08/08/2014 Reporting Scotland

Through Sunday and inch or two inches of rain, gales are possible

Independence campaigners say no UK Prime Minister with any sense

would ever oppose a currency union with an independent

Scotland - but Ed Miliband says that if HE became Prime Minister, Labour

We'll be looking at the options for the pound in your pocket.

Also on the programme, childcare demands -

more than 12,000 children are on waiting lists for nursery places.

And the controversial Rangers chief executive,

Charles Green, is close to involving himself with the club once again.

a place in the Champions League - because of an administrative error.

And the Boring tale of why this US town is planning a Dull celebration

We will start with bagpipes and do some traditional American folk

singing, and then we will have a band, to finish the evening. Nothing

too exciting, though? No. No UK Prime Minister with any sense

would ever oppose a currency union with an independent Scotland -

that's the view of the Finance Minister John Swinney, as the debate

over currency in the event But on a visit to Scotland today,

the Labour leader Ed Miliband repeated that if he became

Prime Minister next year, his government would not agree to

formally sharing the pound. This grand Glasgow bank is now a

pub. The currency issue has dominated the referendum debate this

week. Both in the pub and in a speech today to Glasgow's business

leaders. The British people did not want to join the euro zone -- ? for

clear reasons. That is why the rest of the UK will oppose a currency

union within independent Scotland. It is why as Prime Minister, I could

not agree to a currency union within independent Scotland. The yes side

believe pragmatism will prevail. It is our pounds, and we will keep it.

Common sense says that no UK Prime Minister will turn around to the

rest of the UK and say we will make it more difficult and expensive for

you to do business with Scotland, a huge and spot market for the rest of

the UK. We will absolve the people of Scotland with billions of pounds

of debt by hanging onto pound. No UK Prime Minister will sign up to such

a deal. The currency question is still divisive.

