12/09/2014 Reporting Scotland

but it'll be turning quite breezy. Thank you very much. That's it.

The referendum campaign takes to the air.

"Yes" leaders canvas seven cities by helicopter,

urging voters to have the confidence to opt for independence.

The No side takes to the streets, highlighting economic worries being

This campaign surging across the seven cities of Scotland today will

carry Scotland to victory. There are huge risks.

We'll have two business leaders live in the studio,

Also on the programme, we'll hear from campaigners across the country.

We're in Moray, hearing from voters and campaigners in Elgin.

Accident and Emergency consultants in Aberdeen have warned NHS Grampian

for a second time that staff shortages are at risk

And Rangers raise just over 3 million pounds

It's been a day of frantic campaigning in the referendum.

Yes campaign leaders canvassed seven cities by helicopter,

urging voters to have the confidence to opt for independence.

Alex Salmond accused the No side of co-ordinating business

But supporters of the Union said the economic

worries were real and Scotland should stick with the Union.

This from our political editor Brian Taylor.

No time to lose, Alex Salmond takes to the air, smiling despite an

onslaught of business warnings. Orchestrated, he says, by Downing

Street. But this contest is grounded on the doorstep encounters. Alex

Salmond's aim is to engender confidence that Scotland's economy

could prosper and the NHS could be healthy under independence. And

public opinion? I am pleased about the various polls rose, but I am

more pleased about this activity. Between them, the Yes campaign

leaders covered seven cities today. Ed Miliband arrived by bus at

Edinburgh. He says Scotland's economy would falter and the NHS

soccer if the union ends. He appealed directly to wavering Labour

voters. Anybody who is undecided needs to recognise and realise that

there is change coming with now, but there are huge risks with a yes

vote. Scottish robbery -- Scottish rugby stars endorse a no vote. Staff

at Edinburgh check thousands of postal votes, already in. , millions

more will add to these piles when the third macro open. There is all

to play for, and the stakes could not be higher. We have heard this

evening that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has cancelled his visit to

Australia, with two things in mind, with the objective of staying in the

UK, to exhort able in the -- in Scotland to stay within the UK, and

also to deal with the aftermath, should there be a yes vote. There is

a sense of frenzy in both campaigns, with the opinion polls suggesting

that it is absolutely neck and neck with only a few days to go, before

Scotland decides upon the prospect of independence. And out of that

frenzied campaigning, what did the two sides had to say today? There is

a range of issues, the European Union, the future of Scotland's

relationships with the other nations on these islands, but it is becoming

elemental, it is becoming distilled down to the core economic message.

