18/04/2017 Reporting Scotland

general election to be held on June eight. And

Theresa May calls a snap general election saying divisions

at Westminster over Brexit gave her no option.

Our opponents believe because the Government's majority is so small

that our resolve will weaken and that they can force us to change

course. They are wrong. This is big U-turn in recent political history.

It's very clear that the Prime Minister's announcement today is one

all about the narrow interests of her own party not the interests of

the country overall. We'll be assessing the political

implications for Scotland and we'll be finding out what voters

here think as they go to the polls I didn't think I can be bothered

with another election. She hasn't the full support of the whole

country. That is what she needs. She's done a bit of time. It's time

we got to choose again. Members of the Church of Scotland

are to be asked to allow ministers Theresa May's plans for a general

election in June will mean the Scottish electorate will have

gone to the polls seven The Prime Minister says the snap

election will give the country certainty and stability,

the First Minister described it as Our political editor, Brian Taylor,

assesses the announcement Downing Street, she said she

wouldn't, now she will. I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet

where we agreed that the Government should call a general election to be

where we agreed that the Government held on the 8th June. Straight out

of a meeting of Scotland's Cabinet, she says - bring it on. This is a

big U-turn in recent political history. But it's very clear that

the Prime Minister's announcement today is one all about the narrow

interests of her own party, not the interests of the country overall.

You know, clearly she sees the opportunity given the disarray in

the ranks of the Labour Party to crush all opposition to her, to get

rid of people that disagree with her and to give herself a free hand to

take the country in the increasingly right-wing direction direction she

wants to take it in. What about independence? SNP Cabinet ministers

insist they already have a mandate for a referendum from Holyrood

votes. At the last UK general election two years ago, the SNP won

56 out of 59 seats? Scotland. Can they repeat that or slip back? I

don't take any voters force granted nor should any other party. We are

fit for this fight we are ready to go. We think we can put on seats

across the country. There will be fewer SNP MPs after 8th June. That

is what I will be working towards. Polls suggest Labour is struggling.

They insist they are ready for the fight. Whilst it's obviously a

surprise, it's a great opportunity. It's a chance to get Theresa May and

the Tories out of office. The Labour Party has been on a election footing

since last autumn. I will prepare to select candidates from this

afternoon. We a huge gamble with the future of our country. It's an

tuplet for us to put Britain at the heart of Europe, but also Scotland

at the heart of the United Kingdom. This snap election looks like an

opportunistic attempt by the Tory party to seize on the weakness of

the Labour Party at UK level and simply secure themselves a stronger

mandate for the hard right deregulation hard Brexit agenda that

they've now allied themselves to. Politics in Scotland is seldom calm

it has gathered added bite. Brian Taylor, reporting Scotland.

Today's events will have taken all but one of Scotland's 59 MPs by

surprise. We report on a day of drama at Westminster. A political

period that has been a roller-coaster takes its most

dramatic turns yet. The Prime Minister had pledged this wouldn't

happen. Theresa May said she had changed her mind on a snap election

reluctantly. Her case is ready. The PM argues only her party will make

reluctantly. Her case is ready. The Brexit a success that her opponents

will undermine it. In recent weeks, Labour have threatened to vote

against the final agreement we reach Labour have threatened to vote

with the European Union. The Liberal Democrats have said they want to

grind the business of government to a standstill. The Scottish National

Party say they will vote against the legislation that formally repeals

Britain's membership of the European Union. On the face of it, this

election will be all about Brexit. Theresa May will portray her vision

as one of stability versuses chaos with opposition parties. It will

have massive implications for Scotland, not least on the

independence question. While this announcement may have been a

surprise, the political messages are well-prepared. The SNP can win right

across Scotland. We did in the last election people didn't want an

extreme Tory party governing our country. That will be a choice again

with the SNP standing up for mainstream opinion in Scotland

against a hard Brexit Tory party. Labour retained just one seat last

time. Polls suggest this time could be even harder. We are always ready

for an election when it comes to fighting the Conservative Party by

trying to get a Labour government to put some of the issues in place that

everybody in the country cares about. We said in 2015 this could be

a dreadful Conservative government that would have a a divisive and

unnecessary EU referendum. They brought that upon themselves. His

party suffered in 2015 too, paying the price for coalition with the

Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats are going into this election

optimistic and confident. We are the only party that will stand up for

Scotland's place in the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom's

place in Europe. A political surprise of box office proportion.

