16/09/2014 Reporting Scotland

The referendum battle over power for the parliament.

The three main Westminster parties make another late offer.

But supporters of independence say it's a "con",

and people should vote Yes to get the powers Scotland needs.

With just a day of campaigning left, I'll be joined in the studio by

I thought it is absolutely clear that we have a common ground here on

new powers, we could get a common ground on a timetable and a common

ground on the principles underlying the United Kingdom.

If we vote no, we haven't controller Scotland right back to the

Westminster attachment, and have deep cross our fingers, hoping for

some crumbs from the Westminster table in the form of a few powers

here or there. With just a day of campaigning left,

I'll be joined in the studio by the First Minister Alex Salmond and

Better Together's Alistair Darling for two extended live interviews.

Also tonight: The NHS in Scotland is facing

a funding gap of more than ?400 million, according to confidential

papers passed to the BBC. We have been speaking to voters in

Glasgow and the West of Scotland, and we allied here at the Briggait

for the last of the BBC debates. Just over 36 hours

until polling stations open, and the referendum battle is about

whether Scotland needs more devolved Supporters of the union say they're

pledging to enhance Holyrood's clout, guaranteeing that MSPs can

protect the NHS by increasing income But advocates

of independence say it's a "con". This from our political editor

Brian Taylor. Turmoil, as a media scrum envelops

the Labour leader in Edinburgh. In Clydebank, his predecessor seeks to

offer clarity. A deal agreed with the Tories and Liberal Democrats to

retain the Barnett Formula, which allocates funding to Scotland. In

addition, it has been made absolutely clear that the Scottish

Parliament has the powers, if it so wishes to use them, to raise the

amount of money spelt on the NHS or any other public service, if they

are prepared to go to the Scottish people and ask them to raise the

revenue to do so. This nail the Scottish National Party lie that

somehow they are powerless to protect the National Health Service.

They have always had the power to do so. They will have enhanced power to

do so later. They've got even more powers to do so in 2016, and so the

future of the NHS and the final allocation of spending to it is in

the hands of the Scottish Parliament.

But, visiting an engineering firm in Renfrew, independence supporters say

the answer is cast iron obvious. Scotland needs full financial

powers, not the latest offer from the union side.

I think most people in Scotland would refer to it as an attempted

con. The only guaranteed way of getting more powers for Scotland,

the powers we need to protect public services, create jobs, make sure we

never again get Tory governments we didn't vote for, is to vote yes,

keep control of the future of this country where it is now, in our own

hands. If we vote no, we've hand control of the future of Scotland

straight back to the Westminster establishment and have to cross our

fingers, hoping for some crumbs from the Westminster table in the form of

a new power here or there. That's not good enough. According to

Nicola Sturgeon, the union plan would potentially leave Hollywood

heavily dependent on income tax, while independence involves a more

varied basket of taxes. Gordon Brown insists it is right to retain

certain taxes at Westminster, to fund UK welfare and shared need.

While giving Scotland added power. And, to help Scotland's struggling

communities, both sides claim their plans would succeed.

Will this pledge of more powers have an impact?

It is something to be assessed by those trying to make their minds up

in the last couple of days. Two questions: Will it happen, and will

it work? On the first question, supporters of independence say the

promise can be made now, but in the event of a No vote, they say the

atmosphere changes, they believe there will be grumbling from

Conservative backbenchers about the idea of giving more powers. They

point out that Wales, for example, doesn't like the Barnett Formula at

all and want it scrapped. In contrast, supporters of the union

say that yes, Wales, for example, wants more money but does not want

to rob Scotland, and secondly, they point out that these are the leaders

of the three big parties at Westminster, Conservative, Labour

and the Liberal Democrats, and therefore this amounts to a

political guarantee that it will happen. On the question of the

impact, again, supporters of independence say even if it

happens, it leaves Scotland potentially very heavily dependent

upon that single tax, income tax. The other side say that is not the

case. Scotland has other taxes already devolved, a variety of

taxation, but they argue that it is right to maintain the UK situation,

the UK position, whereby welfare and benefits etc are shared across the

whole of the UK. Once again, it is a competing couple of offers. There is

no single position. There are two others to the people of Scotland,

and they have to choose. Thank you. The NHS in Scotland is facing

a funding gap of more than ?400 million, according to confidential

papers passed to the BBC. The papers, presented to

a meeting of health board bosses and civil servants, suggest that

radical change will be needed if But the Health Secretary Alex Neil

says the Scottish government has protected the NHS from Tory cuts

and independence would stop it being under threat from Westminster

policies in the future. Our health correspondent

Eleanor Bradford reports. Here in Lanarkshire, the NHS is

piloting the kind of care which could help ease pressure on the NHS.

70-year-old Elizabeth Hadow was ill before Christmas, but did not go to

hospital. Nurses, paramedics and doctors treated her in her own home.

They couldn't do enough for me. They really looked after me. As we all

know, pressure on the NHS is increasing. We're getting older,

demanding the best drugs, the best treatments, and faster than ever.

