09/02/2016 Reporting Scotland

Scotland's local authorities look set to sign up to another

Today marked the deadline for councils to say if they'd accept

the Scottish Government's funding deal.

But many are adamant the Government's terms

are unacceptable and will result in hundreds of millions of pounds

Here's our Local Government Correspondent Jamie McIvor.

it was a high-stakes stand-off and now it looks like the Scottish

Government has one. Every council seemed set to accept the Government

funding deal even though every single council that isn't run by the

SNP claims the deal is simply unacceptable. The difficulty we have

got is that despite increasing statutory duties, increased

pressures that we have got, the Scottish Government have chosen to

pass on what we think is disproportionate cuts to local

government. We would obviously have prepared for cuts in our budget is

because that was flagged up tears but the difficulty we have got the

cuts we have seen have well outweighed what we expected. The big

problem for many councils this year is that budgets are lower than they

had forecast. In Stirling they are contemplating doubling the gust of

music tuition for some children. At Highland staff have been asked to

consider cutting their working hours or taking redundancy. Many councils

across Scotland are going to agree to spend money a little later than

usual this year so they can work out just what to do. This year that it

was a real possibility some councils would put up the council tax but

this rebellion was held. The kind of accumulation of penalties that he

Deputy First Minister has introduced mean it is just too expensive to

think about raising council tax by anything that would be electorally

or publicly acceptable. Labour argues education could suffer but

some cups simply aren't an option. Councils have to maintain the ratio

of teachers to students. Primary school hours can't be cut. The

Government calls the deal challenging but fair. This is a good

deal and it puts funding forward freezing the council tax, delivering

the liver which were social care stuff for increasing, maintaining

teacher pupil numbers and for transforming social care. Those are

good priorities, good policies we hope everyone will sign up to. A

good deal that is worth taking. Serious damage to the service...

Tough choices are never popular so would voters pay more to maintain

services? I'm not sure but I would like to think so. They are really

going to have to get sceptred and just cut services because many

people can't afford tax especially with the bedroom tax and other taxes

that have come into place. We find it a struggle. There are simple

basic economies. Small bits of funds from the budget, is a bit here and

there will add up to a long way and I think they could be more like the

private sector, seeing significant savings in their budget. Ultimately

the Government holds the trump cards with this as badly strained

relations with some councils. Over the next few weeks many of them will

be deciding just how to spend their money.

Andy Murray and his wife Kim have announced the birth of their first

During the recent Australian Open, the British number one said he'd be

on the first plane home if his wife went into labour, but in the end

the baby came only a day or two early, at the weekend.

Aileen Clarke spent the day in Dunblane.

It's a girl. The pink ribbon round Andy Murray's called postbox in

Dunblane said it all today and while the locals hang up the bunting,

Andy's Grande couldn't be more proud when the text arrived announcing the

birth of her first great-grandchild. Though she did have the text back to

check. Oh, the baby must be here. So I'm it is the text it back and said,

what has happened? Sounds fantastic. But let me know. So I got a text

back from Andy to say, sorry, forgot you had an old phone. But baby girl

here and everyone doing well. Absolutely delighted as you can

imagine. It seems a long time since we have been waiting for this, but

all is well now as far as I know, don't have any details, I just know

that I have got a great granddaughter so it is just lovely.

On the High Street, more ribbons were appearing and even full window

displays completed. Just as people here wished the couple well at the

time of their wedding, today they are keen to pass on congratulations

on the arrival of their baby daughter. We had some little girl

things put down stairs and some boy things so it was a case of just

racing out and getting a pink balloon this morning because we had

everything else. The weather has been a bit damp. This has perked

everybody. Part of the Australian Open final, Andy Murray was clearly

desperate to get back to his wife's side in time for the birth. My wife

came, you have been a legend the last two weeks, thank you so much

for your support. I will be on the next flight home. And today some

advice for the new parents from new mums back in Dunblane. Sleep when

you can, it when you can and keep good friends. Enjoy it, maybe that

would be my advice. Hopefully he will peer and see us all. I can't

wait. You forget how small they are, don't you?

A man who murdered his first wife in a staged car accident and tried

to kill his second in a copycat crash has lost a bid

to have his conviction referred back to the High Court.

Malcolm Webster was jailed for a minimum of 30 years

for killing Claire Morris in Aberdeenshire in 1994

and attempting to kill Felicity Drumm in New Zealand

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has confirmed Webster's

application for a review has been refused.

The First Minister has written to David Cameron accusing

the Treasury of trying to systematically cut the Scottish

budget in the negotiations over future funding of the Scottish

The UK Government maintains its funding offer is fair.

Here's our Political Correspondent Glenn Campbell.

