:00:00. > :00:31.The campaign has started but already taxes showing itself to be a key
:00:32. > :00:35.battles ground. Nicola Sturgeon said the she would not follow the
:00:36. > :00:42.Chancellor's plan. He does our political editor.
:00:43. > :00:47.New tax powers due next year mean that the players not observers. The
:00:48. > :00:52.Chancellor has increased the income threshold at which people start
:00:53. > :00:57.paying the higher rate of tax. That adds up to a tax cut for high
:00:58. > :00:59.earners from next year. Labour says they would reverse that for Scotland
:01:00. > :01:06.and they plan a 1% income increase and they plan a 1% income increase
:01:07. > :01:09.-- income tax increase across-the-board. It would also
:01:10. > :01:17.increase the top tax rate from 45p 50p. When thousands of people are
:01:18. > :01:22.losing their jobs, a tax cut for the better off cannot be a priority.
:01:23. > :01:27.This Parliament should not be a conveyor belt for Claudius
:01:28. > :01:33.territory. The First Minister said she would spell out detailed plans
:01:34. > :01:36.next week, but, questioned repeatedly, she may claim she does
:01:37. > :01:43.not like the Chancellor's tax cut for high earners.
:01:44. > :01:45.A large tax cut for 10%, actually, of the population,
:01:46. > :01:47.those on the highest incomes - at a time when support
:01:48. > :01:51.for the disabled is being cut and at a time when our public
:01:52. > :01:54.services are under pressure - is, in my view, the wrong choice.
:01:55. > :01:58.If I think it is the wrong choice it is not one angle to make myself. She
:01:59. > :02:01.has already said there will be knowing crease in the standard rate
:02:02. > :02:07.because it would be no lies per pupil. She is sceptical about
:02:08. > :02:11.increasing the top rate for Scotland alone, worrying that people might
:02:12. > :02:16.dodge the tax. It looks like she will reverse the Chancellor's
:02:17. > :02:21.increase in the 40p tax threshold. From April you will start paying the
:02:22. > :02:25.40p higher rate of income tax for new and more than ?43,000. The
:02:26. > :02:34.Chancellor has increased that from April next year to ?45,000, a tax
:02:35. > :02:36.cut for higher earners. Limiting the increased inflation would mean only
:02:37. > :02:44.a increase in the threshold, reducing that tax cut. It is about
:02:45. > :02:49.cross-border calculations. The Tories said that Scotland must not
:02:50. > :02:53.display the wrong message. I do not want to see a sign that says there
:02:54. > :02:59.are higher taxes here. I think it is the wrong choice for Scotland. The
:03:00. > :03:04.Liberal Democrats queried how services would be protected
:03:05. > :03:09.otherwise. Having rejected our penny for education proposal, how will the
:03:10. > :03:14.First Minister prevent cuts to education budgets and colleges? The
:03:15. > :03:24.exchanges today confirmed that the Scottish Parliament elections in May
:03:25. > :03:29.will focus on tax. The driver of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow in
:03:30. > :03:34.2014 killing six people has appeared in court charged with dangerous
:03:35. > :03:39.driving and insurance fraud. The 59-year-old man allegedly drove a
:03:40. > :03:44.car dangerously on the 20th of September 2015, knowing he had had
:03:45. > :03:47.two previous medical incidents. He appeared in private this afternoon
:03:48. > :03:50.amid no plea or declaration. He has been released on bail.
:03:51. > :03:56.Tens of thousands of colour shouldn't some lecturers -- tens of
:03:57. > :04:03.thousands of college students had lecturers cancelled today when there
:04:04. > :04:09.was a strike over pay. The members are unhappy with college conditions.
