11/05/2017 Reporting Scotland

Scottish Labour's verdict on the leak of the Jeremy Corbyn's

The Craig Whyte fraud trial hears that previous Rangers owners

were "desperate to get the deal over the line'.

A former Catholic monk accused of abusing boys

at a boarding school in the Highlands is eligible

Relaxing in a specially designed environment -

a holiday alternative to respite care for people with dementia

It's just lovely. It makes all the difference in the world, having

that. The Scottish Rugby Captain Greg

Laidlaw won't be starting for his club tomorrow,

when Gloucester play at Murrayfield Rival parties have pounced on a leak

of Labour's election manifesto - which includes the renewal

of Trident on the Clyde. Scottish party leaders said the leak

showed Labour in disarray. But after talks in London,

the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the package had been endorsed

unanimously, after changes. This from our political

editor Brian Taylor. In hot pursuit of Jeremy Corbyn, not

a great day for the Labour leader. Worse for an eager BBC cameraman,

when the Corbyn car ran over his foot. Mind the Gap. From Labour in

London, an update on the manifesto was leaked overnight with its plans

for ownership -- public ownership of rail and royal energy. Kezia Dugdale

told me the leak was far from ideal. She stressed that Scottish Labour

would publish its own manifesto, reflecting devolved powers. But how

about Trident? The manifesto backs renewal of the nuclear deterrent

while urging extreme caution about its use. Renewing Trident runs

contrary to Mr Corbyn's own views and a vote by the Scottish Labour

conference. I always said we would give our party membership the space

to debate these issues. We took a position against the renewal of

Trident. The final vote of the Labour Party is to renew Trident,

but also to work on the basis of discussion. So the Scottish Labour

Party was overruled? It was part of a democratic process and this was

the result. The manifesto promises to campaign tirelessly against any

repeat of the 2014 independence referendum, and it backs a new

constitutional settlement for the UK.

I understand that Scottish Labour wanted changes firmly backing the

Barnett formula, making clear that some social security powers are in

Holyrood hands and undermining support for the North Sea oil and

gas industry. But rivals say the row leaves Scottish Labour looking like

tartan onlookers. For the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon was visiting St

Andrews university. She marks Labour done. When you look at Labour, you

are not looking at a party that is fit to be in government. On Trident,

the SNP position is clear. We are against nuclear weapons in

principle. These are weapons of mass destruction. But at a time when

public services are under so much pressure, spending tens of billions

of pounds on new weapons of mass destruction is the wrong thing to

do. The Liberal Democrats published what they called a commit card,

headed by thwarting an independence referendum. The question Labour's

political ability. There are of competence about the Labour Party.

They can't even run their own party. Nobody is seriously thinking they

can be a party of government. But now people are questioning whether

they can be a party of opposition. The Liberal Democrats are clear. We

are prepared to step up and be that strong opposition if people back us

in this election. And the Conservatives say Labour's plans are

unsustainable. The only thing which hasn't been leaked seems to be how

they would pay for all the suggestions. Even Jeremy Corbyn's

enemies don't seem to want to leak how they would deliver these

policies, so it is clear from that that they have no idea. And the

injured cameraman? Recovering in hospital with two broken toes.

Apologies for the problems at the beginning of that report.

While candidates for Westminster are out on the campaign trail,

Education, the NHS and Brexit were just some of the topics raised

at First Minister's Questions this afternoon.

John McManus watched the proceedings.

Four weeks today, the polls will be open to the general election. But at

First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, it was business as usual.

Since last year, this government has spent more time debating the

constitution than debating education, health, transport and

justice combined. And we have had enough. After ten years, don't the

people of Scotland deserve a government that will for once focus

on their priorities and not on hers? But the First Minister said the

Conservatives had a reason for wanting to change the subject. When

Ruth Davidson talks about the time spent in this chamber debating the

constitution, what she's trying to distract attention from is that that

constitution, what she's trying to has been time debating the

implications of Brexit, the Brexit disaster. Labour were keen to

highlight their campaign on NHS funding. Our hospitals don't have

enough nurses. Those nurses don't have enough money in their pocket.

