09/03/2012 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Reporting Scotland. On the programme tonight:

Labour's Eric Joyce pleads guilty to assault, after a brawl in a

House of Commons bar. The Falkirk MP admits he's fortunate not to be

in jail. It is a matter of considerable personal shame. For

what happened two weeks ago, I have been duly punished today. I have

been lucky to avoid prison. We'll be live in Westminster with the

latest on what the future does hold for Mr Joyce. Also this evening:

The Rangers first team squad finally do a deal with the

administrators and sign off on huge wage cuts to help save the club and

the jobs of non-playing staff. Everyone wants to succeed. A lot of

people here want to have a good job at the end of the dead. And can

Scotland break their the six-nation stuck with a win against the Irish?

The Falkirk MP Eric Joyce has avoided prison after pleading

guilty to assaulting four people in a House of Commons bar. Appearing

before Westminster Magistrates Court, he was instead given a 12-

month community order. He was also banned from entering pubs and

licensed premises for three months and a curfew was imposed on his

movements. Speaking outside the court, he said he was ashamed of

what he had done. Labour now says it now intends to expel him from

the party. Our Westminster correspondent David Porter reports.

Not your average Friday engagement for an MP. Appearing at Westminster,

yes, but not in the Commons, in the dock charged with the sort. It was

in the bar which overlooks the River Thames that a drink with

friends turned to violence over a fortnight ago. This picture

obtained by the BBC shows damage to a nearby door during Mr Joyce's

address. The prosecution said Mr Joyce was hammered, shouting at

police, you cannot touch me, I'm an MP. One witness said his eyes

looked like nobody was at home. The MP later told police he mounted a

guy. Passing sentence, the judge said his actions had caused

physical harm and very real distress. He said the MP had shamed

himself and the place he worked, Parliament. Eric Joyce was given a

12-month community order, fined �3,000 and ordered to pay his

victims �1,400. He told the magistrates he would draw a line

under his drinking and he has been banned from entering any bath for

three runs. It is a matter of considerable personal shame. For

what happened two weeks ago, I have been duly punished today. I have

been lucky to avoid prison. Frankly, that is something I am very sad

about. I am very ashamed of that. Would it be easy for you to step

down? It would be. Little sympathy for this MP. He has disgraced

himself. Somebody has put him in that office, they can take him back

out. He should have got time. had been anybody else, he would

have got time. Eric Joyce is not a fit or proper person to be a member

of Parliament. Tonight, the MP says he wants to put the whole incident

behind him. Few believe he will be allowed to do so. It is likely that

the former army major and ministerial aide will best be

remembered for attacking parliamentary colleagues. Will Eric

Joyce remain as an MP? I spoke to every joyous and he said, yes, he

wanted to continue to represent Falkirk until 2015, the date of the

next expected general election. He said he won't stand at another

election. Labour have already suspended him from the party. They

have let it be known they are going to expel him from the party. That

is a double edged sword from Eric. They can cut themselves adrift from

him but also there is no pressure on him. There are a growing number

of people who are saying that he should stand down sooner rather

than later. Something, I think, will be important in this, is the

financial consideration. Every joist is living in rented

accommodation, that he has no savings or assets, so the salary of

�65,000 a year he will receive as an MP will be vitally important. At

the end of the day, it will come down to just how determined he is

to stay as MP, whether he feels he will be shunned here at Westminster

or in his constituency. Tonight, Eric Joyce has an awful lot of

tough thinking to do. The BBC understands that Ticketus

is considering making an offer for Rangers. The finance company, which

bought a large number of the club's season tickets, is also believed to

have held talks with former director Paul Murray earlier this

week. Meanwhile, there appears to have been progress in negotiations

between the players and the administrators on pay cuts aimed at

preventing redundancies. Jonathan Sutherland reports. The day began

in unusual circumstances for Rangers pounds. Good news for a

change. Two of the club's top players had agreed to wage cuts of

75%. To be honest, we want the best of the club. That needs to be known.

The club is doing all they can to get a solution. A lot of Rangers

fans just want to get it fixed. What were the negotiations are

like? Everybody has been trying to come to a good conclusion and get

the best for the club. Everybody wants to succeed. There are a lot

of innocent people here who want to get on with their lives. Today

could have seen mass redundancies at the club should which pubs not

have been agreed. But suddenly, the mood was lighter. However, as the

morning tipped over into afternoon, it became clear that although a

broad agreement had been reached, as yet, no deals had been signed.

Concerns, no doubt, for the administrators. They have been here

before. They saw a wage cut deal collapsed at the last minute

previously. Some players were finally putting pen to paper. There

was also movement in terms of the various parties interested in

taking over at Rangers with Harvard School of Public Health at the

centre of it. They -- Ticketus. We understand Ticketus have not ruled

out making their own offer. They have also had talks with another

potential suitor, Paul Murray. Rangers supporters trust have also

held talks with Ticketus. It appears the battle for the control

of the club is heating up. Some breaking news. Be representative of

the fictional Football Association has emerged from Murray party says

a deal to save Rangers has been agreed. Our reporter is there

tonight. What did he say? Just in the past five minutes, he addressed

the media and said there is complete consensus among the

players for wide-ranging wage cuts all the way from 75% down to 25%.

