:00:08. > :00:09.Good evening. news where you are.
:00:10. > :00:13.Raising income tax in Scotland could reduce the impact of spending
:00:14. > :00:16.cuts and would weigh most heavily on higher earners.
:00:17. > :00:19.That's according to an independent report.
:00:20. > :00:22.Both Labour and the Lib Dems have called for a tax rise in April,
:00:23. > :00:24.when new powers are handed to Holyrood.
:00:25. > :00:27.But the SNP says that raising taxes now would cause pain to many
:00:28. > :00:32.Here's our business correspondent, David Henderson.
:00:33. > :00:36.Hospitals, schools, rubbish bin collections and road repairs,
:00:37. > :00:43.Together they cost billions of pounds each year.
:00:44. > :00:49.Budget cuts mean they are now facing a squeeze.
:00:50. > :00:52.So, should the Scottish Parliament use its powers to raise income tax
:00:53. > :00:59.Labour and the Lib Dems say yes, it should, to protect public services.
:01:00. > :01:09.This proposal is progressive in the sense that it leads higher
:01:10. > :01:13.income tax households to pay more tax and the majority of low income
:01:14. > :01:18.That is largely because they do not earn enough to pay tax
:01:19. > :01:20.There shall be a Scottish parliament.
:01:21. > :01:27.It is more than 15 years since power was devolved to Scotland.
:01:28. > :01:30.We have had five first ministers and none of them have chosen
:01:31. > :01:41.For now, Nicola Sturgeon is not convinced, but her
:01:42. > :01:45.John Swinney is proposing hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts
:01:46. > :01:47.on schools and vital public services.
:01:48. > :01:49.We have a choice with the powers of our Parliament to choose
:01:50. > :01:52.a different course from Tory austerity.
:01:53. > :01:54.Faced with that choice, I would sooner use the powers
:01:55. > :02:01.of the parliament than to pass austerity to the next generation.
:02:02. > :02:03.The support from the Federation of Small Businesses,
:02:04. > :02:08.to the Scottish Trade Union Congress, they say we should not put
:02:09. > :02:12.up taxes because wage earners in Scotland have had below inflation
:02:13. > :02:16.wage rises for a number of years and this is not the time to hit them
:02:17. > :02:21.In the next few years, Holyrood is set to gain more powers,
:02:22. > :02:23.to vary income tax bands and tax rates.
:02:24. > :02:30.Today's report warns that if in future years tax hikes
:02:31. > :02:33.are to make a big impact on public spending, then Scotland cannot rely
:02:34. > :02:48.So basic rate taxpayers would have to pay more.
:02:49. > :02:51.Labour has ranked its candidates to fight for regional list seats
:02:52. > :02:58.A vote by party members has rejected many serving MSPs in favour
:02:59. > :03:01.of new talent - and the former MP and deputy leader of the Scottish
:03:02. > :03:07.He tops the list for Glasgow, above his former boss,
:03:08. > :03:13.Many of the serving MSPs who've lost out in these rankings supported
:03:14. > :03:15.Ken McIntosh in his unsuccessful leadership contest with Kezia
:03:16. > :03:21.Two people have been injured after a motorbike stunt at the SSE
:03:22. > :03:27.It happened as the bike with four people on board tried to get
:03:28. > :03:31.Initially it was thought that two members of the audience had been
:03:32. > :03:34.involved, but later it turned out they were members of the stunt crew.
:03:35. > :03:42.This is a multi passenger motorbike backflip, performed by members
:03:43. > :03:48.Last night, they attempted the same stunt in Glasgow's SSE Hydro arena,
:03:49. > :04:04.Members of the crew rushed to help, as the host explained what happened.
:04:05. > :04:13.Two of the spectators were Stephen and his son,
:04:14. > :04:16.Nixon, who captured the incident on video.
:04:17. > :04:25.If you are going to come off a motorbike on a three foot ramp
:04:26. > :04:28.yourself, there's not much chance of balancing.
:04:29. > :04:34.With four people, you are guaranteed to go off the side.
:04:35. > :04:36.The passengers were initially thought to be spectators
:04:37. > :04:39.but it is understood they were part of the act.
:04:40. > :04:42.Two were taken to hospital, one with bruising and the other
:04:43. > :04:45.a broken jaw, but are expected to make a full recovery.
