:00:00. > :00:12.The Scottish economy is hovering close to recession, according
:00:13. > :00:17.They show output fell during the last three
:00:18. > :00:22.months of last year, and fell well behind UK growth.
:00:23. > :00:23.That continues a trend of lower growth here.
:00:24. > :00:28.Our business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser, assesses the impact.
:00:29. > :00:31.It takes a microscope to find signs of growth at this business
:00:32. > :00:37.And as the Finance Secretary is learning, evidence of economic
:00:38. > :00:44.Bioscience is one of the hopes for the future of the Scottish
:00:45. > :00:49.economy, but it will need something inventive to shake about the near
:00:50. > :00:52.stagnation of the past year, for the figures covered the final
:00:53. > :00:55.three months of last year, but the output from the whole
:00:56. > :01:04.Production, construction down most, the services sector flat compared
:01:05. > :01:09.with 0.7% growth for the UK economy as a whole.
:01:10. > :01:12.Take the whole of the year and in 2016 the Scottish
:01:13. > :01:16.economy grow by only 0.4%, very weak growth, the UK growing
:01:17. > :01:25.The downturn in oil and gas is a likely culprit.
:01:26. > :01:28.The Scottish Government says it also has a lot to do with consumer
:01:29. > :01:30.confidence following the Brexit referendum decision even know that
:01:31. > :01:36.It seems to contrast between Scotland and the rest
:01:37. > :01:39.of the UK, maybe the people of Scotland had more
:01:40. > :01:42.awareness of the impact that it is going to have
:01:43. > :01:44.on the Scottish economy and of course there is a different
:01:45. > :01:47.Still strong economic foundations to our Scottish economy
:01:48. > :01:55.Slow growth has to do with choices made by business
:01:56. > :02:02.If that shrinking of the Scottish economy is repeated at the start
:02:03. > :02:05.of this year we will be in a recession.
:02:06. > :02:07.That is troubling for a number of reasons.
:02:08. > :02:13.But it is a call to action for the UK and Scottish Government.
:02:14. > :02:17.These figures ought to signal a red alert to government at all levels
:02:18. > :02:19.and its response to that ought to be a recognition that businesses
:02:20. > :02:29.But we need a competitive economy in Scotland and competitive taxes.
:02:30. > :02:31.Forging change in Scottish finances, income tax divergence from the rest
:02:32. > :02:38.of the UK begins tomorrow for the new financial year
:02:39. > :02:40.and there are some signs that the economic engine is sparking
:02:41. > :02:46.Inflation is back to put a squeeze on household budgets.
:02:47. > :02:51.And there is also uncertainty in the economy.
:02:52. > :02:55.Scotland's longest-serving MEP has predicted the UK will no longer
:02:56. > :02:59.exist if there is no flexibility during Brexit negotiations.
:03:00. > :03:03.Labour's David Martin was speaking as the European Parliament
:03:04. > :03:06.debated its negotiating objectives after the triggering of Article 50.
:03:07. > :03:10.Our political correspondent Nick Eardley reports from Strasbourg.
:03:11. > :03:16.The various arguments on Brexit are well rehearsed.
:03:17. > :03:18.The city where the EU's directly elected politicians come to vote.
:03:19. > :03:20.Strasbourg is where the European Parliament will accept
:03:21. > :03:24.Today those politicians set out their priorities and heard how
:03:25. > :03:30.Including from this Labour MEP who says he's no longer sure how
:03:31. > :03:35.If the UK does not show flexibility in these talks,
:03:36. > :03:38.then it will not only be the UK leaving the EU but the UK
:03:39. > :03:46.Nigel Farage has been one of the fiercest critics of this
:03:47. > :03:51.He says they're making unreasonable Brexit demands.
:03:52. > :04:03.You think we are a hostage, we are free to go.
:04:04. > :04:05.From the European side a desire for future partnership.
:04:06. > :04:07.But also a warning, they plan to be united and firm
:04:08. > :04:12.Colleagues, we are going to remain partners and friends,
:04:13. > :04:15.but the United Kingdom has got to accept the fact that there
:04:16. > :04:18.will be a tough negotiating position on the European Union side.
:04:19. > :04:21.So what are the European Parliament's priorities?
