02/09/2016 Reporting Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon starts what she's calling a "new conversation"

with the people of Scotland about independence.

Before we start talking, we must listen. Today we launched the first

phase in our new campaign, the biggest listening exercise in our

party's history. If she was listening to people in Scotland, she

would know that the majority do not want to be dragged to another

divisive referendum. We'll be looking at how Brexit has

changed the discussion. A hearing into the social worker,

who's accused of failing the murdered toddler Liam Fee

is told it should find every It's a poor outlook for engineering

companies, as orders slump Transport police in Scotland

are to be armed with Tasers to increase security

on the rail network. And should the Scotland squad be

worried about their defence, Nicola Sturgeon says she's

starting what she's called a "new conversation" on independence

with the people of Scotland. The First Minister says she wants

to reach as many as two million people before the end of November

using face to face canvassing, an online survey and

town hall meetings. But the leader of the Scottish

Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, accused her of ignoring

the priorities of the people in pursuit of her own narrow

nationalist agenda. Here's our political editor,

Brian Taylor. The SNP promised a summer campaign

on independence, but Brexit intervened to change the political

brew, and so it is an autumn intervened to change the political

manoeuvre instead. Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would work to protect

Scotland's European interests within the UK framework, but if that

failed... I believe it is right that our party now leads a new

conversation on independence. Today I want to set out the principles

that will guide that debate. First, it will be a new debate. It will not

be a rerun of 2014. The UK that Scotland voted to stay part of in

2014 has changed. That takes me to the second principle. Before we

start talking, we must listen. If they listen, what might they here?

Madness, absolute madness, financial suicide. Not for me. If it came

again, I would probably say yes. A lot of people might change because

of the outcome last time, because they were promised things that did

not happen. It definitely should be something that awaits perhaps until

we know what Brexit has in store. I don't know why they have to keep

trying to get the vote they want, which is what they did in Ireland,

which was shameful. The First Minister cited two new reasons for

independence. Labour's problems, entrenching the Tories in Downing

Street and the Tories leaving the EU against Scottish opinion. Her rivals

dissent. If she was listening to people, she would know they do not

want to be dragged back to another divisive referendum. People want the

government to do what they well it did to do, improve hospitals and

schools. Keep their eye on the day job, not drag a spectre a

referendum. Nicola Sturgeon has announced a listening exercise and

the majority will have hoped she was listening when the people clearly

said no to independence. She is a very powerful woman with the chance

to go back into Parliament next week and transform lives. She should get

back to that job. The First Minister told me the SNP needed to persuade

and cajole. Scotland is on a journey that will end with independence. I

believe that is the natural state for our country. But I don't believe

we get there simply by the enthusiasm of SNP members, important

though that is. We have to engage with, listen to, understand the

concerns and aspirations of people and answer the hard questions people

have. Nicola Sturgeon says independence might involve

challengers and complexities, and she argues that it would allow

Scotland to take back control. There seems to be more than one

conversation going on here, Brian. Very much so. I listened to the

First Minister today and was struck by how often she married passion for

independence alongside directly following hard pragmatism about the

challenges involved. She said nationalists might say that the

union was responsible for Scotland's economic deficit. She said that

still meant there had to be hard answers on that. She announced a

growth commission, chaired by former MSP Andrew Wilson. Another element

is the business of Brexit being counterbalanced with the

independence far. That is one reason why I think if there is a further

referendum it will not be instant, not in the immediate future, because

I think the SNP will want to see the shape of wrecks it, what it actually

means, and then and only then, if they are still unsatisfied, they

would come to oppose that with their independence offer, if it happens at

all. A hearing into a social worker,

who's alleged to have failed the murdered Fife toddler Liam Fee

and other children, has been told it should find every

charge against her proven. The Scottish Social Services Council

hearing has heard evidence that From the hearing,

Andrew Anderson reports. Panel members have listened to days

of evidence from colleagues of Lesley Bate, one of the child

protection team. She had been asked to investigate concerns over Liam

Fee's welfare. A childminder was worried about injuries, including a

massive bruise to his forehead. The mother claimed he had fallen out of

a cot. The childminder was worried he had been knocked unconscious. The

hearing heard that Lesley Bate excepted the mother's explanation.