:04:10. > :04:16.Unions say the action has been a long time coming, with its members
:04:17. > :04:20.Just before we came on air, I spoke to our education
:04:21. > :04:24.Across Scotland it has been a deal massive disruption for college
:04:25. > :04:31.shouldn't. Some 4000 lecturers colleges were on strike. What do we
:04:32. > :04:35.want? Equal pay when did we want it? Now. The issue is pay, particularly
:04:36. > :04:46.the discrepancies between different colleges. Out on picket, Susan
:04:47. > :04:51.White. She is a business studies lecturer in one of these disparities
:04:52. > :04:55.dealt with quickly. Every students who achieves an HNC or HND has to
:04:56. > :05:00.achieve the same standards and every lecturer who is involved in the
:05:01. > :05:05.delivery for those students is also having to meet the same standards of
:05:06. > :05:07.performance. Susan White earns about three and a half thousand pounds
:05:08. > :05:08.more than Katrina three and a half thousand pounds
:05:09. > :05:16.are different examples. The three and a half thousand pounds
:05:17. > :05:19.claims that the gap is sometimes more than ?10,000. If you are a
:05:20. > :05:23.nurse she will get paid more than ?10,000. If you are a
:05:24. > :05:28.regardless where you work, if you are policemen you will get paid the
:05:29. > :05:34.same regardless where you work, if you are in the further education
:05:35. > :05:34.sector that does not happen. The organisation that represents
:05:35. > :05:37.colleges is disappointed that the organisation that represents
:05:38. > :05:41.strike went ahead and they said that an agreement could be close. Those
:05:42. > :05:50.differences have built up between local management and local unions.
:05:51. > :05:53.We need to talk about those differences and make sure that this
:05:54. > :05:57.fair pay for doing the same job. Just now we do not have that, we do
:05:58. > :06:00.not have people doing the same job, they have different conditions and
:06:01. > :06:04.pay levels and they do different things were different working hours.
:06:05. > :06:09.The strike is over pay and it will be resolved if there is a deal, but
:06:10. > :06:17.many of the people taking part are keen to highlight other concerns. We
:06:18. > :06:22.have seen college lecturers and people should just. We are seeing
:06:23. > :06:23.anomalies and pay rewards for principles that has fuelled the
:06:24. > :06:31.anger. There is one set of rules for workers and another for college
:06:32. > :06:34.lecturers. Colleges get most of their money from the Scottish
:06:35. > :06:39.Government and lecturers took their concerns to Holyrood. Talks are due
:06:40. > :06:48.tomorrow, but many more strikes are planned.
:06:49. > :06:57.The president of Ghana is visiting Scotland despite of concern about
:06:58. > :06:58.his human rights record. He received plate applause, but some MSPs remain
:06:59. > :07:07.silent. -- plight applause. plate applause, but some MSPs remain
:07:08. > :07:12.The president has come to Hollywood to strengthen economic ties with
:07:13. > :07:16.Scotland. Ghana is more stable and prosperous than many African
:07:17. > :07:21.countries, but it still has a bad human rights record. We want to
:07:22. > :07:27.present some of the specifics around the use of torture and tear gas and
:07:28. > :07:32.high LGBT people are treated and women who are accused of witchcraft.
:07:33. > :07:38.We need to make sure that the world is watching when these issues are
:07:39. > :07:42.happening in other countries. Welcome to the Gallery the president
:07:43. > :07:46.of the Republic of Ghana. There was a plot in the Holyrood Chamber, but
:07:47. > :07:52.some MSPs sat on their hands, including the Labour leader. The
:07:53. > :07:57.Speaker resisted calls for her to raise issues of human rights. What
:07:58. > :08:03.human rights concerns will you raise with the president of Ghana? I will
:08:04. > :08:07.make clear to him the importance of equality and tolerance. These are
:08:08. > :08:11.universal values. The Government later said there was also a specific
:08:12. > :08:17.discussion on the rights of gay people from Ghana, who can be jailed
:08:18. > :08:26.because of their sexuality. What do you say to those who criticise
:08:27. > :08:30.Ghana's human rights record? As a heavy check my credentials, the
:08:31. > :08:37.president addressed MSPs, this was boycotted by the Green Party. The
:08:38. > :08:41.right to rule of law is strong. Having avoided hard questions on
:08:42. > :08:49.human rights, the president has been treated to a lunch of smoked salmon
:08:50. > :08:54.and B. Now in his delegation are heading to Aberdeen to make new
:08:55. > :09:01.business with the aisle and gas industry. The president recognises
:09:02. > :09:07.the skill and expertise that businesses that operate in the North
:09:08. > :09:10.Sea can bring to that market. The president is to be honoured by
:09:11. > :09:13.Aberdeen University and as he heads north he will be hoping to leave
:09:14. > :09:19.human rights controversy behind him at Holyrood.
:09:20. > :09:24.Edinburgh Council has been forced to close the more schools after a
:09:25. > :09:32.structural problem was discovered. The decision to shut the school 's
:09:33. > :09:35.followers a second closure of Ox gangs primary school yesterday.
