09/03/2017 Reporting Scotland

Now, time for the news where you are.

Scottish independence and declining oil revenues led to furious

Opposition leaders claimed the slump in the North Sea

undermined Scotland's independent economic prospects.

The arguments came as the First Minister told the BBC

that the autumn of 2018 might be a "common sense" date for a second

This from our political editor, Brian Taylor.

Oil and independence, the two have been twinned for 40 years,

since the North Sea bonanza began and the SNP first argued

In a BBC interview, Andrew Wilson, who chairs the SNP's

Economic Growth Commission, said oil wealth formed a core part

of the independence offer in the 2014 referendum.

The Chancellor's Budget confirmed that oil revenues

have declined sharply, well below those 2014 forecasts,

but Brexit means the First Minister is seriously considering a second

independence referendum, possibly next year.

Some of your colleagues now talk about autumn 2018 as a likely date.

Within that window, I guess, of when the outline of a UK deal

becomes clear and the UK exiting the EU, I think would be

the common-sense time for Scotland to have that choice,

if that is the road we choose to go down.

To be clear - you are not ruling out autumn 2018?

Oil and independence, both confronted John Swinney as he

deputised for the First Minister, who was in London

Turning now to First Minister's Questions,

Firstly, the Tories said all talk of a second independence

This morning we had the First Minister gunning for a referendum

I call it nonsense because most people in Scotland do not want it.

Then, Labour spotlighted the North Sea slump.

The truth John Swinney can't escape from is that the economic case

for independence is well and truly bust.

John Swinney found this twin attack familiar,

as he recalled that Labour and Conservative had worked together

Isn't it revealing that at the first available opportunity,

It's like they've never had a moment apart.

It was a magnificent performance by John Swinney,

a rhetorical triumph, but did he answer

No, not exactly, just to say Britain had received a bonus

In a referendum campaign, nationalists would argue

the fundamental Scottish economy remains robust and would be

Then, if, when there is another referendum campaign, other things

For example, you can bet Labour and the Tories would be

Brian Taylor, Reporting Scotland, Holyrood.

Back now to Brexit, and Theresa May is in Brussels this evening

for what's expected to be her last European Council summit before

the UK starts the formal process of leaving the EU.

But what role, if any, is Scotland expected to play?

Our political correspondent Nick Eardley reports from Brussels.

Welcome to Brussels, the epicentre of European politics,

a hub for European institutions, for negotiating and

Theresa May was not feeling chatty as she arrived for talks

Almost certainly her last at the top table before Brexit formally begins.

At the end of that process, the Prime Minister says the UK

will be out of the single market but the Scottish Government

still hopes Scotland could be allowed to remain in.

As she gets ready to start that formal Brexit process,

what role is Scotland playing in all this?

What are our politicians in Brussels doing?

Is there any appetite for Scotland to have different

Few know better about Scotland's relationship

David Martin has been a member of the European Parliament

I would say at the moment, there is sympathy and understanding

of why the Scottish Government brought forward those proposals

but I don't think yet that translates into support for it.

Not everyone is convinced by a separate arrangement.

The Spanish in particular have reservations.

In this building, lobbying for the EU's regions takes place

and the man who makes the case for nationalist parties

Europe understands the Scottish people wanted to remain

in the European Union and I think Scotland needs to take

What happens in the end, we don't know because

But there's a limit to what Scottish ministers can achieve.

The EU negotiates solely with the UK Government and there's little sign

it is about to put Scottish demands on the table.

There's a lot of water to flow under the bridge yet.

I'm conscious I may well sound like the last soldier

coming out of the jungle, but I still think

Others think overtures to Scotland are all part of Europe's game.

The best deal, they say, is one that works for the whole UK.

We need to be absolutely united to get the best possible deal

because there are canny negotiators on the other side who will do

all they can to disunite the UK to their own ends,

to their ends, not to help Scotland or the UK, but to help themselves.

Which of these views is reflected when UK ministers start talks

Then the process of discussing where Scotland and the UK stand

Nick Eardley, Reporting Scotland, in Brussels.

400 jobs are set to be lost in Livingston at a healthcare

manufacturer owned by Johnson Johnson.

It's planning to close its Ethicon plant in the town.

Most of the workforce here are local. They are involved in that

skilled production of medical sutures for surgery, but warned by

Johnson and Johnson they are small part of a much bigger operation and

it seems as though size has counted against them. Today staff were

called in to a meeting to be told that it is the company's intention

to close here. Part of a global restructuring that the announced

last year, which would see production moved to existing plants

in Porto Rico, Brazil and Mexico. What will now follow is a 45-day

consultation, but the Scottish Government has said that the focus

is on finding a new owner for the plant as well as supporting staff.