Theresa May I thinks she has an opportunity to increase her support

in the Commons. It's a decision that will involve risks too. Another huge

political choice for the country. David Porter is at

Westminster for us tonight. David, the SNP group there meeting

tonight to decide their stance on the vote in the Commons tomorrow,

is there any suggestion Well, like all of us here at

Westminster the SNP were caught on the hop this morning. Just after

11.00am Theresa May came out of that famous black toor door at Ten

Downing Street an announced she was going to have a snap election. Now

the SNP are saying tonight that they are not going to stand in the way of

an early election. That doesn't mean either that they will go out of

their way to make it easy for Theresa May. The Westminster

Assembly Group is meeting this evening and there is some

speculation that they will decide to abstain in the Commons vote tomorrow

to call that early general election. Now, that won't affect it, it won't

mean that Theresa May will have a problem getting it through she has

the support of the Labour Party as well as thes Conservatives on that

one. There will be a general election on the 8th June. It means

as well as all the other issues we are going to get in that general

as well as all the other issues we election, the SNP will be very, very

keen to concentrate on the constitutional question in Scotland

and their wishes for a second Scottish independence referendum. At

the end of the day, whoever is in charge in this it place behind me

and the clout they have on a range of issues, very soon that choice

will come down to the voters. Thank you very much, David.

Political debate here in recent weeks has focussed on a second

So how will today's announcement of a snap UK election affect that?

Our political correspondent, Glenn Campbell, reports.

It's five weeks since the First Minister called for another

referendum on independence between autumn next year and spring 2019. A

choice of whether to follow the UK to a hard Brexit or to become an

independent country. The Prime Minister was quick to reject that

idea. I say to the SNP, now is not the time. Since then, Nicola

Sturgeon has written to Theresa May formally requesting the power to

hold indy ref2. While she has been waiting for her official knockback

from Number Ten she has been thinking about what else to do to

make the Prime Minister change her mind. She was due to set out her

thinking here soon. All of that has been overtaken by the announcement

of an early general election and in that campaign, the question of

independence is likely to be a big feature. The Conservatives will try

to make it about independence in part because it seems to help them

to try to shore up the vote for those who are opposed to

independence, who want to save the United Kingdom. The SNP will want to

ensure that the election assuming they do very well again, will give

them the strength, the mandate, to push for another independence

referendum on their time scale. But I don't think they will want to put

the independence issue front and centre of their campaign. In 2015,

the SNP had their best ever general election result, almost wiping out

the opposition. The SNP's political opponents can hardly do worse, can

they? Well, they only have really one seat a piece from the 2015

result. They will be hoping that they can really gain momentum and

knock a few seats off of the SNP. The Tories particularly pushing

Labour back into third place in the Holyrood elections last year will

fancy their chances. When you look at the SNP, they are still polling

extremely well in Scotland. Still very popular. They will be hoping

for another resounding majority. There are 50 days of campaigning to

go, and as spring turns to summer, a new con text for the debate over

Scotland's future. So opposition leaders have welcomed

the Prime Minister's decision to go to the country,

but what about the voters? Is there an appetite amongst

the electorate for another election? Catriona Renton has

been finding out. Since the spring of 2 it 014Scots

have gone to the polls in the European elections, the Scottish

independence referendum a UK general election and the Scottish Parliament

elections as well as the referendum on the European Union. Next month

there is the council elections and after that the next general

election. So what do people around the country think about all this

voting? I don't think I can be bothered with another election. I

don't want an independence election. I don't want any more elections. I

just want to live my life in peace. We didn't vote for her. I think it's

maybe she's done a it about of time, and maybe it's time we got to choose

again. I think it's awful. Because look at the cost to the country.

