:00:17. > :00:22.On Newsnight Scotland, it might not match the rhetoric of the American
:00:22. > :00:27.constitution or the Declaration of Arbroath, but Alex Salmond has come
:00:27. > :00:32.up with a constitution for an independent Scotland. It includes
:00:32. > :00:36.banning nuclear weapons and enshrining free education. But are
:00:36. > :00:40.they fundamental rights or just SNP policies? Another report bemoans
:00:40. > :00:44.the state of Scottish sport. We speak to a leading athletics coach
:00:44. > :00:46.that says it is time to encourage the nation's mums and dads to do
:00:46. > :00:50.more. Britain famously has no written
:00:50. > :00:54.constitution. The same would not be the case in an independent Scotland,
:00:54. > :00:57.at least if Alex Salmond has his way. He says if he wins a
:00:57. > :01:01.referendum he would like a constitution that is not just
:01:01. > :01:05.written down, but enshrines what he thinks our fundamental rights, like
:01:05. > :01:09.free education and day ban on nuclear weapons. But are these
:01:09. > :01:15.really basic rights or just things that happen to be the policies of
:01:15. > :01:19.the SNP? More than 200 years since it was
:01:19. > :01:22.written, the American constitution remains a document revealed by its
:01:22. > :01:26.citizens. Having emerged from the bloody struggle of revolution and
:01:27. > :01:31.inspired by the Declaration of Arbroath, the Founding Fathers set
:01:31. > :01:35.down in ink the values that would define their new republic. As Alex
:01:35. > :01:45.Salmond looks beyond the referendum, he is determined that his mission
:01:45. > :01:50.of an independent Scotland is For this Texan academic working in
:01:50. > :01:54.Scotland, the parallels are fascinating. Many times, we refer
:01:54. > :01:58.to the US constitution as effectively establishing a civic
:01:58. > :02:03.religion. Americans are very devoted to their constitution and
:02:03. > :02:08.take it very seriously. I think part of what Alex Salmond is doing
:02:08. > :02:12.is attempting to establish that within Scotland. Saying, OK, let's
:02:12. > :02:15.take Scotland as an independent country, let's take the idea of it
:02:15. > :02:18.seriously. If we are going to take it seriously we want to have a
:02:18. > :02:23.written constitution, as other established countries have. Other
:02:23. > :02:27.countries, but not the UK, as the First Minister is quick to point
:02:27. > :02:31.out. Modern states have constitutions. The UK is the
:02:31. > :02:36.exception. Every other country in Europe has a constitution
:02:36. > :02:39.protecting its citizens. An independent Scotland would be a
:02:39. > :02:43.modern democracy and a modern democracy should have a
:02:43. > :02:47.constitution. What would feature in a written constitution for
:02:47. > :02:53.Scotland? Alex Salmond says that is for Scots to discuss. But he put
:02:53. > :02:55.forward what calls ideas. The right to free education and the right to
:02:56. > :03:00.housing I initials suggestions. A constitutional ban on nuclear
:03:00. > :03:04.weapons is another. Finally, and enshrined commitment on the use of
:03:04. > :03:09.the armed forces. But are these constitutional rights or policies
:03:09. > :03:12.straight from the SNP manifesto? When the First Minister tries to
:03:12. > :03:16.include these things, he's talking about them on the level of
:03:16. > :03:19.principles rather than policies. So, obviously, we have to see what
:03:19. > :03:25.detail emerges from the future constitutional discussions that
:03:25. > :03:35.will take place in future years. I would expect to see a commitment to
:03:35. > :03:36.