It is alleged she failed to follow excepted the mother's explanation.

up on further concerns about an injury to Liam Fee's neck, and there

were no notes about it on council computers. Liam Fee's mother and her

partner are serving life for his murder in March 2014, more than a

year after concerns for his safety were first raised. The hearing was

told Lesley Bate was erratic, disorganised and chaotic and her

failings were not acceptable, and she had left another child at risk

of harm. But the hearing was also told the child protection team was

divided and dysfunctional, that some staff would not speak to others

unless they had to, and that that had had an impact on other cases. It

is not just Liam Fee that Lesley Bate is alleged to have failed. The

charges include 15 other children. The most serious charges are that

she failed to take necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk

of harm to children between December 2011, and August 2000 and 14. The

lawyer for the Scottish social services Council told the panel the

witnesses they had heard from where highly credible and experienced. The

Chargers, he said, were supported by documentary evidence. Lesley Bate

has not attempt -- attended the hearing and has not been

represented. The panel was told you does not admit to any of the

Chargers. The committee will convene at a later date when it will deliver

its findings. Output and exports are down among

Scottish firms, and one in three At the same time, research

into the defence sector shows how employment has dropped,

leaving shipbuilding all the more According to Scottish engineering,

the first waves of an economic tsunami following the vote

to leave the European Union And that's with the slump in the oil

and gas sector already affecting This industry body asks members

if things are up or down, and the gap is a measure of how good

or bad things look. Here's the way they look with output

over the past three years, many more companies down

than up during summer. It's been negative

for more than a year. The weaker pound since June has

helped some tourism firms, but many engineering companies have

seen export orders drop, and costs are up for those raw

materials with prices set They are as bad as we have seen

since the recession in 2009. What we are seeing is that Brexit,

apparently, had a significant effect on the small to medium enterprises

of Scotland. We are not seeing the benefit that is being accrued

elsewhere by the weak pound helping exports. It is maybe that we are on

a slow burn, because our largest market is the rest of the UK, and we

may see a feed through of the improvement that has been seen

elsewhere. Recruitment doesn't look too good

in that survey either. And a study of the defence sector,

out today, shows how employment has dropped, particularly

at the Ministry of Defence. There are 3700 civilian jobs now,

2800 fewer than eight years ago. In uniform, there are 10,000

roles based in Scotland, That matters most in Argyll,

where defence accounts for one job in eight,

in Moray, one in 12. Scotland has a big role

in shipbuilding for the Royal Navy, and this report for the GMB union,

carried out at Strathclyde University, found it supports

10,000 jobs on the Clyde, building these offshore patrol

ships, and at Rosyth in Fife, where aircraft carriers

are being assembled. The economic impact of those wages

and on the supplier firms - reckoned to total ?268

million per year. That's why the shop floor union

is keen to see an end to delays Shipbuilding is absolutely crucial

to the Scottish economy, and 10,000 jobs are dependent on shipbuilding

and another 5000 dependent on work at Faslane. These are real jobs,

real wages, supporting real families in working-class

With that Brexit vote casting a long shadow over the economy,

we'll be looking in more detail at the consequences so far, here on

You're watching BBC Reporting Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon says she wants to have a new conversation

with the people of Scotland to find out what support

We look ahead to the start of the new pro-12 rugby season.

And how a 90-year-old film is being given a new twist

Police officers on Scotland's railways are to be armed

with Tasers, in a bid to increase security on the network.

British Transport Police say it's a "proportionate response"

in the face of a mounting terrorism threat.

The force of a Taser gun, designed to stun. The weapon delivers 50,000

volts. They are already used by Police Scotland. Now they are to be

deployed by British Transport Police in Scottish train stations. We

looked at events in mainland Europe and nearer to home, and we looked at

the options we feel are necessary to give officers the best protection

for themselves, and to be able to protect the public on the railways

and staff who work on the railways. This man has a knife. He had already

slashed one commuter and was threatening others. British

Transport Police in east London deployed a Taser before arresting

him. But critics say the shock delivered can often be lethal. They

are linked to at least 11 deaths in England and Wales in the last

decade. Commuters in Glasgow had mixed views. I do not see it as an

appropriate response to what is going on. I would not mind. For

security reasons, I suppose. What if a police man was overzealous and it

was a drunk person? It is a step in the wrong direction. For terrorism,

yes. For drunken people fighting, no. I am told that fewer than 350

officers will be issued with no. I am told that fewer than 350

's and they will be fully trained on how and when to use them. If a Taser

is deployed, there will be an automatic review by specialists. The

officers selected to carry them will be trained over the next few weeks.