Our hospitals don't have enough doctors, but there is enough money

Our hospitals don't have enough for private health firms. Is this

what the NHS looks like when the government is more interested in

running a referendum than running the NHS? The performance of

Scotland's schools and in particular a decline in some literacy and

numeracy skills has made the headlines this week, a point made

repeatedly in the chamber. The mother of a 15-year-old schoolboy

said to me yesterday that she is worried that her son could be one of

those statistics. He is struggling with reading and writing. She is

anxious about his future, and she is also angry with the SNP, who have

been in charge for the whole of her son's education. Scotland's issues

debated inside this building. In the coming weeks, the politicians will

step out into the sunshine to chase your vote for the general election.

A lawyer who handled Craig Whyte's takeover of Rangers in 2011

has told a court that the club's owners were "desperate to get

Gary Withey's comments came as he gave evidence

in the trial of Mr Whyte, who's accused of acquiring

Our correspondent David Henderson reports.

Gary Withey, the London lawyer at the heart of the deal to buy

Rangers. He was back in court today, giving evidence for a second day.

Six years ago, his client was a company run by Craig Whyte, which

launched a takeover bid for the Ibrox club. Mr White is on travel

fraud and accused of funding most of the deal with the club's season

fraud and accused of funding most of tickets. Rangers was being sold by

the role Leave Murray group, controlled by this man, Sir David

Murray, and Mr Withey told the jury he came under pressure to get the

deal done. One Murray group director, he said, wanted reassured

that this didn't turn into an almighty mess and embarrass

everyone. Mr Withey said the sellers didn't ask how Craig Whyte's team

were financing the deal. They didn't seem to care, he claimed. This is

the only girl I know where the vendor, the seller, is pushing more

than the purchaser. He said, I have never been pushed so hard on any

deal. They were desperate to get the deal over the line. Mr Withey said

he was repeatedly asked for assurances that Craig Whyte had the

money to buy Rangers. He did supply them, he said. If I didn't trust my

client, I would have walked away. But the prosecution claims the deal

was mostly funded through the sale of Rangers' season tickets to

was mostly funded through the sale accompany. The prosecutor asked Gary

was mostly funded through the sale Withey, where steps taken to conceal

it? Gary replied, I was told that Ticketus must not be shown. Mr

Withey told the defence advocate it was impossible to keep the

involvement of Ticketus a secret when so many people were involved.

Mr Findlay asked him, were people coming up to you, saying, I hear you

are in with Ticketus to do a deal for Rangers? Mr Withey replied, yes,

they did. Gary Withey returns to the witness box on Monday. Craig Whyte

denies the charges and the trial continues.

A former Catholic monk, who's accused of abusing boys

at the Fort Augustus Abbey boarding school in the Highlands,

is eligible for extradition to Britain, according

The decision on whether to send Father Denis Alexander back

to Scotland for trial now rests with the country's Attorney-General,

The magistrate here in Sydney has decided that the former Catholic

monk will be eligible for extradition, but this case appears

to be far from over. The defence in court today raised no objections to

the magistrate's decision, and the defence barrister told me later,

because in her opinion, the Lord gave her very limited scope in which

to challenge that decision -- the law gave her little scope. It is now

up to the Attorney General here in Australia to decide whether Father

Alexander will face a trial in Scotland. It seems the defence is

saving its powder for the Attorney General, and its submissions are

expected to be lodged within the next four to five weeks. We don't

know what sort of arguments the defence will use in those

submissions to the Attorney General. We do know that if the decision goes

against the defence, it can seek a judicial review. Denis Alexander is

in his early 80s. He was in court today, wearing a green prison

uniform and using a wheelchair. He didn't say anything during the brief

30 minute hearing, but he did appear didn't say anything during the brief

to be very frail and for most of the time fairly detached from

proceedings. He has always denied any allegations of wrongdoing at the

Fort Augustus Abbey School in the Highlands, and he was arrested

earlier this year. He has been remanded back into custody into the

hospital wing of the jail here in Sydney.

