:00:09. > :00:12.Nicola Sturgeon has called the decision of Muirfield Golf Club
:00:13. > :00:15.to reject women as members "indefensible".
:00:16. > :00:18.A vote at the East Lothian club failed to achieve the two-thirds
:00:19. > :00:21.majority of members required to allow women to join.
:00:22. > :00:24.The club has been barred from hosting the Open Championship
:00:25. > :00:33.Muirfield, the oldest recorded golf club in the world.
:00:34. > :00:37.Responsible for the original rules, it is a change to the rule
:00:38. > :00:40.on membership which has concentrated the minds on the club.
:00:41. > :00:44.Women can only play here as guests or visitors.
:00:45. > :00:47.To allow them to become members needed a two thirds majority.
:00:48. > :01:06.Most members voted for change but that still was not enough.
:01:07. > :01:08.I'm disappointed, the committee and I recommended
:01:09. > :01:12.in favour of admission of women, but we respect the views
:01:13. > :01:14.of the members and I'm delighted we have had a high turnout.
:01:15. > :01:17.The captain was hardly back in the clubhouse before a statement
:01:18. > :01:24.was issued by those that run the Open.
:01:25. > :01:27.The First Minister believes that Muirfield has missed the chance not
:01:28. > :01:31.just of hosting the championship, but to do the right thing.
:01:32. > :01:36.They are a private club, in charge of their own rules
:01:37. > :01:42.Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life, politics, the law,
:01:43. > :01:49.This decision is wrong and I hope there is a way of
:01:50. > :01:56.The Prime Minister David Cameron chipped in today, criticising
:01:57. > :01:58.Muirfield as outdated, and one mile down the road
:01:59. > :02:01.from the Muirfield Club, golfers agreed.
:02:02. > :02:07.Given that the R have female members, Augusta, Augusta National,
:02:08. > :02:35.I agree with everything that she says. I think it's ridiculous. It is
:02:36. > :02:36.a decision that is more than just golf.
:02:37. > :02:38.When the Open was last at Muirfield in 2013,
:02:39. > :02:40.it was estimated to be worth ?70 million to East Lothian.
:02:41. > :02:43.The loss of the Open is a big disappointment for local business.
:02:44. > :02:48.Not just the competition, it is the run-up to it.
:02:49. > :02:49.We have two months of business beforehand,
:02:50. > :02:51.we use that for planning things, and afterwards.
:02:52. > :02:53.It is a loss of three months' business.
:02:54. > :02:55.Muirfield is the most prestigious of clubs.
:02:56. > :02:59.Of more than 600 clubs in Scotland, it is one of 20 who are all men.
:03:00. > :03:07.The ferry operator Cal Mac has seen off competition from a private
:03:08. > :03:12.sector rival and won a ?900 million contract to provide Clyde
:03:13. > :03:15.and Hebridean ferry services for up to eight years.
:03:16. > :03:18.The Scottish Government faced criticism after announcing
:03:19. > :03:21.that private companies would have the chance to bid.
:03:22. > :03:24.But its decision to award the routes to Cal Mac has been welcomed
:03:25. > :03:30.Our transport correspondent, David Miller, reports.
:03:31. > :03:36.Up and down the West Coast, ferries bearing the distinctive black,
:03:37. > :03:40.white and red livery have been providing lifeline services
:03:41. > :03:46.for so long that they are almost regarded as part of the scenery.
:03:47. > :03:49.We now know that will not change any time soon,
:03:50. > :03:58.good news, we are told, for staff and passengers.
:03:59. > :04:00.what we can invest in, now that is eight years,
:04:01. > :04:03.proper development, investment, enhancements.
:04:04. > :04:06.In the last four years we have brought in four
:04:07. > :04:10.In the next two years, we will bring on four new vessels,
:04:11. > :04:20.That is a fantastic opportunity, the next eight
:04:21. > :04:29.Most islanders enjoyed giving them a kicking from time to time.
:04:30. > :04:34.I think that one of the things that we have seen personally,
:04:35. > :04:37.this brought up, was the fact that Cal Mac is very much embedded,
:04:38. > :04:46.as the First Minister has said, into the fabric of Scotland.
:04:47. > :04:49.We need new ferries, they need back-up.