One thing we have to remember is that not all players have signed on

the dotted line. They have all agreed, that is my understanding,

not all have signed. We have no details as to who those players are

all when they will sign. But the players know they have to take the

responsibility to take the hit to try and get this club through to

the end of the season and that now looks to be the case. Rangers'

immediate future is secured. You're watching Reporting Scotland

from the BBC. Still to come on the programme:

Nine people are arrested in the North East and Fife as police swoop

following football violence. In sport, we're on Rangers watch.

We'll bring you the latest from Murray Park.

And we're in Dublin where Scotland will try to break their Six Nations

duck against Ireland. Three games, three defeats. Can things only get

better? The SNP will use their spring

conference in Glasgow this weekend as a launch pad for their local

government election campaign. In just eight weeks' time, Scots will

go to the polls once again and the nationalists are hoping to make

significant gains. Party strategists say Alex Salmond will

also make an appeal to voters who are still unsure about which way to

vote in the independence referendum. Once again, the SNP are holding

their spring conference here. Since last year, the independence debate

has not drifted along, it has moved at warp speed. First, the party

stormed back into power at Holyrood with an overall majority. Now, we

are on course for a referendum in autumn 2014. That is the driving

force behind this conference. It is no confidence -- coincidence it is

being held in Glasgow. In 2011, we held a conference in Glasgow and

bring to win. I hope that victory can be replicated this year. We are

confident about our chances of success in the council elections in

a Glasgow and across Scotland. Salmond will also try to sway those

who are undecided about independence, saying they shouldn't

be scared about his plans. Independence is about putting

control of the big decisions that affect Scottish Life in the hands

of the Scottish people, making sure we have the powers and the tools

and the resources to take the decisions to build a Scotland that

is wealthier, healthier and of course, that will be a key theme of

the conference. Another key theme will be the road to independence.

Should there be one questioner or two on the ballot paper? Plenty of

two -- plenty to discuss for delegates who will take the

nationalist message home and spread it far and wide. Nine Aberdeen

football supporters have been arrested. It follows a match at

Ibrox last month. Police say the violence was organised but there is

no return to the levels that blighted football matches in

Scotland during the 1980s and 1990s. 68 m and a rude awakening for nine

suspected football hooligans. Homes in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Fife

targeted. There are problems and the problems we experienced at

Ibrox, we will take action. what you are about to hear... More

than 35 officers were involved in this morning's operation. He can

fight the corner. That is a great finish. Seven of the arrest

followed a serious disturbance ahead of this match at Ibrox in

January. Two police officers were hurt and clashes involving 100

people outside. Some of the troublemakers had travelled from

Germany to get involved. It is certain not a return to the 1980s.

The figures are less. But that gives us no room for complacency.

We have a few folk in custody -- in custody this morning. The vast

majority of fans are very well behaved. Two of the suspects are

suspected of being involved in a serious incident in Glasgow's city-

centre after a football match last Saturday. I would like to reassure

people this is being treated as a random attack. There are additional

Abode is to be lowered into one of Europe's largest man-made holes to

carry out a survey work. The quarry closed in 1971 and now needs work

to lower water levels. Dundee council is taking legal action to

evict protesters to a camp in the city centre. The Occupy Dundee

group say they have public support. The police men do not want us to be

evicted, it is the city council that creates the problem. The main

issue is that it is a peaceful demonstration. There are concerns

about the future of an island under the Skye bridge which has been cut

and -- up for sale by transport Scotland. It is renowned for its

population of otters. The Scottish., man has had to bail out the

controversial Hyslop housing project. Over �5 million had to be

borrowed to build 24 homes, but so far only seven of them have sold.

Edinburgh council has postponed plans to charge for small-scale

arts events in the city. Investors and the licensing committee voted

for a public consultation on the proposal. A village near Sterling

showing off a range of initiatives at a renewable energy show. The

company from a wind farm has paid for several green schemes,

including home insulation. More on those and other stories on the BBC

Scotland website. Here is David with the latest on Rangers and

other sport. It now appears deals have been done between Rangers

players and the administrators to cut wages, prevent redundancy and

keep Rangers going until the end of the season. Here is what the

players' union chief had to say a few months ago. We are not going

into details of how much and how many, but what I would say is that

his is a huge gesture by the players and by the club to the fans.

