20/04/2016 Reporting Scotland

The SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has launched her party's manifesto

for the Holyrood elections, stressing that she's out to win

She said that improved education for all would be the "defining

mission" of her government, if she is returned to power.

But she also intends a new campaign to build support for independence.

This from our political editor Brian Taylor.

They queued as a rock concert. The pre-gig itself is, the programme for

Government. They love the support act. Waiting in the wings, the best.

No, not Springsteen, Sturgeon. To the manifesto, big emphasis of the

early years and support for pensioners. They liked both but from

the soles of their shoes, a yen for independence. What about that second

referendum? I would like that very much. But she went contemplated

unless there is clear majority support or Scotland is taken out of

the EU against popular well. She plans a new campaign to build

backing for independence. This manifesto is about devolved powers.

Among other policies, the manifesto pledges ?750 million extra for

schools, aimed at helping those in more deprived backgrounds. A large

chunk of the money goes directly to school headteachers, effectively

bypassing local authorities. ?2 billion extra for the NHS. There

will be from package for the NHS, particularly me for mental health

care. There's also a ?20 billion for infrastructure to boost economic

growth in Scotland, roads, railways, schools, housing and broadband.

Nicola! They have raised money from council tax. Unlike some rebels,

they have freeze the standard rate paid by all and would increase the

very top rate. Nicola Sturgeon, is personal. This manifesto is

essentially my job application as I asked people to elect me as the

First Minister of Scotland. It is very much a programme for

Government. This election is not a contest for second place, it is not

a game of chance on the electoral system. It is a decision about who

forms the next Government and who is the next First Minister of our

country. I'm asking people on the strength of this manifesto to elect

me to be the First Minister. They promise a fairer welfare system,

including scrapping the bedroom tax. Seeking growth, they would it then

the small business bonus so 100,000 small firms pay nothing in rates.

Finally, on stage, the backing band. Seeking your support.

The state of the economy is always a crucial part of the political

agenda and today new figures were published showing the jobless

total here in Scotland increasing by 20,000 in three months

and remaining at a higher rate than the rest of the UK.

Our business correspondent David Henderson has the details.

This engineering plant is a long way from the north sea but it is still

feeling the impact from the collapse in the price of oil. It makes

high-tech parts for the offshore industry that buyers are saving

their cash so jobs here have been lost. Things have got much tougher

over the last year. We are a fraction of the turnover we have

been doing before, we have lost six people from our workforce, I've had

to make them redundant. Most of our competitors have done the same

thing. The oil industry has been hit hard and that is bad news

re-employment. The latest figures across Scotland showed the number of

people out of work and looking for a job rose by 20,000. Scotland's

unemployment rate is now higher than it is across the UK as a whole.

These problems go beyond the north-east and the offshore

industry, Scotland's manufacturers have had a difficult year with some

of the best-known names facing closure. Gollum's service sector

which employs the most people has barely grown in recent months. You

think this would be concentrated in the oil industry, the figures for

women are worse for those than men. This doesn't augur well going into

the future. So as our big employers face big challenges, what scope is

therefore small-scale job creation? As the offending God today,

entrepreneurs and community groups were talking shop, using old empty

buildings for new ventures and new jobs in uncertain times. This is

happening all the world. Maybe if we actually recognise this and go, we

are looking in on the most volatile economic times. We need to allow the

innovation. This engineering firm is taking up that challenge, looking

for orders beyond the oil industry. The question now, can other Scottish

employers and its workforce do the same?

Well, the employment figures were the hot topic on the election

With a round-up, here again is our

Today, the parties 's role setting out their stalls. The opposition

party thing that the SMB 's economic programme was wrong, that they had

the balance wrong. The SNP do not agree. We can see all of the

International reports about the difficulties that have been exposed.

Odyssey that has an effect on the Scottish economy. We can try to make

measures and initiatives that try to improve the employment prospects of

people within our country. We have managed to stave off closures. It is

a very worrying number of statistics. We must redouble our

efforts to support people have just lost their jobs and that is why the

Labour Party is advocating for a new agency to help people out of work

get into work. It will also support people in work to get on in work.