:04:50. > :04:53.in the middle of summer, totally used, that
:04:54. > :05:10.I think Cal Mac do a good job and it is a great thing that they have got
:05:11. > :05:12.it back. I am very pleased. Meanwhile, Cal Mac workers
:05:13. > :05:14.and politicians attending this long planned demonstration at Holyrood
:05:15. > :05:28.found themselves I'm delighted for our members who
:05:29. > :05:32.work on this service, the island communities and the Scottish
:05:33. > :05:40.taxpayer, who will continue to subsidise lead line ferry services,
:05:41. > :05:42.as opposed to staff in the pockets of shareholders.
:05:43. > :05:45.The rival bidder already operates North Link ferries to Auckland,
:05:46. > :05:48.and in a statement it said that its tender had been
:05:49. > :05:49.deemed to be noncompliant, stressed its bid had offered
:05:50. > :05:51.significant improvements to quality and reliability,
:05:52. > :05:53.and argued efficiency improvements now promised by Cal Mac
:05:54. > :05:58.underlined the benefits of competitive tendering.
:05:59. > :06:02.After months of uncertainty, months of anxiety, a decision
:06:03. > :06:07.Cal Mac workers and the island communities which depend
:06:08. > :06:17.upon them, will be hoping for calmer waters ahead.
:06:18. > :06:19.The farmers' union has called on the Scottish Government to "get
:06:20. > :06:22.to grips" with what it calls a calamitous attempt to reform
:06:23. > :06:26.The spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, has raised serious
:06:27. > :06:29.concerns about a new IT programme, which is millions of pounds over
:06:30. > :06:43.Here's our business correspondent David Henderson.
:06:44. > :06:52.In the past, Scotland's farmers used to apply for subsidies billing out
:06:53. > :07:01.bits of paper. Now it is done through a computer by a Scottish
:07:02. > :07:06.Government scheme called CAP Futures. But it has costs by more
:07:07. > :07:12.than was originally planned. It has spiralled up to ?178 million and
:07:13. > :07:13.Audit Scotland says the new system has seen multiple failures in the
:07:14. > :07:15.way it has been managed. Farmers the length and breadth
:07:16. > :07:17.of Scotland, from Nairn to Lockerbie, have
:07:18. > :07:19.had a difficult year. a mainstay of most farms, have been
:07:20. > :07:24.delayed because of problems If you are used to being paid
:07:25. > :07:32.in December and do not get it until January, February,
:07:33. > :07:34.in some cases even May, If farmers do not get paid,
:07:35. > :07:45.the whole supply chain Fences do not get sorted,
:07:46. > :07:49.outside work does not happen, the whole infrastructure
:07:50. > :07:50.of the rural community At this office in Edinburgh,
:07:51. > :07:55.the Scottish Government has been developing a computer system
:07:56. > :08:00.to process those farm payments. More than 18 months ago,
:08:01. > :08:02.this man said it began I sent an e-mail immediately
:08:03. > :08:12.to Nicola Sturgeon and the Agriculture Minister,
:08:13. > :08:14.to say, are you aware workers were being laid off
:08:15. > :08:25.for no apparent reason, he says that when he
:08:26. > :08:27.blew the whistle, some inside the programme team
:08:28. > :08:35.were not impressed. The main thing I received at that
:08:36. > :08:39.point was pressure to shut up. They wanted this silent,
:08:40. > :08:41.they wanted me to be put Among the issues he says he raised
:08:42. > :08:46.were concerns about a conflict of interest involving
:08:47. > :08:51.a contract on the programme. Dominic became the delivery
:08:52. > :08:53.director with a major role in recruiting staff,
:08:54. > :08:55.but he also supplied workers to the project
:08:56. > :09:00.through his own company. Accounts seen by the BBC
:09:01. > :09:02.show his firm's assets have soared in value,
:09:03. > :09:10.by ?3 million, in just a year. It is always important when public
:09:11. > :09:13.money is involved, that the highest standards are maintained,
:09:14. > :09:14.and conflict-of-interests were not strong enough to make sure
:09:15. > :09:23.the person could not influence In response, the Scottish Government
:09:24. > :09:33.says it has focused on putting the system right, preventing similar
:09:34. > :09:36.mistakes in the future. What the Audit Scotland report