:03:36. > :03:40.the principle of things like education. This is what a model
:03:40. > :03:44.constitution would look like? Having written his own model
:03:44. > :03:48.constitution for Scotland, he believes it is vital that a
:03:48. > :03:53.conversation about what to included it gathers pace. For others,
:03:53. > :03:56.however, assuming the longevity of shared values is a potentially
:03:57. > :04:00.problematic. A as public understanding of what policy should
:04:00. > :04:03.be changes and the vaults over time, the Government of the day can
:04:03. > :04:10.respond to public demands for policy. By having a constitution
:04:10. > :04:16.that entrenches things like re- education for all, that might mean
:04:16. > :04:21.that future parliaments would have to change the constitution, not
:04:21. > :04:26.just to change policy. According to Alex Salmond, today represents a
:04:26. > :04:30.shift away from the process of the referendum. Instead, he says, he is
:04:30. > :04:39.focusing on why Scotland should be independent. An argument on which
:04:39. > :04:43.the fate of any written Well, I am joined from Edinburgh by
:04:43. > :04:46.Rob Gibson, an SNP member of the committee that is scrutinising the
:04:46. > :04:50.Referendum Bill, and by the deputy leader of the Scottish
:04:50. > :04:54.Conservatives, Jackson Carlow. Written constitution, there is no
:04:54. > :04:59.object against it, is there? didn't know whether to laugh or cry
:04:59. > :05:03.today. This struck me as being, to borrow one of Alex Salmond's more
:05:03. > :05:07.famous quotes, an act of unpardonable folly. After 2016, in
:05:07. > :05:11.the event we did vote for independence, which I hope Scotland
:05:11. > :05:16.will not, we are going to spend, the great claim, the great hope,
:05:16. > :05:19.years debating a constitution. I think when there are so many
:05:19. > :05:23.practical issues that need to be dealt with today, so many practical
:05:23. > :05:29.issues to deal with in 2016, whatever the outcome of the
:05:29. > :05:33.referendum, a big debate about the constitution which seems to be a
:05:33. > :05:38.pork-barrel assortment of SNP manifesto promises, hardly the
:05:38. > :05:44.stuff you would expect to find in a constitution, I think it is a very,
:05:44. > :05:48.very limp prospectus. OK, but just imagine for one second that the
:05:48. > :05:52.unthinkable happens and you lose the referendum. If Scotland does
:05:52. > :05:56.become independent, it is perfectly reasonable to suggest it should
:05:56. > :06:01.have a written constitution? This is a matter we can discuss after
:06:01. > :06:07.such an eventuality. I would hope it would be rooted in far more
:06:07. > :06:11.profound principles than last year's SNP manifesto. Some of the
:06:11. > :06:19.things Alex Salmond talked about the day, free education, when we
:06:19. > :06:24.have seen a 24% cut in college places, no nuclear weapons when it
:06:24. > :06:29.is SNP official policy to apply to be the nuclear alliance in NATO.
:06:29. > :06:32.This is just partisan politics and I don't think it adds to the
:06:33. > :06:37.decision Scotland has to take in 2014. Rob Gibson, it is partisan
:06:37. > :06:40.politics, isn't it? To take the example of education, there are
:06:40. > :06:44.different views between political parties in Scotland as to whether
:06:44. > :06:47.there should be tuition fees in universities. That is properly a
:06:47. > :06:51.political decision for the Government of the day to make. It
:06:51. > :06:55.is not something you writing to a constitution? Making its
:06:55. > :06:59.constitution would be an exciting time, when people had voted Yes.
:06:59. > :07:03.That would involve all of the parties. Hang on, can we at least
:07:03. > :07:06.make an attempt to pretend to answer the question? The matter of
:07:06. > :07:11.education you're talking about, we are talking about discussions at
:07:11. > :07:14.that stage between citizens, civic Scotland, all the people from
:07:14. > :07:21.different parties. They agree what should be in a constitution at that
:07:21. > :07:27.stage. Alex Salmond has got ideas he has put out today. He also said
:07:27. > :07:31.that Britain... Sorry, yes, the UK is the only EU estate that doesn't
:07:31. > :07:35.have a written constitution and that Westminster is, to use his own
:07:35. > :07:39.words, profoundly undemocratic. In what sense is Britain profoundly
:07:39. > :07:44.undemocratic? Well, the voting system is very undemocratic for a
:07:44. > :07:47.start. So we do not live in a democracy? I don't think we live in
:07:47. > :07:50.the kind of developed democracy that Scotland already has with
:07:50. > :07:58.devolution. I think we could be much more democratic in Scotland
:07:59. > :08:02.and the future. If the exciting ideas that are possible, that have
:08:02. > :08:05.been developed in small countries like Iceland, who have had a
:08:05. > :08:09.constitutional convention voted for by the people and allowing people
:08:09. > :08:13.to discuss what should be in their constitution, it is precisely the
:08:13. > :08:17.thing that a new nation should do. There you are, what do you say to
:08:17. > :08:22.the idea that Britain is profoundly undemocratic? It's worth pointing
:08:22. > :08:27.out that we have not had a written constitution. Unlike all of the
:08:27. > :08:32.other nations that Alex Salmond mentioned, we have endured. They
:08:32. > :08:36.were all the subject of revolution, invasion or anarchy, without a
:08:36. > :08:39.written constitution the United Kingdom, the four countries of the
:08:39. > :08:45.United Kingdom, they prevailed. Our arrangement has worked perfectly
:08:45. > :08:48.well. If tomato David Cameron was to say, we are going to spend the
:08:48. > :08:52.next several years making a priority of a discussion about a
:08:52. > :08:55.written constitution, rather than actually dealing with the issues
:08:55. > :09:01.that are of material concern to people, I think he would be laughed
:09:01. > :09:06.out of court. Rob Gibson, that is a point. If you ask most people in
:09:06. > :09:12.Britain to look at the respective records in defending fundamental
:09:12. > :09:14.human rights and democracy of Britain over the last 100 years,
:09:14. > :09:17.these 27 countries that Alex Salmond like so much because they
:09:17. > :09:23.have had written constitutions, I don't think many people in Britain
:09:23. > :09:27.would hesitate before they said no, Britain has a much better record?