She's in turmoil. I suppose she has no option. What's been going on with

Brexit and what's been happening up here in Scotland, I think it was

about high time she called for an election. I don't think she has the

support she wanted. I think it's been a bit there, but she hasn't got

the full support of the whole country. That's what she needs. Too

many things on the go. There is all this independence, Brexit, we are so

uncertain. I don't know why she is having one in June. I guess it's a

bit weird that she would have a general election, but indy ref2. It

seems odd. Let's take a more detailed

look at the general It was a remarkable success

for the Scottish National Party which took 56 of the 59 available

seats in Scotland. Labour took only one seat,

in the constituency So too the Conservatives,

holding onto Dumfriesshire, for the Lib Dems, who held

Orkney and Shetland. A quick look at the votes won

by the major parties The SNP won almost 50% of the vote,

Labour took almost 25%. Then came the Conservatives

with nearly 15% and Joining me in the studio

is political commentator, Theresa May wants this election to

be about Brexit. In Scotland, can it be? The truth is, in Scotland as

soon as you mention Brexit you mention the word indy ref2. It will

be difficult to disentangle the two in the debate north of the border.

The SNP argue that the kind of Brexit that Theresa May is seeking

and for which is now in a sense seeking a mandate is not in

Scotland's interests and they will want to say - therefore, Scotland

should have a referendum. If you vote in this election for the SNP

that will be a signal to the Prime Minister that Scotland doesn't want

her Brexit. We will get arguments about Brexit and indy ref2 and they

will become intertwined. How risky is this? The Prime Minister is way

ahead in the opinion polls. Winning a majority is more difficult

nowadays. Not least because neither the Conservatives or Labour can win

a seat in Scotland. For the SNP there is only one way which is done.

The polls suggest they should hold on to much of what they have. There

could be a contest between the Tories and Lib Dems that caused them

trouble. The Labour Party cannot look forward to this because of how

they stand in the polls. The Liberal look forward to this because of how

Democrats are defending so little. You canvas people's views? If this

is an election about Brexit and indy ref2 and both the referendums on

that subject drew voters to the polls in high numbers we will be

surprised that voters think this is an election worth coming out for.

Thank you. Members of the Church of Scotland

are to be asked to permit ministers A report to be debated

at the Kirk's General Assembly next month also says the Church should

apologise to gay people for failing to recognise

their Christian vocation. Our social affairs correspondent,

Reevel Alderson, reports. Attitudes towards gay relationships

have been changing in the Church of Scotland. Last year it's general

assembly voted to allow ministers in a same-sex marriage to continue

serving. Gay marriages are still outlawed in Church. That could

change following publication of the report by the church's theological

forum it says: And a senior leaders say they are

proposing an apology to gay members of the church. What the General

Assembly is being asked to do this here is acknowledge and apologise

for some of the harsh things that have been on both sides of this

debate over the last 20 or 30 years. I think the General Assembly are

more ready to do that. In Aberdeen, Scott Rennie was the Kirk's first

openly gay minister and he welcomes the apology to those hurt by the

church's attitudes. I think it is really important that the church

recognises that and recognises that the fair treatment of LGBT people is

not just a society issue, it is actually about how the church treats

its own members. But the remains opposition from traditionalists in

the church opposed to same-sex relationships which they see as

contrary to but the core teachings. We do not bless that which is wrong.

And that has got to be key in terms of the gospel if we are providing

hope for people, hope for transformation and forgiveness for

their wrong is, of being different from what the world has done, then

we have to be able to stand up for that right in Christ Jesus. The Kirk

will seek protection from equality laws and prosecution for any

minister refusing to carry out same-sex services.

As news of the general election filtered through, Scottish Labour

was launching its local election campaign in Edinburgh.

Their leader, Kezia Dugdale, admitted the polls were very

"challenging" for her party, but said she hoped voters

would elect Labour councillors as "local champions."

Our political correspondent, Andrew Kerr, was there.