They knew from the word go that at some point they would see a massive

hit in terms of the finances and they knew they were the biggest

cost to the club, but one point they have stuck by is that they

wanted to protect as many jobs as possible, like every job of the

football club, and there is news coming out that there has been a

success and there will not be redundancies elsewhere. From that

point of view, the players are thankful, because that was their

priority in this process. reporter is that Murray Park and

joins us. Chris, have the players, in effect, saved Rangers in the

sort term of short-term? Three it appears that way and that was the

initiative. It is the players' wages that make up the most of the

costs at the club so it would be the case they would take the

biggest hit, and that is the case certainly. The players saying that

they knew that they had the responsibility and they have now

reached agreements to take huge wage cuts, some as high as 75%.

There will be a media conference behind me in the next 10 minutes,

so we should get more details from the administrators as to just what

the new contracts signed by the players entail. One thing I can

tell you is that there is a clause in some of the contracts that says

if the owner comes back and has anything to do with the day-to-day

running and management of the club, they will be allowed to walk away

on a free transfer. Chris, get yourself into the conference and

watch yourself crossing the road. Amid the Rangers crisis, it's a

case of keep calm and carry on for the rest of Scottish football.

Quite right because it's Cup quarter final weekend. Holders

Celtic are away to Dundee United on Sunday. United are the in form team

in the Premier League unbeaten in their last seven games and up to

fourth in Premier League. Mind you, Celtic haven't lost since October.

They have been a fantastic run, the quality was magnificent last week

and they won comfortably. What we have to make sure his we put on a

better show and try to match them in every department. And also we

need a little bit of luck. you're a Hearts fan or a St Mirren

fan - or even if you're not - you're luck's in tomorrow, because

the quarter-final between the clubs is live on BBC One Scotland. The

show starts at 12:15pm. It's also Scotland are in Dublin looking for

a win to avoid a wooden spoon showdown with Italy. With three Six

Nations' defeats so far, the expectations of many going into the

tournament have long gone. Now it's a case of salvaging something from

another disappointing campaign. From Dublin, here's our Six

In the City of good crack, Scotland fans need an excuse to have a good

time. Have they got something to celebrate though? Well, that's

another matter. This is the first time this column players have

played on the new pitch and it's a new experience of a different kind

they are looking for -- the Scotland players. After three

defeats in the Six Nations campaign, they badly need a victory. The last

trip to Dublin two years ago was successful but the bright new era

many predicted has not materialised. I thought we would sip -- kick on

and we went on a tour of Argentina and had great results, we beat

South Africa but we have never really transferred that into Six

Nations form and that is where a lot of the frustration comes one --

from for the players and also the fans. Another Chancellor Andy

Robinson to wipe the slate free of unwanted statistics, just two

victories in 13 six-nation matches and five defeats on the spin.

a distraction to have guys like me praising your record. No, that is

your job. My job is to coach the team to win. If your job is to win,

and you are not winning, do you then need to make a decision before

the decision is made for you? my focus is on the game with

Ireland and then the activity after that. Answers may have to come, but

for now Scholar need a win, and they will take an -- a helping hand

from just about anyone. Something tells me the leprechaun won't be

supporting Scotland. Let's see how the weather is looking this evening

Looking settled for once, so good news if you want to get out and

about. We are looking at the cloud thickening up across western

Scotland and that will be bringing patchy rain or drizzle, especially

across the north-west Highlands and we will see a little area of rain

skirting the coast. Some clear spells across eastern Scotland with

temperatures towards the north-east falling as low as three Celsius.

Quite a brisk westerly wind pushing in through Scotland as well.

Tomorrow the outlook is good. The high pressure continues to build

towards as bringing a lot of dry, settled rather benign weather. That

should go on to Sunday and Monday as well. Tomorrow will start windy

and the rain will clear from the sole way quickly and very much a

split between East and West. A fair amount of cloud across western

Scotland which will stay with us for much of the day. We will see a

little bit of brightness across southern Scotland, especially

towards the eastern borders, East Lothian, Fife is looking good as

well. 16 Celsius this morning today. Across the West, patchy rain or

drizzle towards the north-west Highlands. It looks like an

improving day for the Northern Isles and a shift in the cooler

temperatures we will see in the south. If you are thinking of

heading to the hills, the eastern ranges look the best place to go.

It is dry and sunny, and we will see good visibility as well. Fairly

windy at the top with gale-force winds and a severe wind-chill

factor. The western areas not looking good. Cloudy outbreaks of

rain and the widespread hill fog. Windy at the tops with another

severe wind-chill a problem. The rest of Saturday looks the same,

and the winds will ease down and it will stay dry overnight. Sunday is

a repeat performance with sunshine across eastern Scotland, cloudy and

the West, bits-and-pieces -- and pieces of rain or drizzle. That is

Now, just before 7:00pm, a summary of tonight's top stories: The deal

to keep Rangers in business has been agreed this evening. More

details are expecting to emerge in a media conference due to get under

way at the Murray Park training ground shortly. Eric Joyce has

pleaded guilty to assaulting four people. He avoided prison are not a

form and community order. He was also banned from entering pubs and

licensed premises for three months. Labour says it intends to expel Mr