Hearing from Ed Miliband and others on the No campaign that there is a

genuine threat to Scotland from independence, and they argue that

that threat would result in a knock-on threat to services like the

NHS. We heard from the other side that the business threat is being

orchestrated from Downing Street and is being talked up and engendered by

Downing Street comic she says that Scottish people should discount

that. He says they should have the courage to stick with the prospect

of an enhanced economy, and defending the NHS. Mirror images

from both sides. Thank you. The bosses of some

of the country's biggest companies have clashed over the potential

impact of Scottish independence. Tonight,

Richard Branson says he thinks It flies in the face

of comments from British Airways' boss earlier this year,

who told the BBC that independence Meanwhile, some retailers are

claiming prices would rise, while the head of the Wetherspoon chain

of pubs says there was no reason why Scotland couldn't be successful

if there were a Yes vote. Our business correspondent

David Henderson reports: It is hard to stay cool as the

referendum campaign hots up. At this food fear new Edinburgh today,

Scottish firms were showcasing what they sell, hoping for orders from

all over the world, and wondering if life will change this time next

week. We supply a lot of customers down in England. What will happen if

we are an independent country Western Mark will be still be

interested? There is so much cross-border trade within Europe

itself. With, for example, shellfish. I can't see independence

being a major stumbling block. As the day draws near, some of the

country's best-known retailers have weighed into the debate. Asda and

John Lewis have warned that prices may rise if Scotland vote for

independence. The costs of running our business is spread across the

whole business, but it is more expensive to do business in Scotland

today. Business rates are higher, distributional cost higher. If

Scotland was independent today, with businesses run separately in

Scotland, as will be the case, yes, prices would be higher. The Yes

campaign claim that is scaremongering, and say that if one

supermarket chain raised its prices in an independent Scotland,

customers would shop elsewhere, and they point to Europe, where

retailers operate without problems across several countries. Tonight,

this flamboyant figure, Richard Branson, says he would love to see

Scotland stay within the UK. That is the contrast with his rival, the

boss of British Airways, who has says -- who has said independence

could be a positive move for his company. Some see the changes that

would come with a yes vote as a glass half full, not a glass half

empty. The man who runs this hub chain sees independence as an

opportunity and not as a risk. There is no reason in the why Scotland

couldn't be a very successful independent country. New Zealand has

the same population and does very well, Singapore is smaller, and

incredibly successful. Switzerland does well. There is a lot of

nonsense talk, particularly by businessmen. As both campaigns put

the finishing touches to their message, it is clear the debate has

split the business community. Many bosses and staff will face a

difficult choice next week. To debate some of these issues I'm

joined now by two Scottish business people -

Ian McDougall, managing director of McDougall Johnstone, a corporate

finance and accounting firm, who And Daniel Johnson,

creative director of the card company Paper Tiger,

who speaks for Better Together. Ian MacDougall, we heard from Tim

Martin, there are, but we have also heard from Asda and John Lewis and

other companies, all saying that independence would lead to higher

prices. Are they wrong? I think Tim Martin was right. I am not asking

about him, I am asking about the others. He has said that these

arguments are insulting the intelligence of the Scottish people,

and I agree with that. By the last two years, they have been insulting

the Scottish people. But are the retailer is wrong? They clearly

believe what they are saying? No. I think they are wrong. I think they

have been coerced into moving towards those arguments, and I think

what this is doing is driving the debate into the gutter, because

you're aiming at the most vulnerable in society, pensioners, people

living in poverty, and giving them by saying that if the don't vote

now, their food shopping will be more expensive, and that is dragging

the debate into the gutter. Do you think there has been political

engineering in their statements? They're absolutely has. Whether or

not that is the case. They are still the bosses on -- bosses big

companies, and I am asking you if you think they are actually wrong in

their judgement? Yes, I think they are. I think Tim Martin, boss of

Wetherspoon, has said the opposite, he sees it as an opportunity, as do

many other bosses of very large companies. There are contracting

voices in this debate. Daniel Johnson, we heard from Wetherspoon

today, that independence would be good for business. Surely a system

made in Scotland with taxes and regulations tailor-made to suit

businesses in Scotland has got to be good for the country? Tailor-made,

but in different. I am a retailer. I own a shop. The basic truth is that

if you have two systems of tax, two systems of regulation, two

currencies, that increases costs, and that is just a basic rule of

business. We are hearing from the likes of as that and Morrisons, from

Standard Life, from RBS, from the companies that we trust with our

weekly shop, and our pensions, I think that make the choice is really

quite real for people. But costs could also go down as well as up.

Morrisons said that prices could change, if the costs of doing

business change, but they could lower them. The basic rule of

business is, if you have complexity, you add cost. Even if corporation

tax goes down? My colleagues here is an accountant. I would like to ask

him, how many tax returns would you like to do? We are talking about as

that year. We are talking about people who own or Walmart and Asda.

These are massive companies. As you said, if corporation tax comes down

in an independent Scotland, any other cost in terms of that will be

easily offset. These are companies which deal all over the world, so

this is simply another country that they have to deal with. The world,

so this is simply another country that they had to deal with. They do

with it every single. Do you think Asda prop up their operations and

their prices in Britain from their operations in the rest of Europe?

The price according to the cost in each country. Yes, it is a big

company, but the real cost will be the accompany the side of mine.

Small businesses, which give the bulk of and won in Scotland. Small

companies will find the administered a burden and the complexity is very

costly. That is why most small businesses see the opportunity. In

Business for Scotland we have many hundreds of businesses who all see

the opportunity and look forward to that. Better Together don't have

anything to look forward to. Is it not more of a hassle having to

systems, rather than one? And having possibly a different currency? I

don't think we will have a different currency. I believe we will have a

currency union, and that is another skier sorry that has been introduced

to scare people. -- a skier story. A scare story. It has been introduced

to frighten Scottish people. What is your vision for the Scottish

economy? This is the biggest decision we are making, that we have

ever faced, and when there are real questions about how things would

work, how businesses would operate on an rather than engaging with

them, rather than looking at them, they just dismiss them. That is not

good enough. See? He has no plan. I believe in creating jobs. We can do

that with devolution. We will have the ability to borrow to Billy and

pounds. -- ?2 billion. If I could speak on behalf of the undecided

voters here. How are people able to make a judgement on this, when we

have two successful Scottish businesses here, and you look at the

same potential situation, and one of you sees risks, and one of you seize

opportunities. Is there no meeting of minds here? It is a matter of

trust. Westminster has not served Scotland well. They have ruined the

economy with the recession of 2007, and we are still suffering from

that. It is a matter of trust. Who do you trust to look after Scottish

wealth? Able making decisions in Scotland, or people 500 miles away

in London? I think you're just a fantastic example of scaremongering.