But this document, compiled by NHS Chief Executive 's and leaked to the

BBC, suggests the NHS is facing serious budget problems over the

next two years, a funding gap totalling 400 to ?450 million. In

the confidential document on NHS bosses say that the status quo is

not an option. It warns that the Scottish Government has made policy

commitments which are not fully funded, and it says the

reconfiguration of services is necessary. In layman 's terms, that

means some units may have to close. Lanarkshire is a fairly small

county, but it has three big hospitals, each with its own

accident and emergency department. It is expensive and hard to staff.

Health bosses wanted to close one of these units years ago, but that

decision was overturned by the SNP with popular support. But if that

kind of hard choice back on the table after the referendum?

Campaigning in Airdrie today, the health minister Alex Neil said not,

and that these were just routine efficiency savings.

I don't access there is a ?400 billion gap. This is some initial

thinking by Chief Executives, looking at the efficiency savings

required, and that is very different from a funding gap. The efficiency

savings up until now have been 3% per year. , we might require 3.5%,

but every penny saved inefficiency goes back into front-line services.

But Jackie Baillie of Labour says this shows cuts are on the way.

What I absolutely hate, and I think the people of Scotland will dislike

as well, ever on the hand, they pretend to want to protect the NHS,

well behind closed doors, in secret, they are planning swingeing

cuts to front-line services. It is that level the hypocrisy that I

think the people of Scotland will reject.

Either way, the language of this document is stark. It comes from the

top, and it is a clear warning that radical action will be necessary to

balance the books, whatever happens on Thursday.

One of the key battle ground in campaign is Glasgow, and tonight,

Radio 1 will be hosting the last debate

It's being held at Glasgow's old fish market, the Briggait,

and our referendum correspondent Laura Bicker is there. Laura.

with a yes, the scene is being set the night. 150 young people but get

a chance to question both sides, but as you mentioned, Glasgow will be so

please when it comes to voting on the 18th. My colleague has spent

time at campaigning with both sides. The Margot Mobil's up-tempo arrival

in pass on that this morning. Here, the Yes campaign say they have

impressive divinity led counselling, and they believe this approach is

serving a well in Glasgow. I think that if the people who have

said they are going to supporters come out and supporters on Thursday,

we will win in Glasgow. I am confident that that will be the

case. What we have to do is, we have to work hard for the next 48 hours

to make sure that we identify all the people out there that our

supporters, and then on Thursday, that we get them out to vote,

because many of these people have registered to vote for the first

time. This dog is part of today Bob Crow

campaign team. But this. 's owner says he is still slithering on

voting yes, or even voting at all. You'll macro I don't think I'm clued

up enough to vote. I think they should have done a lot better before

a day before the boat. I have always voted Labour. But not

this time? No, not this time. We are voting for independence.

I know my kids are all voting Yes, but I am still a No voter. Polling

has suggested that people in poorer areas, which Glasgow has many, are

more likely to vote yes, which is why streets all across this city are

being well trodden by campaigners on both sides of the debate. The No

campaign were back in Bala knack this morning.

This is a tap and close battle, and that is why I have taken this

contest to every area in my constituency. We have spoken to

20,000 voters on the doorstep. This is a once all decision, whether we

going or whether we stay within the United Kingdom with stronger,

devolved powers. It is a huge decision, and I think people

recognise that, and I believe we are heading for a strong positive No

vote on Thursday. Alan Johnson of Labour did not

manage to talk around this voter, however. Not just oil, but there is

a whole wealth of commodities in Scotland to sustain itself. I think

it would be great, come Friday, if we go it alone.

If it is not broke, don't fix it. People just don't know where the

money is. Whether their pensions are going to be paid, what else will

affect them. Is it two days away? I haven't

really thought about it. I haven't voted that much at all.

Clearly, some people already know how they are going to vote, but with

this being a such a crucial area for both the Yes campaign and the No

campaign, that battle for the undecided will keep going right up

until the wire. The final rehearsals are underway

here at the Briggait, as 16 to 24-year-olds will take their seats

in just over an hour. The debate will start at nine o'clock. As I

mentioned, Glasgow is such a crucial area for both sides to win, and one

man who knows Glasgow politics more than any other, Tom Gordon from the

Sunday Herald. If I can speak to you about what both sides need to do, to

persuade people to win here in the West of Scotland.

Well, it has long been said that the road to independence runs through

Glasgow, for a number of reasons. One reason is the number of people

here. One in nine Scottish voters lives in the city. And two other big

groups of people, Labour supporters that the city has always been

loyalty Labour. And also people who don't vote. There are only five

constituencies where turnout was below 40% in the last election, all

in Glasgow. With the Yes campaign can crack Glasgow, convert Labour

supporters and motivate nonvoters, they are probably on to a winning

formula for the rest of Scotland as well.

You have been out on the ground as I have, and one thing that has really

struck me at these so-called missing millions, not only people that they

are signing up to vote, but people who never usually vote. It is an

unknown quantity at this referendum, isn't it?