:09:27. > :09:31.don't know whether they would. Jackson used the word insured. I
:09:31. > :09:35.think many people in this country do believe we can do much better.
:09:35. > :09:40.When you look at the modern... Sorry, which of these European
:09:40. > :09:44.countries have done better? France, Germany, Italy? Norway, Sweden,
:09:44. > :09:48.Finland, countries like ourselves that have written constitutions and
:09:48. > :09:57.have much more democracy than is in in Britain. We are trying to create
:09:57. > :10:07.a new country that looks at these ideas. It happens after people vote
:10:07. > :10:12.yet -- yes. I know you do not want people to vote for independence,
:10:12. > :10:16.but if they do, I don't see that you have come up with an argument
:10:16. > :10:19.against having a constitutional some sort? I have said, if that was
:10:19. > :10:23.the outcome of the referendum, it would be a discussion we could have
:10:23. > :10:27.on the other side of that. I would hope that those circumstances it
:10:27. > :10:31.would be rooted in the basis of principles are higher than any one
:10:31. > :10:35.party's political agenda. I don't see that floating all of this just
:10:35. > :10:40.now is really a material consideration when people are
:10:40. > :10:44.considering how they are going to vote in 2014. I think it is just a
:10:44. > :10:48.distraction, to try and kick off another rather lacklustre kind of
:10:48. > :10:52.effort to stimulate enthusiasm for a project that is really pretty
:10:52. > :10:56.much stalled at the present time. We really want to talk about
:10:56. > :11:02.current logical issues and, even in 2016, those issues, those bread-
:11:02. > :11:12.and-butter issues, for want of a cliched phase, will be far more
:11:12. > :11:14.
:11:14. > :11:17.Guided noticed that while it had lots of SNP policy in it, the
:11:17. > :11:22.constitution had certain glaring omissions. Your government is about
:11:22. > :11:26.to bring forward a bill for same- sex marriage, why isn't there a
:11:26. > :11:32.provision for same-sex marriage, why didn't he point that out? Why
:11:32. > :11:37.not point out I get the right to an abortion, all the right of the
:11:37. > :11:44.unborn child, depending on the point of view. These things were
:11:44. > :11:49.glaringly absent. I think he didn't give an exhaustive list. He chose
:11:49. > :11:52.the examples to give. Most people in Scotland do want to see a
:11:52. > :11:58.nuclear free country. Most people believe in the principles we are
:11:58. > :12:02.talking about, free education. don't think lots of people in
:12:02. > :12:06.Scotland want to see single-sex marriages. Once you see these
:12:06. > :12:12.things carried through, there may well be a majority support. Let's
:12:12. > :12:16.not get bogged down on the details. That is for after the actual boat.
:12:16. > :12:20.When people will have a chance to think about the constitution, what
:12:20. > :12:29.should be in it, and all the parties will be involved. I look
:12:29. > :12:32.forward to that exciting day. Thank you both very much.
:12:32. > :12:35.No parent would dispute the importance of sport in the lives of
:12:35. > :12:38.their children. Problem is, not enough mums and dads are prepared
:12:38. > :12:40.to volunteer to help out the youth clubs which can help their kids.
:12:40. > :12:43.It's something which the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport
:12:43. > :12:46.Committee is worried about. And it's also surprised by how little
:12:46. > :12:48.information is held about the number of volunteers and their
:12:48. > :12:51.skills levels. It's also worried that any legacy from the 2014
:12:51. > :12:57.Commonwealth Games could be squandered because of a shortage of
:12:57. > :13:00.helpers. Holyrood sport and health committee
:13:01. > :13:05.has an interest in making sure the Commonwealth Games will also be
:13:05. > :13:09.remembered for what they leave behind, healthier, happier, and
:13:09. > :13:12.more athletic population. The committee's work today was
:13:12. > :13:17.officially about community sport, and they made it clear at the key
:13:17. > :13:22.to success will be the volunteers who run sport at the grassroots, if
:13:22. > :13:26.you pardon the pun. They are the people, the local heroes who run
:13:26. > :13:31.the clubs who can transform someone's enthusiasm into a good
:13:31. > :13:35.participation in sport. They are also worried there are simply too
:13:35. > :13:39.few volunteers, and too few facilities for them, and this
:13:39. > :13:43.echoes the submissions made it and the committee's hearings. Where is
:13:43. > :13:49.the next Andy Murray? I don't see them. Where is the next looks --
:13:49. > :13:54.Liz McColgan, I haven't seen a runner from Scotland for 20 years?