Poorer people are more likely to die, or become ill,

Researchers at Glasgow University examined the health records of more

They say the stress of poverty can lead to a less healthy lifestyle,

The reason that poor people experience greater levels of alcohol

harm is not because they are drinking more. Actually, it seems

that even if someone who is more disadvantaged in society drinks the

same amount of alcohol as someone who is richer, there are still at

increased risk of harm. Even accounting for things like binge

drinking, smoking and obesity. Hopes are rising that there could be

a resolution to an industrial Today lecturers across the country

have been holding their fourth one-day strike over

pay and conditions. The EIS says progress is being made

in talks with the colleges and that More strike action is still

scheduled for next week. MSPs have been told

that the chairman of the Scottish Police Authority isn't

fit to remain on its board. It follows the resignation

of a board member, Moy Ali, in a row over meetings being held

behind closed doors. Ms Ali told Holyrood's

Audit Committee that when she dissented over the policy,

she received a letter from the chairman,

Andrew Flanagan on Christmas Eve. She was asked if she regarded that

as amounting to bullying. You're watching BBC

Reporting Scotland. Scottish Labour leader

Kezia Dugdale describes the leak of the Jeremy Corbyn election

manifesto as "far from ideal". The new owner of basketball

team Glasgow Rocks on why he got rid of

the club's head coach. A stone's throw from one

of Scotland's busiest streets, one of the world's most powerful

lasers is hard at work. It's replicating radiation levels

in space - and one of its aims This report from our science

correspondent Kenneth Macdonald Not far from Glasgow's George

Square, this ten tonne door floats on air, guarding the entrance to a

concrete bunker. Inside, they're in to recreate the harsh types of

radiation encountered in space. It can be a deadly environment for

satellites and astronauts. The particles can be very intense and

this is dangerous for electronics on board satellites, but also for

this is dangerous for electronics on astronauts. Sometimes, these are

called killer electrons. The reason is because they are dangerous. That

radiation has been be produced by the Scottish centre for the

application of plasma -based accelerators. Here is an example of

application of plasma -based how far the technology has come. In

the old days, you would have had to turn a laser beam into electrons

the old days, you would have had to using a linear accelerator 100

metres long. Now, this is the accelerator. But you need enormous

amounts of power, which is one reason why they have just installed

?3.5 million worth of laser light upstairs. This the highest average

power laser system in the world today, extremely unique to a

university enrolment. It delivers 350 terawatts at five hertz. Or to

put it another way... If you think about the power from the sun

reaching the UK, this laser actually produces the same amount of power,

but only for a very short time. This is about more than space. The system

will produce high-energy particles and radiation pulses for experiments

in science, engineering and medicine. Very high-resolution x-ray

imaging, for example, in hospitals. Radiotherapy is an ongoing

interesting project cars well looking at electron beams as a

potential radiation therapy technique, as opposed to x-rays or

proton beams. Among the other applications, experiments in nuclear

proton beams. Among the other fusion, so we may finally produce

energy in the same way the sun does. Scotland is one of the locations

being used by a new travel company that's running holidays specifically

for people with dementia Mind For You says the short

breaks are an alternative Andrew Thomson reports

from Granton on Spey. Caring for someone with dementia can

be a 24/7 job, but here on this supported holiday in Granton on

Spey, help is on hand. Guests can get a bit of pampering, some company

and for the care, a well earned break. It can be very stressful for

somebody living with dementia to be away from their carer. We see

ourselves as an alternative, that they come on holiday together, that

our support staff are there to help, and also to give the carer time for

themselves. The person with dementia gets time for themselves. And the

concert is proving popular with these guests. He has Alzheimer's and

two types of dementia. No more holidays are not suitable any

longer, so we were looking for somewhere that provided a care

environment, but also allowed us to do many of the things we have always

been interested in, which is outdoor activities. These folk look after

you really well, and they are all nice and they are all trying to do

things for you. It is something that has been missing since I have been

ill. A range of daily outings are run, this one to the Highland folk

museum, which is perhaps the perfect place to help bring back happy

childhood memories. We always had good holidays. But once my husband

developed dementia, that went. I was told about Mind For You by an

organisation in Edinburgh, and I found them marvellous. You're never

alone. There is always plenty of help, and it just gives us a break

that we really need. Everyone needs a break sometimes from their normal

routine, and supported holidays like these, with good accommodation and

care and also interesting day trips to places like this, seems to be a

winning formula for these dementia sufferers and their carers.

It's been a bittersweet sort of week for the captain

A few days ago, Greig Laidlaw was called up to the British

and Irish lions squad for their summer tour.

Today it was announced that he won't start for his club Gloucester

in the European Challenge Cup final in Edinburgh tomorrow.

But as David Currie reports, he's not too disappointed.