It is, and both sides are persuading very hard. There are possibly a

quarter of a million of those people in the city, so on the Yes camp,

they are complaining that the this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They wanted to be but that this is different, not like your average

election. You might feel your vote doesn't count, and they are playing

very hard on the fact this is a historic, once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity, from the other side, they are saying this is a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get right. You can't very well

reverse this. This is a very important thing for both sides. They

are both stressing the importance of unique qualities of this contest.

This is an area in which they used to weigh the Labour vote, so what

influence will that have, do you think, on the outcome?

It is a mixed picture. At Westminster, Belize city's MPs are

Labour, but that Holyrood is mixed. In fact, the Holyrood parliament

sees a mixed bag. So Labour know their vote is slipping, they feel,

however, they are still holding onto enough of their core support to be

all right. Over in the Yes campaign, they are eating into that Labour

vote, and they feel that a lot of Labour voters feel betrayed, feeling

they are not the party they used to vote for. That has become too cosy

with big finance and the city, and has forgotten about the basics like

quality and poverty. So both sides are pushing that. Tom Gordon, we

will be watching this contest on the night. We will be back here in just

half an hour's time to give you a bit more here from the Briggait and

look at voters in East Ayrshire. Thank you much.

In a moment, I'll be joined by the leader of Better Together

Alistair Darling, but first, let's see what he's been up to

The key thing is, in this referendum campaign, we had to decide whether

or not we are staying in the UK with a parliament with increased powers

on whether we are leaving with all the risks that come with

independence. Three, two, one...

They blame someone else, and I think the remedy is to go it alone. I

don't agree with that approach. I think the philosophy is wrong. I

want people to vote No Thanks, because I want people to embrace the

opportunities and jobs that depend on us being part of the United

Kingdom, to say No to these risks. You can leave that on there.

Alistair Darling, having a last goal of water. That is allowed. Nice to

have you. A busy day, and an eventful one. A big pledge today,

more powers. Then, a grand gesture. Your opponents say it is too late,

and it smacks of panic. They are bound to have a go at a

policy that they know the majority of people of Scotland want. I think

most people in Scotland want to have a Scottish parliament with

strengthened powers, being able to raise money to put into health

services, for example, and the health service, as we know, is an

issue of key concern to voters in the referendum on especially on a

day when we find out that the Scottish Government is planning to

take ?450 million as of the health service budget, and they were not

going to tell us until after the referendum. We only find out because

someone has leaked documents showing this, so my argument is, you can

have a strong Scottish parliament within the UK that secures funding

for things like the health service, but if it wants to to raise more

money to put into the health service, it can do so, but either

way, it has complete control over the health service. It doesn't

matter what anyone else is doing elsewhere in the UK. In Scotland, it

will be under public control and properly funded.

You say the people of Scotland want it, but even some of your own don't

want it. We've just heard from Eric Joyce, former Labour MP, who

basically said, this will create an independent Scotland in all but

name, and he said it certainly won't wash with English MPs. As you know,

there has been disquiet already from Tories.

I said a majority of people in Scotland, and yes, of course there

are some people who prefer other options. But I do think the majority

of people in Scotland, as we go to the polls in a couple of days, are

faced with a choice between having a secure Scottish parliament, which we

will set up faster, in a more secure way, a better way of proceeding,

then years of uncertainty that would follow trying to negotiate the

break-up of the United Kingdom, never mind the publications with

Europe and so on. But the fact that it has come today

only reinforces the notion that it is such a deal to cut, that it has

taken on this line. In terms of the commitment for more

powers of the Scottish Parliament, they were announced some time ago.

The Barnett Formula has actually been around for 30 odd years. What

is new today is that all three people who can conceivably be the

Prime Minister after the general election next May have said the

Barnett Formula is here to stay, which means that you have got secure

funding. You are saying that you have to get it through Westminster,

and next year, Westminster's eyes will be on looking after what is

happening south of the border and getting their own party into power.

Can we have a general election, where we will choose the government

of the UK for the next four or five years, but people used to say this

before 1997, before the then Labour government legislated to set up the

Scottish Parliament. They said it will never happen, you will never

get it through. Well, we did, and since then, its powers have been

further strengthened. The choice we are making on Thursday is whether or

not we have that stronger Scottish Parliament, with the powers it needs

to make sure that the health service and other services are properly

funded, but at the same time, you are keeping the security of the UK

to get that funding, to make sure pensions are paid without taking the

risks, and there are huge and unquantified risks, unanswered

questions. We said we don't know the answer to them, and I think the

majority of people don't want to take that on when they don't act on

the need to do so. Here we are in just two days before the referendum,

and we still don't know what will happen with jobs, with firms moving

their headquarters south of the border, who will pay pensions, what

will happen in Europe, or what currency will will be using. Those

risks are massive risks to families, to people's standards of

living, and our ability to find things like the health service.

