their loved ones,

who were killed in a Thai resort. Alex Salmond has called for a final

push with the polls being too close to call.

With the Scottish Sun giving their own take on the battle for the yes

and no votes ahead of Thursday's referendum.

We are going to start with the Scotsman. The poll has no in the

lead, but he is closing the gap. 48 against 52%. That is well within the

margin of error. It absolutely is. This poll shows yes closing the gap.

It is only one of three polls tonight. The Scotsman has 52`48. The

Telegraph has 52 `48. The Telegraph has 52`48. `` Daily Mail has a

52`48. Just 48 hours until this is all

over. Scotland still does not know its future. Scotland does not know

its future. The English and the Northern Ireland do not know what

the union is going to look like. Given how far the no campaign was,

should it have been this way? We did not think it would get this close.

It has been a pretty deficient no campaign. The SNP have run a

brilliant campaign. They have. Alex Salmond is a formidable campaigner.

The no campaign was too technocratic in a way. This was a story about

Britain and the unity of Britain and making the case to Scotsman about

there being something valuable to remain part of. I am not sure that

case was ever made until the past few days. The problem the no

campaign has is almost everything it says, everything it offers and has

been offering just looks like a panic measure. It is easy for Alex

Salmond to characterise it as a panic measure. It should never have

got into this. The no campaign might just get in over the line. In a way,

the yes campaign have already won. This is not going to go away. Unless

the no campaign when big, and it probably will not. Britain has got

talent against the X factor. Alistair Darling on the left, Alex

Salmond on the right. It is not Alistair Darling who has been

leading the charge. It has been Gordon Brown. A still trusted voice

in Scotland. A very prominent figure, Gordon Brown. David Cameron

has been passionate about the union. All the focus groups show them that

people in Scotland did not look back at the UK and the sentimental

feeling of the history together. It was mostly about how it will affect

their pocket. There is that emotional resonance. That appeal to

solidarity and social justice. These things have been stolen from labour.

They needed to get Gordon Brown back in. The front page of the sun is

very interesting. For those viewers who have not been brought up on a

diet of the Sunday Post, that reference is a diminutive friendly

reference to Alex. It is Britain's got talent against the X factor.

Rupert Murdoch has not called that. He usually backs winners, he always

backs winners. It is so close that he has not jumped on either side. He

flew into Scotland on the weekend, Aberdeen, Glasgow, every pub, every

coffee shop, every overheard conversation is about one subject.

The referendum. Scotland is boiling over. Even then, the Sage of the Sun

could not call it. Briefly, sticking with the Scottish Sun, the effect of

Gordon Brown. Across the country, they did not trust him to run the

country. And yet he could be the man who saves the union. It was a slip

of the tongue when he said he would save the world and it did not

happen. That he could save the union. He does have that passion. I

do not see why it was necessary to have a very managerial approach of

Alistair Darling on his own. You could have had alongside it someone

who could give a speech, who could communicate. You campaign in poetry

and govern in prose. I do not see the Alistair Darling as much of a

poet. It is interesting about politics. In terms of timing, people

really want to lift the spirits, rise above and allow us to have

thoughts about who we are and why. Instead we have been talking about

the money. The finances, the currency. They have not done

anything in terms of politics. He was in England would not have seen

the first debate. Alistair Darling won that one. He scored a massive

hit against Alex Salmond. Alex Salmond was staggered. Alex Salmond

got his act together for the second debate. That was seen across the UK.

That change to be moved backwards back towards the yes campaign. ``

changed the mood. It has been backwards and forwards. Across

Scotland, across the press, every day. A dour ground war campaign

would never allow the no campaign to win. They might just get a very

narrow vote that creates problems in narrow vote that creates problems in

the future. Let us go to the Daily Mirror. Scottish referendum turns

nasty as Ed Miliband talks about intimidation of no supporters. This

just goes to show just how intense the campaign is going to be with one

day to go. Absolutely. It is sad that these accusations are being

thrown of bullying and claim and counter claim. Given how important

this is, I suppose we cannot be surprised that people will do what

they can to get an advantage. Ed Miliband's appeal for calm, saying,

let us keep this civilised. It has been reasonably civilised on the

streets. But given just what it means for Scotland and the rest of

the country, one is not surprised there is a little bit of jostling.

You are in Scotland at the moment. How would you characterise the

campaign over the last few days? Has it a little bit nasty or aggressive?

Absolutely. It was not pleasant at all. There was a mood of

intolerance. Whenever a labour politician gathered, there would be

ambushed by yes supporters. It happens to Gordon Brown, it happens

to Ed Miliband. We had the battle in Glasgow where MPs were mobbed in

Central Station. There was a shout of. People are passionate, it is

important. Politics in Scotland has been turned into people yelling yes

or no at each other. We saw it when Jim Murphy on his soapbox, he

realised the crowds were organised against him. I think there will be a

real need for the Labour Party to reassess its self. It is revealing

that labour seems to be getting just as much antagonism as the Tories.

You would expect it of the Tories. But labour should have considerable

support. But that has not really happened. Going to the record. The

front page that. Dad was a proud son of Scotland. That is why he would

have said no. Alex Salmond above him. The first day of the country.

It is the collapse of Labour support that has seen the success in this

battle so far. The yes side could never went on just SNP support

alone. They needed an alliance across the spectrum. We have seen

support from the hard left in Scotland. In the last couple of

weeks, when Alex Salmond was pushing the idea of staying in the union a

dangerous threat, he got the Labour vote. It will be seen how successful

it has been. Scotland has been on a knife edge. 51`49. Almost too close

to call. There have been some Labour voters for years who have been

pulled across. We are just going to go briefly to the Guardian and your

paper. US ground troops will join Iraq is in ISIS fight. President

Obama said there would be no military action on the ground. Now

the defence chief has said it will happen if things have to change.

That would be very significant. He really has to move very carefully

with the American public. He may just about able to get by with

airstrikes. The idea of more than that, it is going to be something

that people will be wary of. Martin Dempsey has been saying that

possibly they could have ground troops. Maybe he was just answering

a question honestly. If it does not work, the next logical thing to have

to do is to put boots on the ground. But it will be a big step. And one

suspects he might have to go to Congress about that. That is what

this is all about. The pressure to be the Chiefs of staff telling the

politicians that he could see a time when US troops might have to be put

on the ground. There are already several trips in a supporting role.

Against ISIS. He thinks he could see a forward operating role for these

troops. These bombing attacks against ISIS. Slowly, surely. All

right. I am going to have the car to offer. Thank you so much for joining

us. `` have to cut you off. Thank you. It is

at the top of the owl, two days to go before Scotland decide its

future. Hello and welcome to Sportsday. I'm

John Watson. Coming up on the programme: Liverpool begin their

Champions League campaign with a win, but leave it late to beat