These are the companies that we trust. John Wallace and Standard

Life. If these companies, that we trust with our day-to-day well-being

and livelihoods, I think we should listen to what they are saying. What

about Aberdeen Asset Management. He thinks that Scotland could be a

partly prosperous country. Why does the boss of Aberdeen Asset

Management think that? I think you can find other examples of that. You

can find others who have just moved their pensions south of the border.

That is the reality. There are some people who might be able to... The

reality is the style works of Scottish business, Standard Life and

others, these leading style works by saying no thank you, because they

believe that devolution holds a better prospect. Are due

underestimating the risks in order to make a point that you believe in,

passionately? That the future is risky, nobody knows quite what

independence would mean. Scotland has a hugely strong economy, oil and

gas is only 13% of it. It is strong in Food Drink, tourism, life

sciences, education. We have a strong and wealthy nation. But the

wealth does not stay in Scotland and that is the issue. We have a very

strong economy and will be a very successful economy when the vote

yes. Oil and gas is a big part of the economy. Another big part of the

financial services sector. Alex Salmond the other week could not

answer the question of how it would work without a lender of last

resort. He simply does not have the answers. He expects us to choose on

blind faith. I am not willing to gamble jobs and livelihoods. I think

we should go for the guaranteed prospect of devolution and say no

thank you to independence. We have high ambitions for Scotland. We are

looking for more growth, higher wages. We are not happy with the

status quo. Thank you both very much. UKIP leader Nigel Farage has

stepped into the debate with a call for the Queen to get involved.

Tonight in Glasgow he will say and independent Scotland would end up

having to join the euro. David Porter is outside the venue where

Nigel Farage will be speaking. The Nigel Farage bandwagon has rolled

into town. It is causing a good deal of interest. Behind me in Glasgow

city centre, around 50 demonstrators have turned up to give Nigel Farage

what they would regard as a traditional Glasgow welcome. It has

been noisy and good-humoured. This is his first intervention in the

referendum debate. He's not speaking on behalf of of Better Together but

here's saying he wants Scots to vote no in the referendum. He says

independence would be a false prospectus for Scots. He says that

because things are looking so tight in the opinion polls he would like

the Queen to intervene. But his intervention has caused high

emotions on both sides of the argument. This is not an

independence referendum. Alex Salmond says it is and Better

Together says it is, but this is about separation from England and

signing up to be a full member of the EU states. You could argue that

the EU is good or bad for Scotland but you cannot argue that as a

member of the European Union that Scotland would be independent, it

cannot. Nigel Farage enters policies are unwelcome in Scotland which you

could see in the voting intentions of the people of Scotland. He does

not represent my views on the EU, and on the future of Scotland. Not

all of Nigel Farage's visits to Scotland go to plan. He has arrived

in Edinburgh previously and been forced to take refuge in a pub

because he was met by demonstrators. He is due to speak in Glasgow in the

next couple of hours, and people will have some fairly strong

comments for him. Laura Bicker has been travelling around Scotland

finding out how the vote has been affecting people. She is now in

Elgin in Moray. This area is an SNP stronghold. They have Richard

Lochhead MSP and Alex Salmond MP in the past. They have been campaigning

hard and, round the corner, there is a yes shop right on the high Street.

Certainly, when you go out and meet people, there are a number of no

voters and undecided voters. The question that kept coming up was

about the nearby military bases. Some are now feeling the pressure to

come to a decision. Steve is one of many. This hands-on boss has put up

the business. Her husband was in the forces, based nearby. It is one of

the concerns she has about independence. When RAF Kinloss shut

we had to wait for the Army to come up. That hit the area quite badly.

We had a drop in income. This is her query, to both sides. My concern is,

what would happen if we go independent, because what would the

MOD do? We went on the campaign trail to answer her question. It is

a fantastic opportunity for Scotland. The local MSP, Richard

Lochhead says that this area is an SNP stronghold, but he understands

that some have concerns. Some people seem to think defence assets belong

to the UK government, when they belong to the people of Scotland

just as much. We are entitled to a share of these assets and they will

be based at RAF Lossiemouth so it will be more secure under

independence. RAF Lossiemouth was saved in Westminster defence cuts.