The last time I spoke, I said it was tight, and you said, no, I thought

it would be tight. I went away and thought about that. I thought, did

you think that your campaign would be so flawed that you would let what

was a 20 point lead in the polls whittle away to almost nothing? What

happened? I said it would be tight because the decision that we are

facing on Thursday is not likely general election, where you can give

the government a good kicking if that is what you want. This is a

decision that will decide our future, where we and the generations

to come stand with our neighbours, or whether we decide that we are

going to break away. It is not surprising that when you have a

decision of that magnitude, you get people, even at this late stage, a

surprising number of people who are still slithering between one side or

another. It is not surprisingly get that, and my job, and my

colleagues' jobs in the neck couple of days is to persuade people that

you can get the change you want within the security and strength of

the UK. We could make Scotland stronger, but that we should not go

down the road of entering into a whole lot of risks on jobs, prices,

the weekly shop and so on, that we don't need to take.

Are you saying that that no point in the last few weeks you have

scratched your head and foot, where have we gone wrong? Where has our

lead gone? Is it something we are doing wrong, what are they doing?

I think in the last couple of years, since this campaign started, having

visited places up and down Scotland, having talked to countless numbers

of people, what I know is that people want change and of course,

there are two competing visions of change, and whether or not you

achieve that in a faster, more secure and better way within the UK,

and whether you take a leap into the unknown with a whole bunch of

questions that will affect people's standard of living and the prospect

of their children and grandchildren getting jobs, all those risks which

we know are there, and which the Nationalists now make no attempt to

answer. They say, everyone else is wrong and we are right. You do this

against a backdrop of people who are telling you this, aren't ones who

chose not to tell as they were planning to cut ?450 million from a

health service. If you win, do you think the union

will still be workable after what you've seen, and how close it is?

Yes, I do, because what we are talking about, there's a world of

difference between increased, enhanced powers for the Scottish

parliament within the UK, and breaking up the UK, going our

separate ways, breaking up 300 years of history. There is a world of

difference between the two. Of course the constitution will evolve,

and that is how it should be. When but the key question that we are

facing in a couple of days is whether we are part of that process

of change, whether we can help control their change, remember,

Scotland's influence in the rest of the UK has been far greater than our

population would suggest. We can be influential within the United

Kingdom, rather than being outside begging to get back into a currency

union or something like that. It is far better to ill on the strength

that we have, the confidence we have other nation, being confident in

ourselves and saying Nothing Is to all those risks, but yes, we can

build a better, stronger Scotland within the United Kingdom.

When David Cameron says passionately, a vote to end the

union is forever, this is a selling point for many people.

Did you realise what you were up against? It is a decision we take on

Thursday, and if we decide to leave, it is forever. You can't come

back. And as I say, this is not like an election, where you can say, I do

like the government, I'm going to kick them out for at least the

Millicent and votes in thing else. If this all goes wrong, and imagine

for a moment, suppose Alex Salmond is wrong about the building he has

said, because an awful lot of it is a wish list, a list of assertions

which depend on a lot of other people agreeing with him, and he

doesn't have a plan B for anything, as far as I can see. You have gone

over some of the ground. Yes, but even at this stage, it is

worth reminding people that we don't know the answer to some fundamental

questions, yet we are being asked to take a decision that if we go, is

irrevocable. We are being asked to gamble the future of our children

and our children by Lego children on that. I think it is far better to

get the change we want, building a stronger Scottish parliament so that

we can make sure that we can protect the health service, making sure we

can pay pensions, and create jobs here.

It is critically important. Alistair Darling, thank you for your time.

I'm about to be joined - for Yes - by the First Minister Alex Salmond,

but first, let's have a look at Mr Salmond on the campaign trail.

Nobody sensible believes other than this country, which founded the

science of economic, this country which gave the world so much in so

many areas, dare they say that this country is not capable of running

own affairs? What we are interested in is having

a powerhouse parliament that can create jobs in Scotland, but team

Westminster seem to be concerned about their own jobs. Vote Scotland!

Well, I am now joined by First Minister Alex Salmond. Thank you for

coming in. When I said do it again there, I wasn't being serious! I

don't know, it is all about sponsorship. Now, health, one of the

cornerstones of your campaign. One of the leaked documents today,

cutbacks of ?400 million. That can't have gone down well.

Firstly, there are no cutbacks. The health budget was agreed from

February the 5th next year, before 2015. This shows yet another

increase for next year, and it will be increased in real terms, front

line budget for the following year as well. So they are not cutbacks,

but cost pressures in the health service. Looking at the document, it

actually makes the case that the Yes campaign have been putting forward,

so what are these cost pressures? The vast majority of them, the

pensions, national insurance rebate, is evidence that our health service

will have to pay for Westminster to the Treasury because of changes they

have made in how the health service is funded. We will have to give

money to the western section that, which creates pressures, which will

be dealt with, but how much better would it be if we have the finances

of the health service and Scottish towns, so if they introduce

something like abandoning the national insurance rebate, we would

pay the money to the Scottish exchequer?