:04:22. > :04:25.MEPs say the UK must fulfil all of its obligations up
:04:26. > :04:30.Echoing other institutions, they say the UK cannot enjoy similar
:04:31. > :04:39.They call for fair treatment of EU citizens and the motion highlighted
:04:40. > :04:40.the fact that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted
:04:41. > :04:51.This SNP MP hopes that could prove useful.
:04:52. > :04:56.That keeps the door open for later things, whatever they may be.
:04:57. > :04:59.This is the start the process and we keep all options open.
:05:00. > :05:03.There will be a lot of attempts by member states perhaps to divide
:05:04. > :05:10.The European Parliament has become the first institution to formally
:05:11. > :05:15.Later this month European leaders will meet to hammer
:05:16. > :05:24.Fans and former players are threatening to boycott
:05:25. > :05:27.Clyde Football Club until the club's board rethinks its decision
:05:28. > :05:31.The former Scotland player was ruled in a civil
:05:32. > :05:33.court to be a rapist, although he's appealing
:05:34. > :05:44.David Goodwillie scoring for his country in 2011.
:05:45. > :05:49.In January the Court of Session ruled that David Goodwillie
:05:50. > :05:52.Denise Clare in 2011 and they were ordered to pay
:05:53. > :05:59.In the civil case Denise Claire said she was incapable of consenting
:06:00. > :06:06.The judge found her to be cogent, persuasive and compelling.
:06:07. > :06:09.But the Crown Office said there was not sufficient evidence
:06:10. > :06:17.Today Denise Clare told the BBC she is dismayed that he had
:06:18. > :06:22.been allowed to return to professional football.
:06:23. > :06:25.He was a promising footballer, but when he left Plymouth FC
:06:26. > :06:28.in January by mutual consent, many thought it was
:06:29. > :07:01.But last week Clyde Football Club announced they had signed him.
:07:02. > :07:04.Former Clyde player Stephen Tennant says many think
:07:05. > :07:09.He suggested fans who own the club could try to force the board
:07:10. > :07:16.On the whole I do not like it when footballers
:07:17. > :07:18.are set out as role models, I think is probably over
:07:19. > :07:20.for David Goodwillie in terms of football,
:07:21. > :07:24.I do not feel he has a place in the game any more.
:07:25. > :07:28.Many fans today said they will boycott the club from now on.
:07:29. > :07:32.George Lennox has been to games since he was eight years old.
:07:33. > :07:35.Today he wrote to the club to say he will not return until they get
:07:36. > :07:41.As far as I'm aware a large number of people are not coming back.
:07:42. > :07:44.A few of my friends have written big essays on Facebook justifying
:07:45. > :07:50.It seems the club is more interested in staying in the professional
:07:51. > :08:09.At the end of this scene -- season Clyde face falling out of the top
:08:10. > :08:14.leagues for the first time in the history. Some say that justified the
:08:15. > :08:16.decision but critics including fans say that is no excuse for such a
:08:17. > :08:17.signing. A campaign to vaccinate girls
:08:18. > :08:22.against a cancer-causing sexually transmitted infection has led
:08:23. > :08:23.to a dramatic drop in Researchers found a 90% reduction
:08:24. > :08:28.in levels of the human papillomavirus in women
:08:29. > :08:30.since the vaccine was The virus is thought to account
:08:31. > :08:36.for about 80% of cervical cancers. Public health specialists say
:08:37. > :08:38.the large numbers of girls taking up The whole success stems
:08:39. > :08:44.from the fact we have got a very high uptake of the vaccine and have
:08:45. > :08:47.done since the inception of the programme and so a 90% uptake
:08:48. > :08:51.of all three doses and when you do that you start to remove the virus
:08:52. > :08:56.from the population. Women are well represented
:08:57. > :08:58.at the highest levels of Scottish politics,
:08:59. > :09:01.but it's emerged that only one in three candidates
:09:02. > :09:03.for the forthcoming council elections here are female,
:09:04. > :09:19.according to analysis Last month two of the most powerful
:09:20. > :09:24.politicians in the land met on the eve of one of the biggest moments in
:09:25. > :09:29.British political history. This coverage was met with outrage among
:09:30. > :09:34.many but it also turns the spotlight on the role underrepresentation of
:09:35. > :09:38.women in politics, and according to campaign group 50-50 there is still
:09:39. > :09:42.some way to go. They say only around one third of candidates for the
:09:43. > :09:48.forthcoming cantonal elections are women and are calling for gender
:09:49. > :09:51.quotas to introduced. The women 50-50 campaign advocates for candid
:09:52. > :09:57.quarters which means all parties that at at least 50% women
:09:58. > :10:00.candidates and that means the ballot paper reflects society more. We need
:10:01. > :10:05.to aim for that and that for me prevent the democratic deficit we
:10:06. > :10:11.have that woman. The Scottish Greens have 45% followed by the SNP on 41%.