:09:36. > :09:40.Safety inspections were ordered after the war collapsed they are in
:09:41. > :09:45.the storm in January. All four schools were built ten years ago by
:09:46. > :09:48.the same contractors. The Scotland rugby coach says his
:09:49. > :09:52.focus is solely on winning their final Six Nations match and not on
:09:53. > :09:57.how high his team finishes on the table. The Scots are in Dublin for a
:09:58. > :10:02.match against Ireland. Our reporter is there as well. When
:10:03. > :10:06.else to be on St Patrick's Day but Dublin? For the Scotland players
:10:07. > :10:08.arriving here this afternoon, the Scotland players arriving here this
:10:09. > :10:12.afternoon, they focuses less on revelry and more on the Irish rugby.
:10:13. > :10:18.It will be difficult. Ireland have just come off a winning victory
:10:19. > :10:22.against Italy. They have been preparing for this game. It is
:10:23. > :10:28.against Italy. They have been exciting to be able to have another
:10:29. > :10:35.good opponent in cricket. He makes three changes for the match this
:10:36. > :10:40.weekend. With Ben Russell ruled out, Douglas Weir comes in for his first
:10:41. > :10:48.out of the tournament. I feel very excited about the opportunity. Going
:10:49. > :10:53.to Dublin last year it is a big challenge, but one I'm looking
:10:54. > :10:55.forward to. Scotland can finish second in the championship if
:10:56. > :10:59.results go their way this weekend and it can rise to seventh in the
:11:00. > :11:06.world, but the head coach is not keen to dwell on such thoughts. Just
:11:07. > :11:09.thinking about the game. With less than 40 hours to go until kick-off
:11:10. > :11:14.it is unlikely that the Scotland players will be partying for St
:11:15. > :11:19.Patrick's Day. But when here in Dublin on Saturday and there would
:11:20. > :11:26.be a lot to celebrate. Now the weather. Good evening. It
:11:27. > :11:35.was the warmest day of the year so far. Aberdeen reached 19 Celsius. It
:11:36. > :11:42.was colder along the coast where there was Dublin cloud. The cloud
:11:43. > :11:47.with key today. It did burn off to the central belt but many coastal
:11:48. > :11:50.parts remain stubborn. If you ended the day with clear skies and
:11:51. > :11:54.released the first part of the night will be clear and quite cold, but
:11:55. > :12:01.then look cloud will move on. There will be frost in some places, but
:12:02. > :12:05.there will also be cloud and it will be too cold. Tomorrow it will be a
:12:06. > :12:08.grey and cloudy start with some brightness and the south-west. The
:12:09. > :12:14.central lowlands and the East Coast will be grey and cloudy and cold.
:12:15. > :12:20.The central Highlands may see something brighter to start the day.
:12:21. > :12:25.The far north will have thick cloud with low cloud along the coast and
:12:26. > :12:28.the odd spot of drizzle. Through tomorrow at the cloud will thin and
:12:29. > :12:34.break and it will brighten up, although the sunshine will not be
:12:35. > :12:39.widespread. Across the UK as a whole with high pressure continuing the
:12:40. > :12:43.West is best in terms of sunshine, Wales and the south-west in Northern
:12:44. > :12:47.Ireland and western Scotland will be in double digits with the sun comes
:12:48. > :12:50.out. Where it remains cloudy it will be cold. Into Friday night declared
:12:51. > :12:54.a mystery forms and some drizzle will start to work its way and an
:12:55. > :13:00.across the far north and down the eastern side of the UK. The high
:13:01. > :13:02.pressure is moving westwards. We will start to develop more of a
:13:03. > :13:07.north westerly flow and that will mean more cloud. On Saturday it is
:13:08. > :13:11.grey and cloudy for most of the few spots of drizzle. There will be some
:13:12. > :13:15.drizzle to the south of the hill fog and that is where we like to see
:13:16. > :13:18.things cheering up, but not by much. What pressure will still be with us
:13:19. > :13:22.on Sunday but it will be slowly moving away Livingston weather
:13:23. > :13:27.fronts in the far north with a threat of something wet. That is the
:13:28. > :13:30.forecast. That is Reporting Scotland. From the
:13:31. > :13:32.late team, good night.