The person relate this thinks that's a yes rhetoric is not true. The big

issue is the way that the NHS in Scotland is run by our Scottish

government. The plans for transformational change, this is the

leaked document, treatment thresholds, having a look at that,

stopping procedures with limited clinical effect, reviewing drug

treatments and so on, and so on... I can dismiss all of that because

the plans already announced by the health boards between April and June

this year achieved more cost savings than that paper identified. These

are already public plans that have been published. All the money from

the savings is reinvested in the health budget, which is why it is

increasing in real terms and will continue to do so across next year

and the year after. What I am pointing out is that, if you look at

the vast bulk of these cost pressures, the changes -- they are

changes to pages from Westminster, changes to national children's from

Westminster, the fact that Westminster did not pay nurses 1%

pay rise in England, we did in Scotland. Even when we have a real

terms increase if we do not the overall finances, our health service

has to respond to cost pressures. How much better would it be if we

controlled the finances and the organisation of the health service?

You are in charge of health. If you need any money, you have tax-raising

powers, which you have not used. I will come to that in a second,

this is money that will now be paid from the health service and pensions

and the National jewellers rebate to the Westminster Exchequer because of

changes they have made. It makes the entire point about the health

service we had making through campaign. -- National Insurance.

Let's move on, I had to move on Mr Darling, I have asked you about as

grazing powers. But Michael -- tax-raising powers.

So that we can compensate from cutbacks from Westminster, we end up

paying for the health service twice. If we're going to cut things, cut

guided missiles or the House of Lords or the House of Commons.

Invest that in the health service in Scotland.

They got all the health service, you have to control finance and

administration. That is why it is safe in an independent Scotland and

under pressure as long as we remain under Westminster control.

What will the currency of Scotland B?

We will use the pound. Alistair Darling admitted it.

George Osborne says you are not going to use the pound.

Alistair Darling in the BBC debate said of course you can use the

pound. The interesting thing about that, that was diametrically against

what George Osborne has been saying.

He did qualify it. An unofficial currency link, say you do get to use

some sort of unofficial currency link, do you still want to be part

of the EU? There is no permission involved. We

think there will be a currency union because the mandate of the Scottish

people will be for that and it is in the best interests of Scotland and

the rest of the UK. You said yourself, you do not need

their say-so. You think you would be able to get into the EU?

A common-sense agreement on a common currency is not in any sense on

official. To get into the EU and qualify you need two things, the

institutional monetary Institute and a conduct authority.

We intend to have both of these MPs are part of the proposals were put

forward. You need a bag of last resort or tens of million pounds for

your own bag of last resort. You need a monetary and conduct

authority in of qualification. We will have a common-sense

agreement and the Bank of England will be the shared central bank. Why

did Ollie Wren, who has recently stepped down as European

Commissioner, say it is not possible?

The institutions you require under the rules are the monetary authority

and conduct authority. Why did Professor David Blatchford

described the UK's parties as bluster.

He is a former member of the monetary policy committee.

It was also described as a bluff from a famous economist.

People understand that we are England's meaning trading partner,

the second business -- biggest after the US.

Why would we not have a common-sense agreement on a common currency? Why

did you describe the pound as a millstone around Scotland's neck?

That was around 13 years ago in an interview in Catalonia, if I

remember correctly. Many times I have argued that come in a contest

of putting forward as Michael argued, that in a Kong set --

context of putting forward what is bit for the UK, it makes

common-sense. Four years ago, sterling was sinking

like a stone, you said. It was losing its position...

So we abandon it? That is not a long-term thought process for an

independent state to have. Change the currency if it is not very

strong. Commenting on the way sterling is in

international exchanges is not a policy.

This is about a policy -- opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity, to take Scotland's future into Scotland's hands. We

have had a consistent position on sterling for many years and that has

been put forward in the context of independence. This referendum is not

about the SNP or me or anything I have said or anything anyone else

has said in the past. This is about the people of Scotland at last

having an opportunity to take their future into Scotland's hands.

How many people in Scotland? Past referendums in recent decades on

independence that have been successful at being won by thumping

majorities. I am sure you will agree this will be very close. Is that the

basis for a new country, with such a divided nation?

Edinburgh agreement clause 13, both sides will accept the result and

move forward in the best interests of Scotland and the UK. We are not

aiming for a majority of one, we are trying our hardest, as the underdogs

in this campaign, campaigning hard until 10pm on Thursday night to

secure every possible vote, persuade our fellow citizens that this is the

opportunity to take Scotland's future into Scotland's hands.

Do you group yet -- do you regret at any stage saying there were no

risks? You have batted back every institution as scaremongering, are

there no risks crash at a pub in specific about what I have described

as scaremongering. Companies like supermarkets asked by

the Tory prime ministers if they could make hostile comments about

Scottish independence. I have also acknowledged that for every Asda

Gold into that scaremongering campaign, there are companies like

Tesco and Aldi saying, we are business people and have nothing to

do with that. That is what I have been talking about. In Thames of

challengers, of course we will have challengers come every country does.

The point of independence is having the powers and ability to overcome

these challenges. We will also make mistakes as an independent country.

We will have to overcome these mistakes and take the opportunity to

take our future into our own hands. Thank you very much for joining us,

Alex Salmond. With the polls tightening in in the

last few days, a key battle ground in recent weeks has been the attempt

to gain the support of Scotland's ethnic minorities. I see minorities,

but as our correspondent reports, the Asian community alone accounts

for 100,000 voters. Scotland's Asian population is

growing, around 6% at the last census, up from 4% to ten years

earlier. In Glasgow the proportion is even higher, around 12%. In a

tight referendum campaign, these are significant votes.