Greig Laidlaw leads Gloucester on a training session, but won't lead the

Greig Laidlaw leads Gloucester on a team against Murrayfield, he will be

Greig Laidlaw leads Gloucester on a on the bench. He's not bitter. I'm

just glad I'm back fit and that's the way I want to stay. For me it's

about being sharp now when I get the way I want to stay. For me it's

opportunities. Life was sweet for the Scotland skipper at the start of

February. Captaining the national the Scotland skipper at the start of

team to win over Ireland in the Six Nations. He was injured in the next

match against France, missing the rest of the tournament. It's been a

season of ups and downs for you, hasn't it? Yes, looking back I

suppose it has. You get injured, then you get back. Obviously I have

been selected for the Lions squad. Greig Laidlaw... Will being benched

on Friday a fact his prospects for playing in the Lions? It might

reflect in the Lions tour coming up, having limited game time might not

be a bad thing. It will reduce his chance of injury which is probably

his real fear at this moment in time. He will be joining the French

club Clermont, and they are in action here on Saturday.

Andy Murray's struggles this year continue.

The world number one has suffered another early exit,

With a place in the quarterfinals at stake, the top seed was a strong

But the young Croatian won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.

Murray has just one tournament left before the second grand

slam of the season - the French Open -

The new owner of the Glasgow Rocks basketball team says it came down

to a gut feeling to dispense with head coach Sterling Davis.

After losing out in the quarter final play-off last season,

Duncan Smiley hopes a new approach will help guide Scotland's only

professional side to UK glory, as well as build on a growing

interest in the sport amongst the young.

Silverware or the lack of it can be costly in sport. The Glasgow rocks

today in the presence of the euro basket Trophy at the Emirates arena.

The rocks themselves without a trophy this season. The new owner

wants change, the first parting company with head coach Sterling

Davis. I was certainly disappointed, I would have liked to work with him

this year but my gut instinct was we needed to do something different and

Sterling Davis was on board with that as well and as a consummate

professional. So they are searching for a new coach and looking for

grand slam trophy success next season. Safe to say, they have got

some pretty big ambitions. What do you want to see achieved next

season? For me it is win as much as we possibly can. I believe we have

the pieces to win championships but we possibly can. I believe we have

it takes a lot of effort. Success breeds success but building on youth

interest key in a sport on the up. I think basketball is getting more and

more popular. Now a lot of people are playing it. Membership of

basketball Scotland has trebled in the last six years, so is there

scope for second franchise in Scotland? There is definitely

potential there. There is certainly enough interest in the sport that

there could be two franchises in the future. I think the rocks would

benefit from that in terms of having a local derby. Have you ever been to

see the Glasgow rocks? Yes, two or three times. They do have their off

nights but most of the time they are good. And how about some tricks? Can

you come up with tricks right here on the spot? I have zero tricks but

I can scare you a little bit. Definitely not scared!

Timeline will be on BBC Two tonight at 7.30pm.

Here are Glenn Campbell and Shereen Nanjiani

Tonight we look at like calling directory inquiries 118 services can

now cost a minimum of ?9, and hear from money saving expert Martin

Lewis about what should be done. Also we are joined by Commonwealth

Games medallist Stephanie Ingles a year on from a motorcycle accident

that almost cost her her life. Plus meet scooter gran and find out all

about her superpowers. Let's see what the

weather has in store. Good evening. Many parts of Scotland

haven't recorded a drop of rain for about two weeks since the 28th of

April, today no different for most of us. Call up around the east coast

with stubborn cloud. Plenty of evening sunshine pretty much across

the board, but overnight there will be some cloud forming around eastern

coasts, some low cloud drifting inland through the central belt at

times and a few showers pushing towards Galloway, Kintyre and the

Hebrides. But for most dry night with temperatures no lower than

around five Celsius, but at school in the countryside. Showers for the

Hebrides tomorrow, but a good part of Central Scotland bright and

sunny, then come the afternoon showers pushing in across the south.

This time yesterday we were expecting those showers to be

further west. Certainly a change, further south expect showers through

the afternoon. North of here, in eastern areas thicker cloud stubborn

to go, call on the east coast. Quite breezy around these north-eastern

coast from the south-east. As we had through into the evening, these

showers in the south-west heavy for a time. That is low-pressure moving

its way north was and still with us as they head into the weekend.

Saturday looks fairly cloudy and rather wet at times. A rash of

showers across the country, some quite heavy with the odd rumble of

thunder in the mix as well. Still breezy around the coast, and the

temperatures similar despite the cloud and rain so quite busy

midfield but it will improve later from the south. Sunday, writer,

breezy, fewer showers with temperatures around the same but

here is Monday, more rain on the way.

I'll be back with the headlines at eight and the late bulletin just