The weapons will be available for deployment across the rail network

in October. Aberdeen's crematorium will not be

part of this year's Doors Open Day, In June it was revealed that staff

at the Hazlehead Crematorium had been telling bereaved relatives

that the bodies of babies and infants were too

small to leave ashes. Aberdeen City Council says

the facility will no longer open to the public as planned next

weekend, as a mark of respect A look at other stories

from across the country. BBC Scotland has learned

that the oil rig that ran aground on the Isle of Lewis is likely to be

transported to Turkey later this The damaged installation will be

taken there on a giant The Transocean Winner

was successfully refloated just over a week ago and has been undergoing

inspection at a safe anchorage Police say the two people who died

when their motorcycle and a car crashed near Rosewell in Midlothian

late last night were the 65-year-old motorcyclist

and his 59-year-old woman passenger. A 26-year-old man was

treated at the scene. The funeral of 37-year-old

Julie Walker and her six-year-old son Lucas who drowned

in an accident at Aberdeen beach and two other people

needed hospital treatment after going into the water

to try to save them. A celebration of their lives

was held at Aberdeen Crematorium. Appeals against the decision

to evict independence campaigners from their camp outside the Scottish

parliament will be heard in the Court of Session

in Edinburgh in October. Holyrood's Corporate Body won

the right to evict the campers from their site in a judgment issued

by Lord Turnbull in July. Four different groups have lodged

appeals against the ruling, making a range of arguments

against eviction. Pupils from Rockfield Primary School

in Oban have made a short film they hope will help get them

a new Gaelic teacher. The post has been advertised

by the school several times The ten- and eleven-year-olds

hope their production - viewed hundreds of times now

on YouTube - will finally attract the right

candidate. It was strictly old bags today

at a charity auction in Edinburgh to raise money for

the Princes Trust. Ambassador Judy Murray was joined

by members of Scottish ballet and a clutch of celebrities

at Prestonfield House Hotel. The event is expected

to raise over ?500,000 Scotland's footballers

begin their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign this weekend

with an away game in Malta. concern if Scotland is to qualify

for its first major Willie Miller says the country needs

to get its act together when it On the hunt for the great Scottish

centre back. John Souter, 19, lauded in Scottish football circles as

potentially the next big thing in central defence. Do you believe you

can be a world-class defender one day? Yes, I've got self-confidence,

I think I can. I've got a lot to learn, but I always take in what

everyone says to me. I learn all the time, I am always open to ideas and

don't get me wrong, I am nowhere near it now, obviously. But one day

it is the aim. He has some illustrious fans, who think he could

be the future of Scottish defending. Big, tall lad who can use the ball.

Not frightened, he anticipates it well. I watched him against Aberdeen

recently, in the right place, at the right time. I think somebody has got

to take it on. I think John Souter is one we should be looking at for

the future. In the 1980s, Scotland had a selection of top-class centre

backs, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish and David Nehra. Now in 2016, the

issue is quality. They have got and David Nehra. Now in 2016, the

big problem. How we solve it is a long and complicated question. But I

do think we need to get our act in order, particularly at the

development level. We need to encourage young players to come

through with the right stature and standing, particularly defensively

in the hope that in the future it will get better. Hard work required

and the John Souter, still part of the under 21 squad, there remains a

long way to go. Defence is just part of the equation, when it comes to

quality, questions surrounds the Scotland squad. Qualification for

the 2018 World Cup is the answer we want.

Well, tonight there's been another withdrawal from the Scotland squad,

The Rangers skipper Lee Wallace was sidelined in training

The SFA say he has a niggling injury and that there'll be no

Wallace has travelled with his club team-mates to Belfast,

where Rangers are playing a testimonial game.

Laura Muir has won the ?30,000 jackpot for winning the overall

Diamond League title for the 1500 metres.

A second place finish in Zurich last night was still enough to secure

top spot in the series for the Glasgow

It was Muir's third fastest time of the year and the third fastest

The new pro-12 rugby season starts this weekend,

with both of Scotland's professional teams in action.

Glasgow and Edinburgh are once again taking on the best teams in Ireland,

Wales and Italy over the next nine months.