With an estimated 100,000 members of the South Asian community in

Scotland, competition to win their votes is keen. It is clear the

issues that divide them are pretty much the same as the issues that

divide everybody else. Glasgow's Central Mosque, the

largest in Scotland, has been a focal point for campaigning in

recent weeks. The Islamic community the at the

mosque has maintained a strict neutrality, but Friday prayers was

an opportunity to meet the leaders of both sides of the debate. No

matter your country of origin, no matter if you have bombarded

Scotland you have come to work in Scotland, -- no matter if you have

been born in Scotland, this issue is as important to you as anyone else.

Scotland is your home, and I hope generations of families continue to

stay. That is why it is important to not make this a protest vote, make a

decision that is best for your family and for Scotland.

The Scots Asians for independence group joked they had even brought

monsoon weather to the campaign trail.

Now the weather has got better, so we are going to peel this back and

now we can sort out all of our leaflets. It did not dampen there

and easy as for a debate they say has fired the imagination of the

Asian community. Scottish Asians are hugely engaged

in this campaign, and they see this as a real opportunity to change the

future for Scotland. As you know, as a community we are very family

oriented and we want to make sure they aren't part of a better

society. I feel as a Scottish Asian myself

there is an onus on us to vote the right way for a country that has

taken us to its heart. And make sure we would positively on the 18th of

September for a better future for all of us. -- make sure we vote.

The referendum debate has proved popular on Glasgow's Asian radio

station. Each week, leading figures have come to the studio was to cut

-- take part in a two-hour long bone in.

-- phone in. Events abroad play a role when it comes to making a

decision. In terms of immigration, I think it is completed it. You have

the SNP suggesting there will be more immigration to Scotland, and

more immigration is required. On the other hand, there are fears and

concerns about whether or not it will make things more difficult

Scotland becomes independent. Will it make things difficult between

Scotland and England in terms of access to England and border

patrols? Researchers are seizing the

opportunity to study how the Asian community votes. They save the

referendum exposes for the first time the way in which they view the

country in which they live. It helps to finance for the first

time as the Scottish full stop we know that ethnic minorities in

Scotland are twice as likely to identify as Scottish as in England.

There is a sense of ownership over the idea of Scotland amongst ethnic

minorities and that could translate to a Yes or No vote, but not

directly. It more broadly feeds into a sense of ownership of the

political terrain. By Lehigh turnout is predicted

across the country, campaigners say it could be particularly heavy in

the areas where Asians predominates, such as Pollokshields in Glasgow,

and that could hold the key in Glasgow.

You're watching an extended Reporting Scotland from the BBC.

We'll be speaking live to the First Minister, Alex Salmond, and to

We hear how the referendum campaign is faring in Ayrshire.

A man charged with murdering his wife

and child said he did not mean to murder 29-year-old Janet Lockhart,

and killed his son so the two year old could be with his mother.

Gary Lockhart told the High Court in Edinburgh today that

at the time killing his son seemed the right thing to do.

Janet Lockhart putt parents left court after hearing Gary Lockhart

admits to murdering their daughter when he came home to -- from a

drunken night out. He admitted killing his two-year-old son hours

later but said it was not murder. The bodies were found at their home

in Bonnyrigg in December last year. Janet Lockhart had been strangled,

Michael had been suffocated. Gary Lockhart told the court he

believes in reincarnation. He said it was this sort will assess that

meet until his son. He wanted him to be with his dead mother, Janet. He

said, when I look back, my thought process was wrong. Michael could

have grown up with his grandparents. He told the court repeatedly he

should not have killed his two-year-old son.

Under cross-examination, Gary Lockhart was told what he did to

Michael was worse because he meant to kill him. He said, I did not want

to kill him, I had a stress reaction, what ever it is called.

Gary Lockhart's family were in court, they heard him say he still

loved his wife and child and would be with them again one day.

The trial continues. Two men have died after a helicopter

crash in the sea of East Yorks. The craft, described as a Jet Ranger

helicopter, is thought to have taken off from West Lothian this morning.

Eyewitnesses said the helicopter, thought to be a private charter,

seemed to be trying to land near the Flamborough head golf course.

Emergency services recovered the bodies of the two men just before

5pm. Four men have appeared at the

High Court in Glasgow charged with attempting to murder two former

leaders of the Loyalist UDA. Anton Duffy, Martin Hughes, Paul

Sands and John Gorman are alleged to have planned to kill Johnny

"Mad Dog" Adair and Sam McCrory. Anton Duffy and John Gorman,

are also alleged to have planned the murder of the former governor

of Barlinnie Prison, Derek McGill, A Highland firefighter has been

jailed for two years after starting two wildfires which destroyed

forestry worth more than ?1 million. Fort William Sheriff Court heard

that David Mackay from Strontian had over 20 years'

service but had been seen in the areas where the fires broke out,

with his movements confirmed by a Scottish Fire and Rescue said Mackay

had let himself, the service In a week of waiting

for big decisions, Scotland will find out on Friday

if Glasgow will be a host city for UEFA's 60th anniversary celebrations

of the European Championships. 13 Host city venues will be chosen

for Euro 2020 and Sir Alex Ferguson believes Hampden and Glasgow will be

a perfect choice after the success If anyone watched the Commonwealth

Games in the summer, that was a perfect example of Glasgow still

having this wonderful atmosphere, and also the friendship. They had a

great slogan throughout the Commonwealth Games, that said people

make Glasgow. They have that great history, they have had six finals

and I think Glasgow can create that again.

