02/09/2016 Reporting Scotland

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

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,

has accused her of ignoring people's priorities,

in pursuit of a 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

Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would work to protect

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

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

Today I want to set out the principles

The UK that Scotland voted to stay part of in

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.

If it came again, I would probably say yes.

of the outcome last time, because they were

promised things that did

It definitely should be something that awaits perhaps until

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

Labour's problems, entrenching the Tories in Downing

Street and the Tories leaving the EU against Scottish opinion.

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

Nicola Sturgeon has announced a listening exercise and

the majority will have hoped she was listening when the people

She is a very powerful woman with the chance

to go back into Parliament next week and transform lives.

The First Minister told me the SNP needed to persuade

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

Nicola Sturgeon says independence might involve

challengers and complexities, and she argues that it would allow

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

Lesley Bate was erratic, disorganised and chaotic.

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

A childminder was worried about injuries, including a

The mother claimed he had fallen out of

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 up on further concerns about an

injury to Liam Fee's neck, and there were no notes about it

Liam Fee's mother and her partner are serving life for his

murder in March 2014, more than a year after concerns

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

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

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

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.

They are already used by Police Scotland.

Now they are to be deployed by British Transport Police

We looked at events in mainland Europe

and nearer to home, and we looked at the options

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.

He had already slashed one commuter and was

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

What if a police man was overzealous and it

I am told that fewer than 350 officers will be issued with Taser

's and they will be fully trained on how

If a Taser is deployed, there will be an

The officers selected to carry them will

The weapons will be available for deployment across the rail

Well, It's over to Kirsteen now with the weather outlook

Good evening, today has brought a mixture of sunshine and showers.

Tonight he showers are becoming creasing were confined to the

north-west, otherwise a lot of dry weather with clear spells and a mild

match to come for most. Tomorrow. Is with easy showers continuing across

the north-west and otherwise dry and bright weather. That'll be short

lived with cloud increasing to the south of the morning, followed by

heavy and persistent across Dumfries heavy and persistent across Dumfries

Galloway and the borders especially tomorrow afternoon.

Generally the further north you come the more intermittent the rain will

be. A lot of cloud red, certainly sunshine and brightness will be at a

premium tomorrow afternoon. We might see some bright spells to watch

Northeastern and coastal areas across the western isles, the likes

of Sutherland and Caithness with a top temperature of around 18,

perhaps making degrees. Generally though a fairly chilly fuel under

the cloud and rain. Around 15 or 16 degrees with light to moderate

southerly winds. We are underneath a blanket of close tomorrow with heavy

pulses of rain at times and really quite strong and gusty

south-westerly winds across this south-western corner, gusts of

around 45 mph potentially at times. For Scotland for the evening period

we continue along the theme of cloudy conditions and further

outbreaks of rain, and we will see some list" across eastern coastal

areas, too. By Sunday it is looking much drier and brighter, although we

have this area of low pressure waiting in the wings for Monday. For

Sunday for most was a lot of dry bright weather with spells of

sunshine, a few showers across Scotland in the North of England in

the present -- pleasant view in the sunshine.

Thank you. And that is Reporting Scotland. The next update is

tomorrow evening. From everyone here, goodbye.