One of the Scots sides has enjoyed success in recent years,

But for both this season could be the end of an era,

Is this the beginning of a long and perhaps meandering blood by from

this gentleman? He is leaving Glasgow Warriors at the end of this

season, when he will take over the national team. You must be feeling a

tiny bit different at the start of the season, your last one. You are

saying you don't, but the guys tell a different story. I will be honest

with you, as always. The fact the announcements were made a couple of

weeks ago and obviously the future for the club is secure, getting the

new coach next season. It is focusing on this season. In four

seasons, Townsend has delivered for top three finishers, including one

championship in 2015. Compare that with Edinburgh under their head

coach, Adam Solomons. In his three seasons in charge, they have always

finished in the bottom half. He has done a splendid job as a coach and

we mustn't take on anything away from what he has done. But the

proliferation of international players they have had is made an

enormous difference. One of those internationals has left Glasgow to

join Edinburgh. He thinks his new team is capable of emulating his

former one. The target is high at getting in the top four. I believe

we have a squad capable of doing that, it is just about making sure

we do our talking on the field. Edinburgh will be doing their

talking against Cardiff blues in Wales tomorrow. Glasgow will be in

Ireland. They are side won the Pro12 last season, but can Glasgow win it

back? All of the players are capable, but we have to work

back? All of the players are week in, week out. I have big belief

in the squad that we can take on anybody. Winning the championship

again would make parting sweet sorrow for Glasgow and Gregor

Townsend. A film documentary about the herring

fishery in Scotland has begun a tour of fishing communities

in the north of Scotland It's a silent, black-and-white film,

but it's been given a modern Mike Grundon reports on this

coming-together of old film-making Back in 1929, heron fishing in the

North Sea was a tough and dangerous job and it was recorded by

ground-breaking documentary film-maker, John Grierson, in a film

he called Drifters. People are getting to see that film now in its

entirety, but with a very modern soundtrack. This is com pose, sound

engineer and beat boxer, Jason Singh, using his voice to create

sound effects and music. He is live on stage when the fishing film gets

shown. Traditionally people would have seen a pianist, band or an

orchestra playing, I am a solo show, creating the whole thing with my

boys. It is a unique experience, both as a creative and also from the

audience's perspective. Here in Shetland at the start of the tour,

the numbers of people turning out to see the film shows how important

this piece of heritage still is, 86 years on. The organiser says Jason's

modern contribution is enhancing the experience and is getting a good

response. They will be watching a silent film with a live, vocal

score. It is an unusual experience in some cinemas, but it is a trend

increasing across Scotland. The 40 minute film with its beatbox

soundtrack was commissioned by the British film Institute for DVD and

Blu-ray release. Taking it back home with live performance was resonating

with the film-makers and the fishing community themselves.

Let's get the weekend weather now, from Kirsteen.

Today has brought a mixture of sunshine and showers. Thank you for

this beautiful picture. Sunshine and showers theme continues into this

evening. Very gradually as we go through to night, the showers will

be confined to the north-west. Otherwise a lot of dry weather

developing with some clear spells around. For some parts of the

north-east for sheltered, rural areas, under clear skies,

temperatures made it to around six or seven. But the most part we held

up around ten, 13 degrees. Brits, South Westerly wind across the

Northern Isles. Into tomorrow, we started with showers across the

north-west, otherwise a lot of dry, bright weather. Fairly short lived

and we will see cloud increasing from the south in the morning,

accompanied by outbreaks of rain. By tomorrow afternoon persistent and at

times heavy rain across the likes of Dumfries Galloway, the Borders

area too. Generally tomorrow afternoon, cloudy with outbreaks of

rain and a chilly feel under the cloud and rain with highs of around

16 Celsius. Perhaps something drier and brighter for the north-east

coast, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross announced tomorrow afternoon,

with highs here of 18 or 19 and winds from the South will generally

be light to moderate. For hill walking and climbing tomorrow for

the North West and Rangers, there will be showers, but driver the

Cairngorms, the Angus hills. Temperatures on the top around

seven, nine Celsius and the winds will be 15 to 25 mph. For the more

southern Rangers, more rain to come in the afternoon, extensive hill fog

again. Celtic Southwest in ruins, 15 to 20 miles an hour. The evening in

Scotland, one batch of rain in the South clearing away, although

another batch of rain will move into the south-west and gradually across

the country during tomorrow night. However, by Sunday, and much drier,

brighter day in prospect, although this area of low pressure looming in

the Atlantic coming our way by Monday. For Sunday, any remaining

rain clears away during the morning to leave a fine day for most with

spells of brightness and sunshine. Just a few showers across the

Highlands and Borders. And with light winds in the sunshine, it will

feel quite pleasant. That's the forecast.

Now, a reminder of tonight's main news:

Nicola Sturgeon says she's starting what she's called

a "new conversation" on independence with the people of Scotland.

Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, accused her

Serving Royal Marine has been of the people in pursuit of her own

Serving Royal Marine has been charged with terrorism offences.

Kieran Maxwell is accused of storing ammunition and weapons England and

Northern Ireland. I'll be back with the headlines

at 8:00 and the late bulletin just I will bring you down if I ever

catch you up to something larcenous.