This could be a week of making history in Scotland.

The racing industry certainly hope so -

one of the country's top trainers says he hopes to end Scottish

Jim Goldie has two runners in the Ayr Gold Cup

which hasn't been won by a Scottish-trained horse since 1975.

Kheredine Idessane went along to Goldie's yard just outside

Glasgow to find out how preparations are going.

Away from the gallops, it is a bit of a merry-go-round, as preparations

continue for one of British racing's biggest days. Meet the

horses who hope to do what no Scottish horse has managed in nearly

40 years. This is one of the stable stars. He

is the only Scottish horse ever to win a stewards cup, which is one of

the big handicaps in England, at Goodwood. He is unique in that. He

is warm bed. I drained his mother and father, born in Scotland, very

much a Scottish horse. He is named after my two grandsons, Jack and

Dexter, so he is very personal to us.

I think even Jack Dexter here knows there is a certain important vote

coming up on Thursday but you have to go back to before the last

independence referendum for the last time a Scottish trained horse won

the Ayr Gold Cup. It was Roman Warrior by image and 75. What chance

Jim Goldie can update that on Saturday? -- in 1975.

It has been a long while since Roman Warrior did it and it would be good

in the referendum here for a Scottish horse to take the win.

So, will it be Yes or No for Jack Dexter or Hawkeyethenoo? We will

find out on Saturday afternoon. The world canoe slalom champion,

David Florence, says he is not going out with a medal in mind

for this years event. The Edinburgh paddler will begin

the defence of He says, of course he would

like to win, but the world number one believes success will come

if he focuses on his performance, My good results have come about not

from going there determined to win this. It is not a head sport, we go

out and do our own run and see how the others have gone. I am trying to

put in the best runs I can on the day, that is all I will aim for and

it is no different to usual. Before I go,

there's commentary tonight on Radio Scotland Sportsound of Rangers

v Inverness CT in the League Cup. One thing that has been calm in

Scotland recently as the weather, surprisingly enough.

What is in store? That will continue, yes, a lot of

dry weather to come this week, though very mixed fortunes in terms

of sunshine. Today we had 20 Celsius in parts of the North West West,

well above the seasonal average. Just 14 Celsius on the East Coast,

where we struggled to shift mist and low cloud. We have been

predominantly dry with some showers cropping up through the day, but we

will lose those quickly tonight, then this band of showers hanging on

over Shetland. Otherwise it will be dry, but like last night mist and

hill fog and low cloud becoming expensive especially around the

North Sea coasts. Temperature wise, around 11 or 12 Celsius for most,

chilly in some parts of the Highlands.

Tomorrow is a great start, warm sunshine breaking through for Dom

frisson began a, parts of South Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Clyde

coasts, -- for Dumfries, we will keep cloud coming through on the

easterly breeze and generally for eastern Scotland a lot of mist and

low cloud hanging on. Temperature is a good 5 degrees down on the Moray

coast on what we saw today. To end the day, some sunshine in the West,

in the East the mist remaining a feature. On Thursday pressures

building, a lot of dry weather to come but still a bit of an easterly

flow. Again, a split to the weather across eastern Scotland, a lot of

mist and low cloud, some outbreaks of patchy drizzle for the

Berwickshire coast. Not a lot of sunshine, the best to the west and

where the sun comes out it will be warm, providing a lot of dry weather

but a good deal of cloud is specially in the east. The best of

the sunshine in the West. At the Briggait arts centre

in Glasgow Radio 1 is hosting the last BBC debate of the campaign,

and Laura Bicker is there. Laura,

in my day it was Radio 1 roadshows, I suppose this reflects the

importance of the youth vote in this referendum?

That is right, they are starting to arrive now for an evening of heated

debate. The number of young people I have spoken to really know this

debate inside and out. Being from Ayrshire, I know that in my home

area have been heated debates around copy tables and in coffee shops.

You do not have to go far to find evidence of the yes campaign in

Kilmarnock. Traditionally it is Labour country, but the Yes campaign

say the vote is moving from No to Yes.

It is a manufacturing time that has been destroyed over the years by

successive policies that have created that. -- manufacturing town.

People in Colmar will voting for hope. They will be voting for a

change. -- people in Kilmarnock. In the local printers, they have

been selling T-shirts for all sides of the debate but more than 90% of

customers have been asking for Yes T-shirts. It is far from a

scientific voters can it really only tells us that Yes voters like

T-shirts, but it does show how committed they are.