The room was buzzing with anticipation. Unfortunately for

Labour, it wasn't because of the local election launch. Everyone was

waiting to hear the news from Westminster. The Labour leader

referred to it as the event got underway. I think we have made a

fine adjustment to today's order. Kezia Dugdale warns people away from

voting SNP saying that Scots were sick to the back teeth at the

prospect of a second independence referendum. She said that the

Conservatives were itching to make cuts, a point her deputy picked up

on. Public services across Scotland under pressure. It is Labour

councils that will defend those public services, fighting for

investment in public services and education in health and social. The

party faces a challenge at this election with polls suggesting

another electoral setback. But they have been spelling out the action

that the councillors would take, promising social care packages would

be in place within a week. There is a pledge to build 45,000 new homes

for rent. And they want to abolish council tax and replace it with what

they call a fairer property tax. But with the news from Westminster today

and the possibility of labour are being squeezed as perhaps prounion

supporters opt for the Conservatives, is the party worried?

It is important we remember that these are local council elections so

it is fundamentally about local public services, who is in charge of

your schools and the local community's fabric, and I'm asking

your schools and the local people to consider voting for a

local champion, Labour councillor to stand up for the local community and

against the SNP and Tory cuts. So at the launch of Labour's campaign,

they admit that the polls are challenging but they do admit that

they are fighting for every vote. Another very hectic time in Scottish

politics. The death of a severely disabled

woman in a bath at her home was a "preventable" accident,

a sheriff has concluded. Fifty year old Margaret Gilchrist

died at her home in Glasgow in 2013 after being scolded on up to 90%

of her body. A fatal accident inquiry found

that her death could have been avoided if a carer had not left

the hot tap running and had checked Sheriff Lindsay Wood said carer

Mary Cameron had made Let's get a look at the weather

forecast. Christopher is here. Good evening. There was some sunshine

around today, a lovely picture from one of our weather watchers taken

late morning. A few hours later, down the road in Dundee, the cloud

had rolled in and that cloud across the country tonight, bringing with

it some light rain. This is a weak weather front edging south and east

across the country. A few spots here and there but predominantly dry. And

milder than last night. Temperatures in towns and cities between five and

seven Celsius, with perhaps the odd spot of generally cloudy conditions.

Starting cloudy for most of us with health fog towards Argyll and also

some sunshine. In the sun, extending south and east across the country

through the course of the day. Brightening up for all of us.

Mid-afternoon, it will be dry and bright across the mainland with

temperatures up a notch. Perhaps higher in the north-east. You will

notice around the West Coast, from Argyll up to the north-west,

outbreaks of rain at this point. But further east, it is dry and bright

and the wind will be generally light further east, it is dry and bright

from the south. A pleasant afternoon for most of us. Heading through the

rest of the afternoon and into the evening and overnight, again largely

cloudy and dry with spots of rain edging eastwards. And as we look

ahead towards Wednesday night and into Thursday, you will see that

while we have high pressure nearby, around the north of that high, some

outbreaks of brain and heavier rain across the far north later on. But

again, for most of us on Thursday, fairly cloudy and reasonably dry

with a few spots of rain. There is the heavy rain in the far north. And

warming up, with temperatures in the mid teens. It will not last because

as we head into Friday and the weekend, high pressure nearby, and

we are dragging in cold northerly winds. Temperatures will --

temperatures will take a tumble as we head towards Friday. The

conditions lasting into the weekend. Thank you, Christopher.

Lets go back to tonight's top story and that looming general election.

Our political editor Brian Taylor joins us for a final word.

Brian, in UK terms Theresa May has been accused of opportunism. How

opportunistic is it as far as Scotland is concerned? In UK terms

it is the most convincing argument produced for this election, that's

Theresa May is seeing an opportunity to exploit the weakness of the

Labour Party, and build prospects for the Tories, also securing a

larger majority, enabling her to get Brexit plans more easily through the

Commons and inviting the Lords to follow suit. In terms of Scotland,

it is intriguing that Nicola Sturgeon is stressing that she sees

this as standing against the hard right position of the Tory Party,

not directly on the independence question. That means that this is

not a referendum on independence, or primarily a referendum upon a

referendum, which in Scottish politics, is rarely pure and never

simple. It is certainly going to be busy. Thank you for that update.

There is more coverage on the news channel and online.

Our next main bulletin will be just after the Ten O'Clock News.

Until then, from everyone on the team, have a good evening.