There are over 2000 personal based here. And nearby army base at

Kinloss has seen the Royal Engineers moving. They may be outgunned and

outmanned in terms of campaign resources, but Better Together say

that their arguments are winning them votes. I feel sorry for these

people who live and work around the Lossiemouth base and at Kinloss

because they want to make sure that it will be there and five, ten, 15

years time, but they do not get that certainty from the Yes campaign. At

the cafe, I find polarised views on independence. Strong yes views and

strong no views. I do not think independence would do anything for

Scotland I hand I am very Scottish and I do not want to be divided. We

believe Scotland would be a better place if we were able to rid --

control our resources ourselves and put the money back into this

country. Both campaigns use words like confident and optimistic but it

will be six days when they will find out, yes or no. Support for yes is

strong in this area. I popped into the local chip shop and ask people

and all the hands went up. But Better Together said that they have

been campaigning hard and Lord try to win over every single vote. I

will be back later with two activists from both sides explaining

how they see the campaign in this area. Still to come tonight, we look

at at the 1997 referendum which led to the establishment of the Scottish

Parliament. BBC Scotland can reveal that accident and emergency

consultant in Aberdeen have warned NHS Grampian that staff shortages

are at risk of endangering patient safety. Our reporter is outside

Aberdeen Royal infirmary. The owner, over to you. -- Fiona. Last

Friday we can tell you that a group of accident and emergency consultant

is asked to address board members to repeat worries about patient safety.

Three months ago they raise these concerns with NHS Grampian. They

said that they were worried about continuing their primary role, which

is resuscitating seriously ill patient's. Last week they brought

those concerns to the board to say that the situation had not fully

changed. I understand that there are specific concerns about weekend

cover and that consultants have been working extra weekend shifts since

August. They say that that is not sustainable in the long term. One

accident and emergency consultant described it to me as a perfect

storm, and said that it could take a couple of years for the situation to

be solved, because of staff shortages. NHS Grampian has said

that there will be continuing staff shortages, they continue to face

challenges, and the board says that it is not specific to Aberdeen, it

is a problem across the UK. The board said that it is working hard

to recruit more doctors and is working hard with other departments

at Aberdeen Royal infirmary to alleviate that problem. Tonight, NHS

Grampian has assured members of the public that Haitians attending

accident and emergency are safe. -- that patient's. We have safe cover

in place for the weekends. But it is almost on a day-to-day basis that we

are working. It is not just about bums on seats and about doctors and

departments, it is about getting the right quality to see the patient at

accident and emergency. Accident and emergency is also under review by

Healthcare improvement Scotland, the body invited by NHS Grampian to

review patient safety. It is also looking at other departments

including elderly care, intensive care, gynaecology and obstetrics. A

report on that is due out in November. A Midlothian man charged

with murdering his wife and child says he killed them in a moment of

madness. The High Court in Edinburgh has been shown a police interview

with Gary Locke Art in which he said that he strangled his wife while

drunk then suffocated his son, Michael, with a pillow. He said he

also intended to take his own life. Gary Lockhart said that he returned

home late after a night out. This ledger management with him and his

wife. She had been preparing to leave her House for work at Tesco at

4am. She was concerned that Gary would be unable to care for their

son. In a police interview shown in court, Gary Locke Art said that he

argued with his wife, snapped, and strangled her, then he went upstairs

to be with his sleeping son. When he woke in the morning, he played with

Michael as usual, then placed a pillow over his face and suffocated

him. The court heard that Gary Lockhart did not want his son

growing up with one parent dead and one in jail, and that the only

solution was for all three of them to die. Asked how he felt after

killing the toddler, he said, devastated. He said that he lay and

cuddled him. The friends and family of Gary Lockhart where in court. He

admits murdering his wife and killing his son, but he denies that

the death of the little boy it was murder. The family of Janet lock-up

sobbed as they heard how she and her young son died. The trial continues.