It is not up to the Prime Minister to decide. I will vote no. Hopefully

things will go my way and we will keep the pound. If Scotland went

independent, it should not be allowed the pound. Is the working

week gross to a close, the referendum story is no further

forward. The currency debate is at an impasse a. For those still

undecided, this is one of those key economic arguments which they will

continue to discuss. Our economics correspondent

Colletta Smith is here with us now. Colletta, five weeks

until everyone has to vote on this. The politicians are still

at this currency impasse. It makes it tough for voters to know

what might happen, doesn't it? Yes, on one of the most crucial

issues of the referendum, the two sides are still completely

contradicting each other. What we do know is that although

the SNP want to keep the pound, and that may well turn out to be

possible, but if not, they have laid out a handful of other options in

the White Paper - their guide to how The first one is the idea

of joining the Euro, but Alex Salmond has been pretty

clear that's low down the list. It would be difficult to convince

the public to join a currency still trying to get over

such huge economic problems. Then there's the idea of Scotland's

own pound - a brand-new currency. Some key voices, even from within

the Yes campaign, have been suggesting that this should be top

of the plan B list - or even plan A. It would give Scotland a lot more

economic freedom, but would cost us more every time we wanted to buy

anything from the rest of the UK. The final option, if formal currency

union is denied, seems to be the preferred one by Alex Salmond -

just using the pound anyway. The UK couldn't stop Scotland using

the pound anyway - and the upside to this is

the relative ease of its operation. But the downsides were suggested

in an economic report today showing you'd lose the Bank of England as

the lender of last resort, and that means the financial services sector

in Scotland could be vulnerable without someone

on standby to bail it out. No, and that's why the Yes campaign are

so keen to keep the pound. They're hoping - indeed they're

certain - plan B won't be needed, not because there are no ideas -

there are plenty - but because the New figures obtained

by the BBC show more than 12,000 children are on waiting lists

for local authority nursery places. There's significant variation across

the country's 32 local authorities for parents seeking state help

in looking after their children. Our political correspondent,

Lucy Adams, reports. Jenny's 3-year-old daughter

loves her nursery, but in June, the local authority withdrew its

partnership funding and she was told to get an alternative, only to find

there were none that fit her hours. I started looking to

the council provision, and there are seven within the extended area that

offer all-day places, I would fill out an application,

it would be considered in September, with waiting lists,

and there would be no guarantee. New figures show that thousands

of children across Scotland are on waiting lists

for local authority nurseries. Hundreds of children were

not offered a place. In total, there were 12,165 babies

and toddlers on waiting lists. Local authorities have

a duty to provide 475 hours Glasgow have cut their overall

childcare funding, so some figures are double counted. Parents were

encouraged to place to bring on a waiting list early to get the place

of their choice aged three. Local authorities have

a duty to provide 475 hours Starting this month, the Scottish

government has pledged to increase provision to 600 hours, and extend

it to 2-year-olds. We can help by providing

more hours of childcare. The provisions we have set out

in the Bill will save families up That will help women get back

into the workplace. It is not always women that will

have the primary caring role. With the revelation there are

already long waiting lists, parents are questioning what this means.

You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC.

Still to come on tonight's programme:

How an administrative error is keeping Celtic's champions

And a hard act to follow - but can the new football season

The controversial former chief executive of Rangers, Charles Green,

is close to involving him self with the club once again.

He was sacked last year but is lining up an investment

Kheredine Idessane is at Ibrox for us now.

What are the details of this investment?

Charles Green is a name that has been out of the headlines in the

past few years. He was the man who led a consortium to buy Rangers

assets. He became chief executive but was sacked last year after

allegations about his dealings. The outspoken Yorkshireman has told BBC

sport he wants in at the Rangers again. He is close to raising up to

?10 million to invest in Rangers. He says he has investors ready to write

cheques, one of whom is the American -based investment fund who have

already held talks with a senior official. One supporter group has

already made its opposition to Charles Green clear. He says he's

not welcome, and if he does return, there will be huge numbers of

Rangers fans boycotting the club. The Commonwealth Games gave Glasgow

a unique opportunity to showcase But now the event has come to

an end, what's the legacy? Well, some firms report an upsurge

in business, and marketing bosses say Glasgow itself can become one

of the world's leading venues Our correspondent David Henderson

is here and can tell us more. Sally,

the Games only lasted for two weeks, and already the athletes and most

of the fans have headed for home. The Games' organisers see this event

as one long advert for what Glasgow And while some Scottish products are

selling well, it's Glasgow itself which is now being sold -

as a venue for big events. The MTV Music Video Awards,

the World Gymnastics championships, and the BBC Sports Personality

of the Year. But how about these -

huge conferences for bible students, on sports injuries,

and on the latest soil science. All of them will attract

thousands of people. And all of them will bring millions

of pounds of business to Scotland. It takes years of effort to present

an event of this scale. The cost is high. Is this an investment for the

future? The Games may be over, but the work does not stop will

At this Glasgow warehouse, handbags, purses and wallets made from Harris

As official merchandise, they have been selling fast.

To be involved in the 2014 Games, especially as they have been

a success, has given us a huge amount of credibility.

We have entered into quite a few retail stores that

we previously had not, and it is also pushing our brand overseas.

Glasgow and Scotland were on display to thousands

of visitors and a global TV audience of hundreds of millions.

The Commonwealth Games lasted for just two weeks,

and already the athletes and most of the fans have gone home.

But the venues remain and the focus is now on using them to host

the first positive is being able to be for big events. The second

opportunity is business tourism. This is now an opportunity for

Glasgow to show the world it is open for business.

At the Hydro arena, they are preparing to

host other big events and conferences which Glasgow has won.

This city has overcome competition from Toronto and Melbourne, London,

We are more than capable of competing on a world stage.

So what will be the value to Scotland of all this business?

Well, Glasgow's marketing bureau says big events are guaranteed to

bring about ?300 million to the city over the next decade,

thanks to its new venues - the Hydro by the River Clyde, and the Emirates

But with Glasgow's confidence and its credibility now higher than

ever, they expect that total to rise.

A man with a samurai sword has threatened to kill the leader

of Glasgow City Council, Gordon Matheson, in his office.

29-year-old David Wardrop has pleaded guilty to breaching

A court heard how Wardrop turned up at council headquarters in

When police appeared, he told them he was there to assassinate

The Edinburgh Fringe is well-known for unusual venues.