The increase in high point is deeply concerning. It shows how we aren't

we are on the north sea and how much a Bollywood have been to rely on

that for independence. That is why we really need now to invest in the

skills and the talent of people who live and work in Scotland. That way

we can grow the economy. What we see today, there is a clear difference

now between Scotland and the rest of UK. That will only get wider if we

make some parties want in this election, make Scotland the highest

taxed part of the UK. It will put off the jobs investment and growth

that we need to catch up. We expect the Labour manifesto week today, we

that we need to catch up. We expect got from the polling. The focus was

primarily on the SNP, the launch of got from the polling. The focus was

their manifesto, a big moment in the campaign for any party. From now on,

all the parties, all the parties, have the opportunity to convince

people and persuade. After that, it is make your mind up time is for the

voters. The funeral service has been held

for 15-year-old Paige Doherty who went missing in Clydebank

in West Dunbartonshire last month. A man has been charged

with her murder. Hundreds of mourners gathered

at St Margaret's church in the town and afterwards the teenager's coffin

was taken to the cemetery During the service Paige's mother

paid tribute to her daughter. She had a smile across her face

every day. That is how she should be remembered. She was taken from us in

the most cruel way imaginable. I take comfort in knowing that pages

are now happy place. Keep dancing in the sky

and show heaven A major medical trial is set

to start in Scotland aimed at preventing type one

diabetes in children. If successful, the study

could challenge long-established thinking on what lies

behind the disease. Here's our health correspondent

Eleanor Bradford. Kyle is one of the first

to sign up to a massive trial which wants

to trace every child in Scotland who has

My dad has to take insulin a lot of the time.

And then I saw the poster, then I said, come on, Mum,

He will have a simple blood test to see if he is

If he is at high risk of diabetes, researchers want to

find out whether giving him a common diabetes drug could

stop it from developing, offering the first real hope of a

preventative treatment for childhood diabetes.

It is all based on a new theory about what causes type 1

Until now, it has been thought it is a disorder of the

immune system which attacks cells in the pancreas.

Maybe the immune system is not at the front...

Of the sequence that causes diabetes, maybe

And maybe modern living factors in modern life are

stressing the beta cells and they are sending

certain people with certain genes, it is coming and attacking the beta

Scotland has the third highest incidence of type 1 diabetes in the

If this trial shows drugs can stop it developing, not only will

thousands of cases be prevented, but our understanding of the illness

Football now and Celtic is in the market for a new manager.

Ronny Deila has announced he's standing down at the end

of the season after two years in charge.

Former boss Neil Lennon says he's interested in the job.

I thoroughly enjoyed my four years. The 18 months Appleton as well which

is totally different spectrum of the game. I think I'm far more better

off with the experience of both ends, both clubs. That's five and

half years as a manager now so I have got the experience. I know what

I'm walking in as well. If I were to speed to the board. -- speak.

And one football result tonight in the Championship.

Hibernian moved within three points of second-placed Falkirk

Well, after a lovely day for most of us,

time for the weather from Christopher.

Chile at times but YouTube rural part of the south. Thick cloud as

we're seeing today against the far north. One or two light showers but

most the mainline, getting off to a bright, sunny start the Thursday

morning. The temperatures at eight o'clock, early miss passes well gone

by this point. Thick cloud to start the day to parts of northern

Grampian, over towards the north west and a few light showers. Orkney

and Shetland starting the day sunny and staying that way. As we head to

the cause of Thursday, improving and brightening up against the final.

Also, sunny, the cloud building up more so than did today. Across the

UK a whole, high carb across England and Wales. Temps is for many in

between the mid-teens, including us in Scotland. Always cooler the

further north you are. They're looking ahead towards Friday, low

pressure in the southern approaches. A band of rain towards the

south-west of the UK. It is the high pressure that we are looking at

because it is to thing its way westwards and actually that means we

don't start to see another they will develop. Around the high-pressure,

the winds will drag and those cold winds. Looking at the detail for

Friday, cloudy across the good part of England and Wells. Rain in the

south-west. There will be some showers. Temperatures, five or six

Celsius. We are going to be mid-teens tomorrow. Into the

weekend, the showery theme continues. Best of the sunshine in

the west. One or two showers here as well. Sunday, fairly frequent

showers. Just five or six Celsius in the north. Temperatures up to nine

or 10 Celsius. That is the forecast for now.

It was nice wasn't it? Our next update is during Breakfast

at 6.25 tomorrow morning. But, from everyone

on the late team, goodnight.