-- Lockhart. A leading children's charity says

lessons must be learned in Scotland from

the Rotherham child abuse scandal. Barnardo's says the experience

of Rotherham, where at least 1,400 young

people were victims of child sexual It says child abuse is going on

in Scotland and politicians and child support agencies should

not become complacent. Celtic have reported pre-tax profits

of just over ?11 million That's up almost ?1.5 million on the

previous year, but revenue is down Researchers at Glasgow University

say they've made a breakthrough in They say their process is fast,

clean and cheap - and can store

energy from the sun and wind. Here's our science correspondent

Kenneth Macdonald. Scotland is rich in renewable energy

sources, but when the wind drops and the sun goes down, if only we could

bottle power. That is what they have done at Glasgow University, using

electricity to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, then capturing

the hydrogen gas in the liquid. Leon Charles liquid is here. It is

yellow. It is like an inorganic diesel. When you take the liquid,

you can pour it through a sieve. All you need to do is store this, using

gravity, then open the valve, then it goes over the sieve then you use

the hydrogen and the application will store it, as you need. Hydrogen

is carbon free. It burns, giving off heat and leaving only water. This is

a fast and relatively cheap way of creating hydrogen from sun, wind and

water. What we can do with this system is more conveniently store

electricity in a liquid form as hydrogen, then you can use a

pipeline to pipe at around and you could get round the problem of the

wind turning on and off because when the wind stops blowing we stop

producing hydrogen, and you would have to turn it on and off, then it

is very expensive. With our system, you choose when you want to make the

hydrogen. The team says that it's process is 30 times faster than the

current state-of-the-art method and could be 30 times cheaper. There is

a lot of work still to be done but we could be seeing a glimpse of a

new hydrogen-powered future, so that even on days when the sun does not

shine and the wind does not blow, the lights could still stay on.

Ts start with some news from Rangers, and

the Ibrox club have confirmed that they've raised just over ?3 Million

For more on this let's join our Senior

Rangers launched what's called an open offer last month

and said they hoped to raise as much as ?4 million for working capital

They set a minimum target of ?3 million and today they announced

they'd raised just over that figure from existing shareholders -

Incidentally, Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner,

So some of the money that was raised will go to paying bills

You also have to factor in another of today's developments.

That was the out of court settlement between Rangers and their former

We don't know the settlement sum was, but Rangers

say it was significantly less than the ?620,000 he was looking for.

At the launch of this open offer last month, Rangers said that

if the minimum level of ?3 million was raised, they would then have to

raise additional working capital by the end of the calendar year.

So having got enough to keep them going in the short term,

the Rangers board will seek permission from shareholders to

allow them to raise further funds from a wider share issue.

Scotland will take a step closer to reaching the

Women's World Cup Finals if they beat the Faroe Islands tomorrow.

The match is their penultimate qualifying tie

and, while they lie second in their group, a win is likely to see

As if the match is not a big enough occasion in itself, for one Scotland

One of Kim Little's 34 goals scored for Scotland, and on Saturday she

passes another milestone when she wins her 100th cap for her country.

I have said before. It is something I never thought about. For me, it

was just about playing and representing Scotland, and having

got to this point quite early, it is very nice. Her team-mates are full

of praise for the Aberdeen born player. Ever since she has been

involved, she has always brought an immense amount of professionalism. I

don't know anyone who has worked harder than she has and she was a

young girl, so she deserves everything she gets, and she is a

delight to play with. The game on Saturday against Farao Islands by

full -- is vital, if Scotland are to stand a chance of reaching the

finals. Not being complacent, and not being too nervous, just having

the right mindset going in there, try to move the ball quickly, taking

a lot of initiatives, trust your ability, and score a lot of goals.

The team have had some downtime in preparation, but when the

whistle-blowers, they are aiming to hit their target.

Edinburgh are looking to make it two wins on the bounce

After beating Munster last weekend in the opening match of the season,

they face Irish opposition again as Connacht come to Murrayfield.