This weekend, there's a show on Portobello Beach which takes

And there's no shortage of local volunteers willing to take the

plunge, as our arts correspondent Pauline McLean reports.

A new beach in Portobello brings new challenges to this show.

It is raining a little bit as we speak,

Of course, there is going into the sea as part of the piece.

The weather that we have to contend with because there is both radio

transmitted sirens, the beautiful singing by Laura, and the

Wind is a factor in terms of making sure that we have

sufficient volume for the audience to hear well enough.

The play requires 40 volunteers to sink or swim, and there is no

The swimmers particularly, we have a group locally who go swimming every

Sunday morning, so I believe quite a few of them were interested in it.

The people of Portobello have no qualms about doing all of those

things with gusto. We are lucky to have 13 people joining us on this

beautiful 100 metre long piece of rope on the edge of the sea. The

show 's run at sunrise and sunset until Sunday.

Now a look at other stories from the across the country.

Shell UK is to cut 250 jobs from its North Sea oil

Onshore staff and contractors will be affected by the move.

The reduction in staffing will be implemented over the next year.

Shell says it's determined to ensure safe and competitive operations

An estimated 70 people watched as the Palestinian flag was flown

above Glasgow City Chambers in George Square this morning.

Councillors decided to fly the flag in solidarity with those

Some members of the Jewish community have described

Thousands of revellers are arriving at the Highlands' main summer music

festival near Inverness, which is getting under way today.

The Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival is being headlined tonight by

Tom Jones, and tomorrow by the indie rock band Razorlight.

Belladrum's organisers say tickets for

The Bella John has grown organically out of the Highlands community. It

is a word-of-mouth thing that has grown very slowly. Most of our

audience come from the Highlands, and people feel some ownership, in

that it is really a meeting point for our community in the summer.

Conservationists are building up a photographic database of rare

and endangered natterjack toads in an effort to safeguard

There are only around 200 breeding adults in Scotland,

What do you want to say about these toads? I can't get enough of them.

To its own frogs. -- toads and frogs.

Celtic are back in contention for a place in the Champions League -

Legia Warsaw, who beat them in the qualifiers, have been kicked

The Scottish champions have been reinstated,

and will play Maribor of Slovenia in the final qualifying round.

Celtic's manager, Ronny Deila, described the situation

Celtic have been thrown a checking cheap lifeline. These goals put

Walsall 2-1 up. But this player should have been serving a

suspension. His cameo role cost its team a place in the qualifying

final. It is very strange,

I have to say that. First of all, I feel very sorry for

the other team and my friends there. We have not been involved

in anything, and that is how it is. Instead of being in the Europa

League draw, Celtic found themselves in the championship league play-off.

There may be new faces in the Celtic squad before they face the Slovenian

champions later this month. We worked hard to get players for the

next stage. They will lift the team and the performance. The bizarre

tale of this player may not be over yet. Warsaw are considering an

appeal against the decision. A summer packed full of fantastic

sport may be drawing to a close, but the Scottish football season is upon

us. Tomorrow, clubs across the country begin their league

campaigns. Our senior football reporter books ahead.

Scottish football has a lot to live up to. The sporty bar has been set

high this summer. As recently as the past few weeks, the Scottish public

have seen the top-class sport. How does the Scottish football league

followed that? A genuine title race in the top of it would be a good

start. Aberdeen were perhaps the most improved last season. Can they

give Celtic a real challenge this time around? Celtic will always be a

multiple of what Aberdeen is. The important thing in our perspective

is we have a squad of players and a management team that want to believe

and win games. We want to finish as high up the league as we possibly

can. One area of genuine excitement last season was the battle to avoid

the drop from the premiership. Dundee will be seeking to avoid that

particular brand of excitement in the season ahead. We want to stay in

the league and consolidate, but I think we want to aim higher. The

group of slowly as we have, the expectations will be higher or so,

and myself as a manager. We want to finish as high as we can. It is not

all about the premiership will stop this you's championship includes

arts, Rangers and Hibs. Maybe this title race is where the real

excitement will be found. -- hearts. It will be more interesting, because

there are three big teams in their challenging the top of the table. It

could be tight, and there will be a lot of interest there. Of course the

top three will have more quality. Set the stage is set, let the Games

commence. Eddie Murray is in quarterfinal action at the tennis in

Toronto. He is up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Here is Murray

holding serve, and in the last few moments, he levelled the first set

at 5-5. It is the first tournament of the hard court season as the

Scots gears up for the US open later this month. That is the sport, but I

will be back tomorrow. If you are not watching the toads, watch that.