:10:12. > :10:19.Scottish Liberal Democrats on 32% and Scottish Labour on 32%. Only 17%
:10:20. > :10:22.of Scottish Conservative candidates and 18% of independent candidates
:10:23. > :10:28.are female. Scottish Conservatives admit it is disappointing. I don't
:10:29. > :10:33.think it is right. I think we need to do more and when I started as an
:10:34. > :10:37.MSP 11 months ago I made it my priority to speak and say that we
:10:38. > :10:41.need to do this and they have been working close with our candidates
:10:42. > :10:46.board as well to make sure even the selection process is suited to
:10:47. > :10:49.females as well. Some would argue that females are already a force in
:10:50. > :10:53.Scottish politics with three of the main parties led by women, but the
:10:54. > :10:58.claim levelled that all parties today is that more needs to be done
:10:59. > :11:02.to ensure that the door for females entering politics is firmly open.
:11:03. > :11:04.Four games in the Scottish Premiership tonight.
:11:05. > :11:08.It was goalless at Rugby Park in the Kilmarnock
:11:09. > :11:10.against Rangers game, as it was between
:11:11. > :11:30.Good evening. It has not been a bad night so far. Mostly dry, clear
:11:31. > :11:35.spells around. A lovely sunset here from Motherwell early this evening.
:11:36. > :11:38.The rest of the night it will be fairly cloudy but some clear spells
:11:39. > :11:42.more central and eastern areas. Across the West the cloud will
:11:43. > :11:46.continue to thicken during the night and outbreaks of light and patchy
:11:47. > :11:51.rain mainly over high ground in the north-west. Breezy across the far
:11:52. > :11:55.North. Around 8am you can expect some showers across Shetland where
:11:56. > :11:59.it is still breezy. The far north and north-west could have some light
:12:00. > :12:08.and patchy drizzle but drier further east especially across the borders.
:12:09. > :12:12.Temperatures 7-8. The day remains rather mild and most of the cloud
:12:13. > :12:15.will be towards the West. The best brightness along the east coast.
:12:16. > :12:22.They're so compared to today. More cloud. At the rest of the UK more in
:12:23. > :12:27.the way of cloud for all of us. Largely dry conditions for much of
:12:28. > :12:30.England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Just a few showers across higher
:12:31. > :12:35.ground for the north-west of Scotland. Temperatures are around 12
:12:36. > :12:38.to 15 at best. This settled weather has been responsible because of high
:12:39. > :12:43.pressure that is with us across the UK. It is with us for Friday and
:12:44. > :12:46.Saturday. You could see these weather fronts to the north of us
:12:47. > :12:52.edging in across Shetland bringing showery rain for Friday. Here is the
:12:53. > :12:54.picture, rain, mist and Michael were Shetland and Orkney. For the
:12:55. > :12:59.north-westward will see some thicker cloud bringing more patchy rain at
:13:00. > :13:05.times. The best weather for more central and eastern areas. Your
:13:06. > :13:12.temperatures could reach 13 or 14. Saturday is similar. Looking at
:13:13. > :13:15.mainly dry conditions. Across the West 's some thicker cloud and
:13:16. > :13:21.patchy light rain or drizzle. The best brightness along the east
:13:22. > :13:22.Coast. Temperatures 10-12 C for most but maybe 14 or 15 for the
:13:23. > :13:23.north-east. Our next update is during Breakfast
:13:24. > :13:27.at 6:25am tomorrow morning. But, from everyone
:13:28. > :13:32.on the late team, good night. Marine Le Pen has her eyes
:13:33. > :13:36.on the French presidency.