Oh, well done. Pancakes are not the only thing worth giving a toss about

this Shrove Tuesday. The big talking point in Scottish politics is the

lack of agreement between the UK and Scottish governments in their talks

over Holyrood's future budget. When Holyrood takes on the extra tax and

welfare powers recommended by the Smith Commission, Smith said there

should be no detriment to either the Scottish Government for the UK

Government. In other words, neither side should be worse off

financially. Some ship forward but ministers in Edinburgh and London

can't seem to agree exactly what those words mean. Over Scotch

pancakes in Edinburgh the First Minister used her monthly news

conference to accuse the Treasury of trying to use extra devolution to

raid Scottish finances. We were promised additional powers, not

additional powers in exchange for an automatic and systematic reduction

in our budget. She's worried that after an nine meetings between the

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney and the Chief Secretary to

the Treasury Greg hands, there is still no sign of a deal. But

following talks in number ten, the Scottish Conservative leader

suggested the Scottish Government might be underplaying the progress

made. I think there is a deal there to be done and I think it is a deal

for both the UK and Scotland. I certainly want to see the powers

come to Scotland, I would be very disappointed at the SNB used the

grief and started to walk away from these talks. The Scottish Government

says it stands to lose around ?3 billion over ten years under current

proposals. But UK Government sources say Scottish ministers have to

accept the risks that come with extra tax powers. It's so hard to

know just exactly what is going on because neither party, the Scottish

or UK Government, had been predicted transpired but they take out. I

would urge them to get round the table to make sure that they secured

the deal because we need those powers in Scotland. The SNP have my

support but they cannot walk away from the table. Unless there is a

deal for Holyrood to discuss in the next week or so, MSPs won't have

time to rubber-stamp their new powers before they break for the

election campaign. Polaroid's Vale of Leven factory

is to close with loss of 107 jobs. The company's Italian parent firm,

Safilo, says it's planning A consultation with staff

is underway and the site looks set The plant - which opened in 1965 -

once employed 5000 people. A man's appeared in court

charged with shooting a man near St Helen's Primary School

in Bishopbriggs on the outskirts 55-year-old William Burns,

from Paisley is charged with the attempted murder of Ross

Sherlock. Prosecutors claim he acted

with another and that the incident was aggravated by serious

and organised crime. Mr Burns made no plea or declaration

at Glasgow Sheriff Court Rugby and Scotland captain

Greig Laidlaw says there's been a frank assessment of the players

performance after defeat to England He says they've faced up

to their mistakes and are ready for Saturday's massive

game against Wales. 72 hours on and disappointment still

lingers in the Scotland camp. The captain says review into defeat to

England has been brutal. Yeah, absolutely, we are men enough to

take things on the chin and the boys have reacted well. That's all you

can ask. Ultimately it comes down to what we produce this Saturday, this

is massive for us. If 50-9 loss has generated a number of headlines with

some headlines-consequences. He has a message with the media. I can see

already you guys are writing us off which we'll just keep in-house. We

are one game into German. We will not panic, we will stick together as

players and coaches and we believe we will be fine. And in the frank

talk came tributes to one of modern rugby's gritters. Ireland was like

Paul O'Connell, forced into retirement because of injury. He

knows everyone by name. He is a class act that he is bloody annoying

to play against! That is the template Scotland will be trying to

follow in Cardiff this weekend to get their six Nations championship

back on track. Well, it's over to Gillian Smart now

with the weather outlook for tonight A lot of dry weather to come over

the next few days. Chilly tonight. Bands of showers in play. One

working its way across the Highlands and with it and another across

southern Scotland. Snow for higher ground. Was this a dry by morning.

In the breeze to keep temperatures from falling too far. A frost in

sheltered rural spots taking us into tomorrow. It's a start but they dry

and cloud one for most of us. Still scattered showers for the aisles,

Highlands and Northeast. They risk of ice on untreated services is used

today and a similar story for Northern Ireland, northern England,

much of Wales and western England a dry, bright and crisp start today.

Scattering of showers of East Anglia and the south-east and some heavy,

blustery showers for Devon and Cornwall. They will keep coming

through the course of the day but for most of us the emphasis on a lot

of dry, bright weather, good smells of sunshine, a few showers faltering

in to Galloway and Ravel. The Western Isles as well as the

north-west Highlands. With the North Highlands and the Northern Isles,

showers quite frequent in the afternoon. The Shetland, maybe deal

force winds. Quite bitter here by the end of the day. Generally quite

breezy around the coasts tomorrow. Feeling to. Tomorrow evening wet

weather works South, cold Eric digging in behind it so we will see

those showers turning wintry. Even to low levels for a time. A ridge of

high pressure is building in from the West keeping us settled for

thirsty so again the emphasis on a lot of dry and wet weather. Good

spells of sunshine. A scattering of showers, dotted around the coasts.

Rete for the Northern Isles and the East Coast, lighter winds elsewhere.

Still on the chilly side. Five or six Celsius. Friday, high pressure

to the north, those to the south, we are pulling in an easterly airflow.

Feeling quite chilly. Scattered showers for the north and east. A

lot of dry and wet weather to western Scotland, best of the

sunshine in the north-west. That's the forecast.

Our next update is during Breakfast at 6:25am tomorrow morning.

But from everyone on the late team here in Glasgow and around