I promise you it will be riveting. They you very much. -- thank you.

Residents in the American town of Boring are preparing for a party

It's the annual celebration of their partnership with

the Perthshire village of Dull - the first since August the 9th was

formally declared Boring and Dull day across the state of Oregon.

Our correspondent, Glenn Campbell, has been to Boring to see

Boring is not the most exciting place in the world. It is farming

country near the city of Portland. Small-town America, named after a

bighearted settler. Which one is the original Mr boring? Hole the one

with the whiskers. He was the original? Boring's found a gifted

land to the local school. His great-grandson lives in the town.

Boring by name, boring by nature to? Not really. Dad used to say it was a

name, not a condition. There is also something going on. You could try

the not so boring bar. Hunt for a Boring bargain. Or sit back and

watch the Boring grass grow. Interestingly enough, Boring now has

its sign up making its partnership with Dull official, and the Governor

of the state of Oregon has signed a proclamation declaring August the

9th Boring and Dull day across the entire state. In this town, that is

a cause for celebration. We are planning our second ice cream social

tonight. It will be a time for our community to get together. We will

start off with bagpipes, then we will also do some traditional

American folk singing, and then we will have a band to finish at the

evening. But nothing too exciting? No. It seems Dull has made Boring a

bit more interesting, but there are limits. Lawns.

A number of boundary downpours pushing their way through the

country. A Met Office warning is in force. Here they are pushing their

way up through five and the Grampians. Expect difficult

conditions on the roads. They do clear away, and most of the mainland

is dry overnight. A bit damp across the north-east and the Isles. And

cities holding up in double digits. Tomorrow is looking good. We have

been talking about this blood pressure out in the North Sea. We

think it will stay there, meaning a generally dry and bright day for

most. There will be one or two showers, but on the whole, Saturday

is looking good. Bright and sunny weather. Light passing showers. That

rain is moving up towards the Northern Isles, so quite sunny and

dry for you. For most of the mainland and Hebrides, by

mid-afternoon, pleasantly warm. Temperatures in the high teens.

Always that the cooler around the coast. A breeze from the south-west.

Perhaps just staying a bit cloudy across the north-east of

Aberdeenshire, and pretty wet for Orkney and Shetland. For hill

walkers and climbing, it is not too bad. There will be bright and sunny

skies around. One or two passing showers, and winds from the

south-west across southern -- southern ranges. The risk of one or

two light showers, but decent bright sunny weather. In the south-west, we

are looking at a suddenly falls three Northwest by the afternoon. --

Force three. Around the east, we will have a Force five, but during

the day, it is a south-westerly. That rain is still with this for the

Northern Isles. Elsewhere dry, but showers feeding in by the end of the

day. Still with this come Sunday. It is a cloudy day with a number of

heavy showers. Ten bridges in the high teens. That is half the story,

because we are talking about the remnants of hurricane Bertha. --

temperatures. It is pushing in towards the North Sea. Wet and windy

weather around come Monday, but it is not concrete. It could come

further west, and if it does, a very wet into the weekend across many

parts of the country. For Saturday, it doesn't look too bad. Make the

most of the sunshine if you have it. A reminder of tonight's

headlines: No UK Prime Minister would oppose

the use of the pound in an independent Scotland. Ed Miliband

says his government would not agree to showing the pound if he was

elected. -- sharing the pound. The United States has carried out

its first air strikes on Islamist President Obama had warned that

the US would target the group if they threatened American forces

in the area. He also said he wanted to prevent

acts of genocide against Iraq's I'll be back with the headlines

at 8.00, and the late bulletin just Until then, from everyone

on the team - right across the