The unions have said they are shocked and angry but local

politicians have been considering what it might mean for the area. We

will call for an urgent meeting with Johnson and Johnson and to meet any

trade unions. We want to do all we can and leave no stone unturned to

try and ensure a secure future for this plan. Clearly if that proves

impossible it will have a significant impact upon the local

economy in West Lothian. Ethicon has a long history as an employer in

this area, 14 years ago this plant survived but two others in Edinburgh

and a distribution centre here amongst them closed, but the loss of

850 jobs. Tonight it seems as though this plant's time is almost up.

Police Scotland needs to urgently reassess its IT needs,

according to spending watchdog Audit Scotland.

It follows the collapse of a ?46 million project to create

Fundamental flaws were discovered when the system was passed

The contractor repaid money it received and the costs

of developing the system, but the estimated ?200 million worth

of savings for the force will now not be realised.

The first of a fleet of five warships being built on the Clyde

A bottle of whisky was broken over the bow of the 90-metre offshore

patrol vessel this morning at BAE Systems' Scotstoun shipyard.

She's expected to go into service next year and will be used

for counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling and

Rangers are a step closer to announcing their new head coach.

Pedro Caixinha has been given permission to come to Glasgow

He's been heavily linked with the vacancy following last

Orginally from Portugal, Caixinha quit playing football

at the age of 23 to study sport science and has since

coached in Mexico, Greece and the Middle East.

A free-runner has recreated the opening scene from Trainspotting.

16-year-old Robbie Griffith runs, jumps and somersaults around

The music is the same, the place is the same

Robbie Griffith was not even born when the first film came out

but he has put his own spin on the opening scene,

Robbie is one of the UK's leading parkour athletes.

He's been doing it since he was ten and even has an agent.

Despite this, there's astonishment at how many hits the video has got.

I had no idea it would blow up as much as it did.

Next morning I woke up and it was over 100,000 views.

I don't think I've ever had that many.

I hope it helps parkour grow to a bigger audience and that more

people recognise it so it is not about hoodlums hanging

The boys, who became friends through a love of the sport,

wanted to show it is fun, athletic and not dangerous.

The video was shot in a weekend by Johnston, a film student.

Then it took me a while afterwards to edit.

It was a simple idea that Robbie came up to me on the Friday

night and the next day, the next morning, we went

Parkour has been criticised for being risky but this video

is supposed to show how controlled and precise the movements are.

Parkour has been recognised as a sport in the UK

It is about discipline, control and focus.

Suzanne Allen, Reporting Scotland, Coatbridge.

Well, it's over to Christopher now with the weather outlook

Thank you. Hello, good evening. Some lovely spring sunshine around today.

Tonight, mostly dry, chilly and the countryside with rain on the Bay.

Here is the chart, a ridge of high pressure with us to start, but you

will see this weather front arriving tomorrow morning, bringing some

outbreaks of rain. For many, tomorrow will be cloudy compared to

today. Somehow the brightness but this across the Borders and the

Lothians, up through part of five, Stirlingshire, 70 Angus and

Aberdeenshire. Cloudy for the West and the meaning like that. Our

breaks of rain, light and patchy. Towards the far North, Caithness and

Shetland getting the brain. Through tomorrow, that cloud and those

Sharia outbreaks of rain edging in words with some murky hill fog

around the coast. Strengthening winds around the West coast.

Brightness for the East but the cloud will turn any sunshine hazy.

Across the UK as a whole, in the South East and East Anglia still

some sunshine. Elsewhere the cloud moving in words. Mild in the South,

into the Lothians, but further North, especially for us, because

cooler day than today. Our breaks of rain. As we head to the this time

tomorrow night that is when the real wet weather arrives. This persistent

band of rain edges in and it is a cold front and moves through. It

passes quickly but Saturday begins cloudy and damp. It improves, the

rain moves and it dries up and brightens up with some lovely

afternoon sunshine. 13 of 14 Celsius is possible. Sunday, some brightness

around for the East coast, murk Rather the West and showers.

Temperatures down a notch or two. To sum up the weekend, generally, mild,

both days. Saturday begins cloudy and damp but should improve with

sunshine by the afternoon. Some bright spots on Sunday but also a

few showers. That is your forecast. Laura Maciver's back with updates

during Breakfast tomorrow morning. From everyone on the late team

here in Glasgow and around It was the most beautiful view

I've ever been through.