If someone is wearing a T-shirt, they get honked, everyone is smiling

and nodding, it is a good feeling. I was undecided until a fortnight

ago, and the thing that gelled with me was that this gives Scotland, the

only part of the UK that gets such a choice, to say we want a fairer

society. The experience in Kilmarnock tells

us the Yes campaign are allowed and proud in Ayrshire, but don't mistake

that for a lack of support for the union. The No voters may be quieter,

but they are less certain of their decision.

Better together campaigners have been knocking on the doors of a

former mining village that struggled with high unemployment and

deprivation since the mines closed. They see a few of the traditional

Labour supporters who live here have been swayed by the Yes campaign.

On the doorsteps, the reasons for voting No vary, but the economy is

high on the list. We have just come through a pretty

bad recession as it is. Working in retail I just see us as starting to

recover, and when you're just starting to get somewhere this is

surely the wrong time to knock it away from underneath us.

I would like a guarantee for my future that I know exactly what is

happening, and going independent, you cannot. There are too many lies

and fighting and there are no actual facts.

They may not all be wearing T-shirts, but you cannot mistake

that for a lack of passion among No campaigners.

I don't truck 's Alex -- trust Alex Salmond, I never have. People who

think they are going to get a left-wing government up here are

misguided and misled. I will keep on canvassing No until I fall down or

until it is over! It is clear both sides here in

Ayrshire have put everything into this campaign, but only one will see

the result they have fought so hard for.

Real passion there in Ayrshire, and I have my two last activists here, I

saved the best for last! Why did you get involved in better

together? This is the biggest issues got one

has phased in over 300 years, really, and it was important to me

that women's voices were part of the process to make sure they were being

heard. I also passionately believe we are better together and I wanted

to make that case. When it comes to your campaign, I

have been there, that is a real hotbed of heated debate in

Castlemilk. There are a lot of Yes supporters. Yes, we are up there

today, Castlemilk may even break away and become its own independent

country after the referendum. There was a lot of enthusiasm, a

carnival atmosphere across Glasgow, but focusing on areas like

Castlemilk. It is key to get the working class vote out and it is

clear to me people in these areas want to see change and a new

Scotland. We have just mentioned the working

class vote. Is that something you have been aiming for on the

doorsteps trying to get people to vote No?

I have been speaking to everyone. This cuts across all classes and

backgrounds. We have been campaigning in Renfrewshire, and I

am confident we are going to come back with no from them.

The big story is that people feel independence will be bad for the

Scottish economy. The big story today is the concerns around the

NHS. It is a big thing across Scotland

generally, but people have been worried sick about it. We have been

hearing stories about the whole Braveheart, you can take our freedom

but not our bedpans, and today we find out there was a secret report

that we are facing half ?1 million worth of cuts? Secrets!

Alex Salmond has answered those claims in the programme this

evening, but I should give you a chance to come back on that. Is the

NHS under threat with independence? The NHS is under threat if we stick

with the UK. It is clear, the UK Government have been watering at the

most to cut Scotland's budget even further. All of our public services

applet if we continue the way we are. What we are hearing from people

on the doors in Castlemilk, when they hear a pledge from Nick Clegg

and the scaremongering in the last few days, it is a massive highlight.

People in cars or milk will not be fooled, people in Glasgow will not

be filled it is their country and they are going to it work.

You do have been chatting together, I have to say, you can see the

passion from U2. What on earth? What on earth are you

going to do next week? This has been your life for so long?

I am going to get a life, spend some time with my children. Hello!

They will not forgive me for that. Maybe my mother, as well, no one has

seen me for a while. What about you? Yes, I will have to go and spend

time with my mum. Also with my partner.

You said you are going to do your own washing? Yes, my own washing and

cooking and cleaning, I promise. We also have Edith Bowman, how are

you feeling about tonight Gretchen Mark I can't wait.

I have been chatting to 16 and 17-year-olds who are incredibly

involved in this whole debate. It is incredible, and that is one thing

everyone can take away from this experience, it has engaged the young

people of Scotland in the future which ever way it goes. It is so

exciting. Are you ready for this debate?

I am terrified! I think that is a good way to be.

Are you going to intervene if it gets heeded?

People know me, I can be pretty bossy, so I just have to get my Fife

bossy ways in there and make sure I am heard.

I am sure you will do just that. We're looking forward to an evening

of debate here at the Briggait, that starts at 9pm and we will be here

for it, live on the BBC News channel, as well.

Lots of choice tonight because at 9pm on BBC One Scotland there is a

change to the said Joel for two special referendum interviews. David

Dibble B will be speaking to Gordon Brown and Alex Salmond.

-- a change to the schedule. A reminder of the news, with 36

hours until the opening of the polling stations, supporters of the

unions have agreed to enhance Holyrood's powers but those in

favour of independence call it a con.

That is reporting Scotland, I will be back with the headlines at 8pm

and the late bulletin is just after the 10pm news. Until then, from

everyone on the team right across the country, enjoy the rest of your

evening. Goodbye.