Glasgow Warriors have made four changes to their team

They face the Welsh side on Sunday fresh from their win last weekend

Although we did a lot of things well, our handling was not as

accurate. Probably more players getting too enthusiastic and going

past the ball carrier. We know we can be wetter than this. We will

train and get better. New for this season you can access

English commentary There's also on-line commentary

of both matches too. Andy Murray has accepted

a wildcard into this month's Murray is trying to accumulate

enough points to qualify for November's World Tour Finals

in London. The world's top eight singles

players take part, at The Olympic silver medallist Luke

Patience has set himself a target - And this weekend his quest gets

underway, as the Helensburgh sailor takes part in the World

Sailing Championships in Spain. The event allows Patience

and his partner Elliot Willis the chance of securing a berth

for the 2016 Olympics Games. London 2012 was a silver for Luke

Patience, competing in his first Olympic Games. Since that day, he

has made no secret of the fact that only gold will be good enough at the

next games. These World Championships are an important

marker along the way. We have been working hard all year, and the goal

for us is to bridge is our best performance -- to produce. Run the

season we have had, we know that if we produce our best performance,

that is Goodenough to challenge for a gold medal. Luke Patience and his

team-mate Elliot Willis have just returned from the Olympic test

event. We finished up with a self medal, had a great week, great

speed, and everything is in -- encouraging. We have been getting

used to the venue, getting used to the surroundings, and this marks the

end of our season, and the pinnacle of our season, so hopefully we will

take some metal home to the UK. That would be very nice indeed.

Let's see what we can expect from the weekend weather now.

A case of mixed fortunes this afternoon. This evening, dry and

bright for some. From 7pm, it looks like this, and then it stays dry

overnight. Temperatures, by the end of the night, certainly in towns and

cities, double digits. A little cooler in the countryside, certainly

a few have clear skies. For tomorrow, it will be dry, fairly

cloudy, but it should improve, but the mist and fog will take a while

to lift, particularly through the central belt, and as we head through

the afternoon, the best of the brightness across western parts of

the country, and the temperature not too bad at all, certainly a few get

the sunshine. 18 Celsius, 19 Celsius, perhaps 21 Celsius. The

mist just lapping the shores here. The West slightly better. You can

see the sea fog lingering around this area, probably all day. A few

are walking or climbing around western arrangers, after some mist

and fog it will improve. Very light winds. Across eastern ranges, a

cloudy start there, but a few are above wonders by the defeat, it will

be clear up there. -- 1500 feet, it will be clear. And East, South East

breeze. Moderate visibility, occasional patches of fog. Best of

the afternoon into the evening, some late spells of sunshine, certainly a

few had them for the good part of the day. Sunday, high pressure still

year, but starting to drift away awards Scandinavia. Still keeping us

dry, but a bit breezy and a bit cooler, and a bit cloudier. On

Sunday, thicker cloud. More sunshine towards the West. Maybe the odd spot

of light rain and drizzle on the East goes. Tonight, a few get some

clear skies to the north of the country, look North, because you

could well see the Northern lights if you're lucky.

Last night we looked back at the build-up,

the result and the consequences of the 1979 devolution referendum.

Tonight, Julie Peacock has been considering the 1997 referendum,

which resulted in the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Parliament has been a pivotal part of the political life

for 15 years now. In 1979, this all would have looked like a distant

dream. Margaret Thatcher had come to power that year. She had no interest

in home rule and the Conservatives now oppose the idea. In Scotland,

Mrs Thatcher was hugely unpopular with many voters. The

industrialisation and mass unemployment created a feeling that

Westminster was distant and disengaged. The introduction of the

poll tax in Scotland one year earlier than the rest of the UK

cause even more anger. It sets the scene for renewed support for

devolution. The Constitutional Convention was set up in 1980, soon

after the failure of the first referendum. It involved political

parties, unions, church and civic leaders. We say no and we are the

state, will, we say yes and we are the people. The Conservatives refuse

to take part, believing it to be a slippery slope to independence, and

the SNP pulled out when it became clear that independence was not up

for session. Labour supported devolution, and had high

expectations. The Scottish parliament inside the United Kingdom

would kill the UK, because the majority of people within Scotland

want control over domestic affairs, but they don't want to wrench

Scotland out of the United Kingdom. The general election in 1992 marked

another turning point, when Scotland voted Labour but got a Conservative

government. Support for devolution grows stronger. Shortly after

Labour's win in 1997, the new government announced a Scottish

referendum on devolution. Donald Dewar led the campaign for yes,

alongside the Liberal Democrats the Greens. The SNP were also now on

board. The No campaign was relatively low-key by comparison. In

September 1997, Scotland went to the polls. The result exceeded all my

expectations. It ends much argument and dispute. This time, support for

devolution was huge, with almost 75% of voters in favour of a Parliament,

and many in favour of taxation powers. The first elections took

place in 1999, and Parliament was opened by the Queen the same year.