:04:46. > :04:50.In a statement, the circus said it considered health and safety its top
:04:51. > :04:53.priority and has expert medical staff on site in the event
:04:54. > :05:12.It's one of the biggest nights in American sport and this weekend
:05:13. > :05:14.the people of Arbroath will be taking a special interest
:05:15. > :05:18.Graham Gano - one of the rising stars of American football -
:05:19. > :05:20.is a kicker for the Carolina Panthers.
:05:21. > :05:22.He spent his early years living near the Angus town.
:05:23. > :05:31.This is where they usually watch their football in Arbroath,
:05:32. > :05:39.This is the slightly bigger stadium they will have their eyes
:05:40. > :05:43.The man holding the Arbroath top is the reason why.
:05:44. > :05:53.Now, along with the rest of his team, he is getting ready
:05:54. > :05:55.for one of the biggest nights of his sporting life.
:05:56. > :05:57.6,000 miles away, back home in Scotland, family
:05:58. > :06:04.I am excited for my family over there, and my mum in Florida,
:06:05. > :06:07.my sister, uncles, cousins and my niece.
:06:08. > :06:11.It is nice to have family back home cheering for me.
:06:12. > :06:14.Arbroath might have been his home for a few early years
:06:15. > :06:16.but his success in American football has not gone unnoticed
:06:17. > :06:23.There will be some bleary eyes on Monday morning
:06:24. > :06:26.because they will be cheering him on.
:06:27. > :06:29.What an inspiration for youngsters in the town and the rest
:06:30. > :06:33.More support from Coldplay, the Super Bowl's half-time
:06:34. > :06:39.Our bass player is Scottish so we feel a certain affinity
:06:40. > :06:49.Scottish football has sent its own good luck messages.
:06:50. > :06:51.My dream was to play for the Scottish national
:06:52. > :07:00.If the Carolina Panthers win on Sunday night,
:07:01. > :07:03.he says he will come back to Arbroath, where he grew up
:07:04. > :07:07.He wants to take tea with the Provost.
:07:08. > :07:10.There might not be a ticker tape parade, but he is assured
:07:11. > :07:23.The former Scotland full-back and captain Gavin Hastings says
:07:24. > :07:25.Scotland must target at least two wins for this year's RBS
:07:26. > :07:29.The Scots failed to win a single game last year.
:07:30. > :07:40.Vern Cotter's men meet England at Murrayfield tomorrow and Hastings
:07:41. > :07:46.What will constitute success as Scotland playing very well and being
:07:47. > :07:52.competitive. They have got to get over the line on at least two out of
:07:53. > :07:56.five locations. It is not inconceivable that we could win a
:07:57. > :08:01.two home matches against England and France and if we do that we can take
:08:02. > :08:06.a lot of confidence in the away games as well. First things first. C
:08:07. > :08:07.if we can take care of England on Saturday and we will build from
:08:08. > :08:17.there. Here is the weather. And unsettled
:08:18. > :08:21.weekend of weather on the cards. Tonight across Scotland it turns
:08:22. > :08:28.mostly dry. A few showers in the West. Icy patches on untreated
:08:29. > :08:36.roads. Tomorrow with this area of low pressure, that will upset the
:08:37. > :08:41.weather, across the far south of the UK bringing strong winds and rain.
:08:42. > :08:46.Tomorrow morning in Eastern Scotland we will have the risk of ice on
:08:47. > :08:52.untreated roads and services. The best of the weather will be found
:08:53. > :08:56.across the north and East. It turns cloudy as we go through the day with
:08:57. > :09:04.out pics of rain. That's rain persisted across the far south. From
:09:05. > :09:12.Argyll towards the southern highlands, Angus, Aberdeen Shire,
:09:13. > :09:19.rain and snow on the hills. Dry weather across the far north. So
:09:20. > :09:25.south-easterly winds. Across the rest of the UK tomorrow a lot of
:09:26. > :09:29.cloud and a lot of rain. More especially across Somerset and
:09:30. > :09:34.Devon. Up to 70 millimetres of rain here bringing hazardous driving
:09:35. > :09:46.conditions and potential for localised flooding. Strong winds
:09:47. > :09:52.across the far south. 60 mph. For Scotland in the evening further
:09:53. > :09:55.outbreaks of rain. Showers or longer spells of rain on Sunday with the
:09:56. > :09:58.base of the weather in the north-east.