:09:37. > :09:38.identifies is a potential flaw conflict-of-interest, but it is not
:09:39. > :09:47.a requirement on contracts. We have got to explore
:09:48. > :09:49.whether in procurement rules and legislation we can
:09:50. > :09:55.apply that to contracts. So that is the future, but for now,
:09:56. > :09:59.Police Scotland are investigating what went wrong, and a crucial
:10:00. > :10:06.deadline is looming. The new payment system has to be
:10:07. > :10:09.working by the end of June. If, by then, it still fails
:10:10. > :10:12.to meet standards set by the European Commission,
:10:13. > :10:14.then the Scottish government could face an eye-watering penalty,
:10:15. > :10:16.of up to ?125 million. The best friend of one of the women
:10:17. > :10:27.accused of murdering Liam Fee has told a court that she had no problem
:10:28. > :10:30.with Nyomi Fee looking after her own son, before
:10:31. > :10:34.and after the toddler's death. Lindsey Snaith wept in the witness
:10:35. > :10:37.box as she described a phone call from Nyomi Fee,
:10:38. > :10:41.telling her that Liam was dead. She said Nyomi had told her that one
:10:42. > :10:44.of the boys had harmed him and it Nyomi and Rachel Fee deny
:10:45. > :10:50.murdering two-year-old Liam, and abusing two other
:10:51. > :10:52.boys in their care. Football now and a stoppage-time
:10:53. > :10:59.goal gave Falkirk a priceless first leg lead over Kilmarnock
:11:00. > :11:01.in the Premiership Will Vaulks picked up a cutback
:11:02. > :11:07.after a free kick to slot the ball into the visitors' net with just
:11:08. > :11:09.seconds of play remaining. Now let's hear the forecast for
:11:10. > :11:27.tonignt and tomorrow, from Kawser. Good evening to you all. Quite a
:11:28. > :11:31.cloudy night and rain is now across the Northeast and Shetland and will
:11:32. > :11:35.continue to clear as we head through the night. Behind it, some quite
:11:36. > :11:40.heavy showers. Some clear spells, mainly towards my western parts of
:11:41. > :11:43.the country. Some showers that will continue throughout the night and
:11:44. > :11:46.tomorrow morning. Here is that whether found responsible by that
:11:47. > :11:50.cloud and rain clearing off into the north sea and those showers, one or
:11:51. > :11:55.two sharp ones to start the day tomorrow. A good deal of drier and
:11:56. > :11:59.brighter weather and an approving story for tomorrow. Eight o'clock in
:12:00. > :12:04.the morning, there will be some brightness, some sunny spells as
:12:05. > :12:09.well. Temperature rise, quite mild, ten or 11 degrees. The winds are
:12:10. > :12:13.generally light, a bit pressure along the south-east. Temperatures
:12:14. > :12:17.widely maybe ten or 11 degrees. Improving throughout the day. It has
:12:18. > :12:21.been quite cool recently and could reach up to 30 degrees as we had
:12:22. > :12:26.through to the afternoon. For the whole of the UK, it is not a bad day
:12:27. > :12:31.at all. A good deal of sunshine around, especially for Easter in
:12:32. > :12:34.coastal areas. Temperatures are about to 18 degrees in
:12:35. > :12:37.Aberdeenshire, where today we had about eight or 9 degrees. A big
:12:38. > :12:51.difference. The winds will feel quite pleasant. You can see main
:12:52. > :12:55.building across Northern Ireland. Quite a wet night in store for
:12:56. > :13:05.Friday night and into Saturday morning but it will improve for
:13:06. > :13:11.Saturday. Quite happy with the risk of Summerhill, maybe even the odd
:13:12. > :13:15.rumble of thunder. As we had through the rest of the afternoon on Sunday,
:13:16. > :13:18.temperatures still generally in the mid teens and there will be a good
:13:19. > :13:21.deal of dry weather through the south of England as well. Damage is
:13:22. > :13:23.around 18 degrees here. And that's all from
:13:24. > :13:26.Reporting Scotland tonight. There are regular updates
:13:27. > :13:28.during Breakfast, from From everyone on the late team,
:13:29. > :13:31.here in Glasgow and around from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
:13:32. > :13:36.2016. Soak up the atmosphere at the most
:13:37. > :13:39.famous flower show in the world. from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
:13:40. > :13:43.2016.