Fast forward 15 years, and this referendum campaign is at its final

point, and we are getting ready to report how you voted. Whichever way

the result goes, this is another historic moment, so what happens

next? Well, that is something for Scotland to decide when it goes to

the polls next week. Let's go back to

our current referendum correspondent Laura Bicker,

who's in Elgin for us tonight. One of the things that has made this

referendum so special is the fact that so many people have got

involved, people who have never been involved in politics before, and all

of those town hall meetings being held around the country. My

colleague came here to Elgin to speak to some business women. I am

climbing the corporate ladder this evening to sample the mood of the

business women here who have gathered in the boardroom for some

debate. I couldn't watch the last debate. You couldn't hear one

speaking for the other. It completely put me off. They are not

engaging you as a businesswoman to make the right decision, because

they are too busy point-scoring? Scotland's economic future is rarely

off the agenda. This group's regular gatherings focus on it. Some are

still looking for answers. I am undecided. But I think if we don't

try it we will never know, but I am scared. The stories I am hearing

about people moving their bank accounts south of the border

already, scared about a yes vote. I fundamentally agree. Policies could

change depending on how the photos. There will be a big transitional

period which will affect everybody, but if you don't do it you will

never know. The deliberations spill over into dinner, whether is a lot

to consider and digests. There are bigger things happening in

Scotland... Reaching a decision which is good for both their

business and their home life is particularly hard for some members

of this group. Many are military wives and partners of the local

servicemen, and the differing defence policies of the Yes campaign

and No campaign leave them torn. I am worried about what will happen to

the military. That is a scary thing to think about, that we could have a

double army, after just recovering from the recession.

Women are being targeted by both sides. But many here remain

undecided. We have attracted something of a crowd in Elgin. I am

then to speak to two mothers who take time out to campaign, and I am

not sure where you find the time. You have never been involved in

politics before and you have got involved in this campaign. What

inspired you to come forward and start campaigning? I have got three

young children myself. When I first started looking at the campaign, I

thought I would look into it a bit deeper because it is about the

future of my children. I found a passion, I found my beliefs of how

we would be able to make a positive future for my children in an

independent Scotland, with our future being forged by ourselves.

Your kids go to school together but you have different views. You come

to the campaign from a different angle. About one year ago, it is

something I am passionate about, to keep Scotland as part of the UK. I

want what is best for my children and their future. I am thinking in

terms of that as well. On the doorsteps, what are they saying to

you? We are getting a positive response. We hear both sides of the

argument. So many people are involved in it. That itself is very

encouraging. OK, there are risks, what also great rewards for it. We

want to make a positive future for our children, and we know that we

have to move forward on it. People around us are enjoying the fact that

the TV cameras have come to town. How have you found the campaign, has

it been quite difficult? We know that this is an SNP stronghold. But

going around the doors, we see some houses that are not have stickers up

but they are strong no voters. We have had a good response. I think

there is a bit of intimidation there, people feel they do not want

to speak out. But people say that this is now the time for me to speak

up, and I want to be part of the UK. Some people have mentioned

intimidation from the Yes campaign. One woman today told me that she had

been not invited to a wedding. Can you say anything to reassure people

from the Yes campaign site? We must remember we all have to live

together at the end of the day and everyone is entitled to their own

opinion and everyone is coming at it from a different angle. You have to

look at both sides of the campaign, what is better for you, but I and a

lot of people I have spoken to feel that having the power to make our

future ourselves and make changes to the country, that we think would

suit Scotland more, is a positive way forward. Thank you both for

joining me tonight. You can get that now to put the kids to bed. One of

the things you heard, both sides of the argument, quite a lively town

centre in Elgin tonight, as the referendum campaign enters its final

few days. All this week we have been taking a detailed look at how

independence might affect important parts of Scottish life. Tonight we

will look at the possible impact on education. Jamie McIvor can explain.

How would independence affect education? There would be no direct

effect on schools and colleges. There could be a big effect on

universities. There are two major issues, with big implications for

students and universities. Student tuition fees and research funding.

