31/03/2017 Reporting Scotland

The First Minister has formally requested the transfer of powers

from Westminster to hold an independence referendum.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon says there is "no

rational reason" why this request should be declined.

But Downing Street says it would be wrong to hold

talks while the details of Brexit remain uncertain.

And the Scottish Tories accused the First Minister

On a sofa, the image of shoes off relaxation,

the First Minister signs a letter urging an Independence

Referendum, an obvious contrast with the Prime Minister, signing goodbye

to the EU at a desk below a portrait of Britain's first Prime Minister.

One I sit around the day goes shipping table...

Nicola Sturgeon says she wishes Theresa May every

success in Brexit talks, promising full and constructive support.

But she reminds the Prime Minister that the Scottish

Parliament has now voted for an Independence Referendum to coincide

with the inclusion of those Brexit negotiations.

The First Minister adds that there appears to be no

rational reason for you to stand in the way of the will of the Scottish

Parliament, and I hope you will not do so.

I asked the First Minister why now, when she knew the Prime

I'm writing to the Prime Minister today,

to set out the rational case for the will of the Scottish Parliament.

I'm writing to her to formally request that she

respects the view of the Scottish parliament.

What we're dealing with his natural gas me or the SNP, this

If she refuses to enter into these discussions, what I said very

In my view the will of the Scottish parliament must be

It is a question not of if it is respected, but how.

Spokesman for the Prime Minister confirmed she would not enter any

The Scottish Tories say the focus should

It is a highly theatrical gesture we have all been

This is a request for a referendum which the people of

Scotland don't want, and the Prime Minister has made it

clear she does not believe now is the time.

In many respects this is pure theatrical

It will not serve any meaningful purpose and we will not

be having a referendum in the immediate future until our future

outside of the European Union is clear.

Nicola Sturgeon insists Scotland must be given a choice.

The driver of a bin lorry which crashed in Glasgow, killing six

people in December 2014, has been banned from driving

for three years and will have to wear an electronic tag

Arriving at the sheriff court knowing he could face a custodial

Last month, Harry Clarke, on the right, pleaded guilty to

His licence was taken away after he lost

consciousness at the wheel of a bin lorry which crashed in Glasgow city

But just nine months after the crash, he was seen back behind

Harry Clarke admitted driving on this road

Neighbours had seen him from a window

getting into his car in the

private car park near his home, turning on the headlights and

In his defence, Harry Clarke's lawyer said

he had driven the car 30 yards from the car

park to the front door and

In court last month, Harry Clarke admitted

or should have known he was

unfit to drive following the bin lorry tragedy, and an episode more

than four years earlier when he worked as a bus driver for first

But a fatal accident enquiry also held here heard he had a

history of fainting and blackouts over 30

years, and had been to the

The enquiry found he had lied on forms

And the crash could have been avoided had he told the truth about

Harry Clarke's lawyer said nothing he said today in

mitigation is intended in any wait to diminish the events of December

Sentencing Harry Clarke today for driving again, the sheriff

told him the decision he had taken to drive

short distance, was wholly irresponsible and reprehensible, and

placed the safety of the public at risk.

He said, you must have been acutely aware of the possible

consequences of you losing consciousness while driving.

Harry Clarke has been banned from driving

for three years, although his license had already been revoked

He will be supervised for a year, is tagged and on a curfew

If he breaches this, the consequences could be

An employment tribunal case taken by two foster carers in Glasgow

could have wide-ranging implications for the future status

James and Christine Johnstone want all carers to be treated

as employees by local authorities, with all the rights

Glasgow City Council says it works closely with its carers to resolve

We work with vulnerable young people, we are

We're getting involved, we are trying our

Why local authorities kicks -- scared to give us employee rights or

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has called for people who wish to appear

during its first public hearings to come forward.

They'll begin at the end of May, and will hear evidence

from survivor groups and large care providers as well as

The inquiry says evidence is continuing to be taken

Every pregnant woman in Scotland will receive free

The Scottish Government said the move was aimed at improving

the health of parents and children, and had widespread support

Football, and Aberdeen thrashed Dundee 7-0 at Dens Park to ensure

that Celtic will have to wait to be crowned

The Dons were four up at half time, and Andrew Coinsidine scored

They're now 11 points clear of Rangers in third place.

Edinburgh lost by 22 points to 32 against La Rochelle

at Murrayfield, in the quarter finals of the European

Duncan Weir's penalty drew Edinburgh to within four

points of the French side, but they pulled away again.

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

After some rain across much of the country, tonight is looking largely

dry, fairly cloudy, do hold onto some light patchy rain, hourly

across the far north north-west. The 1st of April, it dawns on a cloudy

node with how big is raining in west, particularly giving way to

showers in the morning which will eventually become fairly widespread.

It will be bright sunny spells in between. Around 2pm tomorrow, we

could see some showers just about anywhere, fairly heavy, some will be

slow-moving with little in terms of wind. Brightness, some sunshine in

between the showers, and with temperatures around 1013 Celsius for

most of ours, given some sunshine and light wind. It would feel too

bad. Across the rest of the UK, much the same story, sunshine and April

showers. Heavy, slow moving, potentially thundery in nature, but

with plenty of brightness and sunshine in between. Temperatures

are widely entered double figures, peeking into 16 Celsius across the

south-east. Tomorrow evening, we have this ridge of high pressure

which begins to Bruges in, and that will kill off the UK. A dry night to

come, clear with a touch of Frost in some sheltered rule spots. As we

head into Sunday, high-pressure staying with us, a dry day to come

across brightness and sunshine. Temperatures climbing well into

double figures and with light winds that will yield really quite

pleasant in the sunshine. A look ahead to the beginning of next week,

that area of high pressure will begin to pull away, we'll see some

rain moving into the west of Scotland and across Northern

Ireland, always back and try a further east. Hazard

From everyone on the late team here in Glasgow,

to sit down and really flush everything out.