:13:54. > :14:04.Sports: say they are taking on board the recommendations -- Sport
:14:04. > :14:07.
:14:07. > :14:13.Scotland. There are 60 sports tops at present needing 150 by 2016. I
:14:13. > :14:22.am joined by a Tommy Boyle, the director of the Winning Scotland
:14:22. > :14:27.Foundation. You think parents are not involved enough.
:14:27. > :14:33.We have got a wonderful opportunity in Scotland following the Olympic
:14:33. > :14:39.Games, Commonwealth coming up in 2014, an opportunity that we must
:14:39. > :14:43.seize and insure that we have the capacity in sports clubs so we need
:14:43. > :14:48.these young people aspire to come along there are people there to
:14:48. > :14:51.look after. He will they be, the volunteers? In the main they will
:14:51. > :14:57.be parents. Are they not doing that?
:14:57. > :15:04.If you speak to most sporting organisations in Scotland they are
:15:04. > :15:09.struggling to recruit, retain, and trained volunteers. We have a
:15:09. > :15:14.fantastic opportunity, so if we really a identified what will make
:15:14. > :15:20.a real difference, trying to help parents understand the true value
:15:20. > :15:23.of sport to their child. If we look back 30 years children played out
:15:23. > :15:28.in the streets, they played in the public parks, that is where they
:15:28. > :15:34.got fit, learnt their skills. Society has changed.
:15:34. > :15:41.You have got this idea, Diseases of maternity, but I thought was a
:15:41. > :15:45.dissertation in French philosophy - - modernity. It is used by a few
:15:45. > :15:50.organisations to explain what has happened in society, as a
:15:50. > :15:58.consequence of the changes over the last 30 years, young people are not
:15:58. > :16:08.physically active so we have to have a structure. Do you mean
:16:08. > :16:13.things like obesity? It results in children being obese, overweight,
:16:13. > :16:18.poorer physical literacy, and as a consequence not staying in sport,
:16:18. > :16:23.not been involved in sport. Do we put too many barriers in the
:16:23. > :16:29.way of adults becoming involved? There is extreme sensitivity about
:16:29. > :16:33.child protection these days, health and safety, has gone too far?
:16:33. > :16:37.I think the robbery is there, but the real key is to try and help
:16:37. > :16:42.parents understand the value -- I think there are barriers there. If
:16:42. > :16:47.we want parents to volunteer it has to be a family friendly welcoming
:16:47. > :16:51.environment for them. That is not really the case today. We as a
:16:51. > :16:55.nation, or the one thing I believe we could really do, is put the
:16:55. > :17:00.emphasis on helping parents to understand what is the value? What
:17:00. > :17:05.is the value for me? Keep my kids off the street, get them fitter,
:17:05. > :17:09.get them healthier, keep them away from drugs, alcohol. One of the by-
:17:09. > :17:14.product is they will also be taught character-building wife lessons,
:17:14. > :17:20.there is a direct correlation between their academic performance
:17:20. > :17:25.and sport -- life lessons. The key is reaching parents.
:17:25. > :17:30.You think there is a problem, too much of a focus on just winning the
:17:30. > :17:35.next football match, or the next tennis match.
:17:35. > :17:39.I think as a nation, like many European nations, we have become a
:17:39. > :17:45.win at all cost culture. What is wrong with that?
:17:45. > :17:52.Winning is OK, it necessary, we need to try to encourage young
:17:52. > :17:57.people to win, but in many sports the key influence in a young
:17:57. > :18:04.person's life take that to extremes, driven by what we see on television.
:18:04. > :18:07.What do you think the government can do about this? Or is it Society
:18:07. > :18:14.with the problem? The one single thing we can do as a
:18:14. > :18:20.nation is implement a programme which would put a real focus on
:18:20. > :18:26.educating parents, supporting parents, and creating a much more
:18:26. > :18:34.family friendly culture within sport in Scotland.
:18:34. > :18:39.Oh look at the front pages. A picture of a helicopter crash in
:18:39. > :18:44.London. Alex Salmond pushes for new rights for Scott, that is what we
:18:44. > :18:49.have been talking about. Housing and free education in written
:18:49. > :18:55.constitution. Again in the Guardian a very dramatic picture of the
:18:55. > :19:03.helicopter crash in London. Militants kill Britain and take 20