Let's look at Jewish and these first. With students from England,

Wales and Northern Ireland have to be given free tuition to meet

European rules? Potentially at a huge cost and maybe even squeezing

out Scottish students? These students all attend Glasgow

University. Lyle is Scottish and gets free tuition. Dominique ez from

Lithuania and also gets free tuition. I get my tuition fees paid

by the Scottish government. But I have to work to earn money to live

here because I cannot get the student grant. Carroll has not

travelled so far, he's from Wales. He has to pay substantial tuition

fees. With the middle ground being Welsh I pay only 3700 go to

university from within the UK, but I have English friends who pay an

awful lot more. I'm still not fortunate enough to get free Jewish

like my Scottish and European Union counterparts. Students from England

and Northern Ireland pay up to ?9,000 to study in Scotland, but

European law enables Domenikya to be treated the same way as Scottish

students. With this arrangement still be legal if Scotland became an

independent country? A separate state to England, Wales and Northern

Ireland? Supporters of the unions say that an independent Scotland

would not be allowed to maintain the current system, a claim that

Scottish students of the future that they could lose out. There is a

limit to the total number of races and that would mean that the present

numbers, one in three Scots who would otherwise get into university

would no longer get the place. Independent supporters believe that

those fears are misplaced. In Germany and Ireland in particular

where concepts of residency at that as a patient qualify for the type of

exemption Scotland seeks. If the SNP forms an independent government it

will seek to maintain the current setup. Some legal challenge seems

almost inevitable, and it could take years for Europe to reach a final

decision. So the students will graduate before the final legal

position on tuition fees is absolutely clear. This is an issue

that could double away from years. There will be immediate issue, with

the tax payers money that universities receive for research.

Some of that comes from UK having wide funding bodies. The Scottish

government wants that a continuous. When putting as fair share into the

cash pot. Opponents fear that this would not work out and that there

could be less research money. So there are two major issues to mull

over, and it is for voters to decide which case is the more compelling,

next Thursday. Whiskey is the nation's second-biggest export.

Forecasts only show growth. Its importance shows that it is an

industry with a big role in the independence debate on the Isle of

Arran there is a small distillery making a big pack around the world.

Half a million leaders of whisky are made every year, and the prediction

-- production has been skyrocketing along with demand in the last couple

of years. That has been replicated across the industry. The industry

seems to be getting its sales and marketing right. The big companies

are very good at sales and marketing and smaller companies like ours can

follow in their footsteps. We can see the casks sitting in your

warehouse for 18 years. This is an industry that is used to planning

ahead. But things could be about to change after next week. Everyone is

waiting to see what the result is. Everybody will deal with it from

that point on. Other companies are more explicit about their fears on

how independence would impact the industry. I do not think that the

whisky industry is different from others and can say that we will have

two or three years of not being sure what is going on on a whim and on a

prayer, on the tick of a box. All of that support will go. That is a

worrying thing. The whiskey industry pays in around ?1 billion per year

in taxes to the UK Exchequer, which is a significant part of the UK tax

take and would be even more important to an independent

Scotland. Whatever the concerns of the industry, there is no talk of

distilleries relocating because to officially classify as Scotch

whiskey, it has to be made here. This industry is linked to the

landscape. Because it is such a lucrative industry, both the UK and

Scottish government want to keep whisky within their boundaries. At

the moment the local economy gets the employment of whiskey but

campaigners for independence on Arran hope that whatever taxes are

taking goats directly to an independent Scottish government, and

they think that better decisions would be taken to boost production

of whisky. If they cut corporation tax it'll help every industry, not

just whisky. We are hopeful that that is going to give us a positive

outcome. Whisky is unique to Scotland and Scotland is a famous

country, and this vote has made it even more famous. There is no end of

demand for whisky. I see it as a prosperous industry and it will be

even more prosperous. With production to rise further in the

coming years, the crew one is a golden goose for whatever government

can get their hands on it. -- whisky is a golden goose. Our political

editor, Brian Taylor, is in Edinburgh tonight with the last

weekend of the referendum campaign coming up. Fierce campaigning, no

doubt. What can we expect to see? Deutsche bank has issued a warning

about Scottish independence in fairly blunt terms. Gordon Brown is

likely to refer to that in his speech, arguing that it is another

element in this case that independence would be economically

damaging and the No campaign will be addressing that point as they

campaigned throughout the weekend. The yes camp have finished a

whistlestop tour of the seven cities of Scotland. They are putting up

thousands of activists and millions of leaflets around the streets and

doorsteps of Scotland. They will be arguing that Scotland is wealthy

already and potentially could grow that economy, using the skills and

talents of the people. Two perspectives of the future in

Scotland, either in the union or outside of it. What is your

assessment of where we stand tonight? It is extremely tight. It

would appear from the opinion polls. It would appear so, from what you

hear on the street and the anecdotes and a chat and the gossip. People

are hugely engaged in a campaign. I think large numb as people still

making their minds up. The opinion polls and I'd suggest there are as

many as 17% undecided. This is going to go to the wire. I will be back

with the headlines at eight o'clock and the late bulletin just after the

ten o'clock news. Until then, from the team across the country, good

evening.