05/04/2017 Reporting Scotland

The Scottish economy is hovering close to recession, according

They show output fell during the last three

months of last year, and fell well behind UK growth.

That continues a trend of lower growth here.

Our business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser, assesses the impact.

It takes a microscope to find signs of growth at this business

And as the Finance Secretary is learning, evidence of economic

Bioscience is one of the hopes for the future of the Scottish

economy, but it will need something inventive to shake about the near

stagnation of the past year, for the figures covered the final

three months of last year, but the output from the whole

Production, construction down most, the services sector flat compared

with 0.7% growth for the UK economy as a whole.

Take the whole of the year and in 2016 the Scottish

economy grow by only 0.4%, very weak growth, the UK growing

The downturn in oil and gas is a likely culprit.

The Scottish Government says it also has a lot to do with consumer

confidence following the Brexit referendum decision even know that

It seems to contrast between Scotland and the rest

of the UK, maybe the people of Scotland had more

awareness of the impact that it is going to have

on the Scottish economy and of course there is a different

Still strong economic foundations to our Scottish economy

Slow growth has to do with choices made by business

If that shrinking of the Scottish economy is repeated at the start

of this year we will be in a recession.

That is troubling for a number of reasons.

But it is a call to action for the UK and Scottish Government.

These figures ought to signal a red alert to government at all levels

and its response to that ought to be a recognition that businesses

But we need a competitive economy in Scotland and competitive taxes.

Forging change in Scottish finances, income tax divergence from the rest

of the UK begins tomorrow for the new financial year

and there are some signs that the economic engine is sparking

Inflation is back to put a squeeze on household budgets.

And there is also uncertainty in the economy.

Scotland's longest-serving MEP has predicted the UK will no longer

exist if there is no flexibility during Brexit negotiations.

Labour's David Martin was speaking as the European Parliament

debated its negotiating objectives after the triggering of Article 50.

Our political correspondent Nick Eardley reports from Strasbourg.

The various arguments on Brexit are well rehearsed.

The city where the EU's directly elected politicians come to vote.

Strasbourg is where the European Parliament will accept

Today those politicians set out their priorities and heard how

Including from this Labour MEP who says he's no longer sure how

If the UK does not show flexibility in these talks,

then it will not only be the UK leaving the EU but the UK

Nigel Farage has been one of the fiercest critics of this

He says they're making unreasonable Brexit demands.

You think we are a hostage, we are free to go.

From the European side a desire for future partnership.

But also a warning, they plan to be united and firm

Colleagues, we are going to remain partners and friends,

but the United Kingdom has got to accept the fact that there

will be a tough negotiating position on the European Union side.

So what are the European Parliament's priorities?

MEPs say the UK must fulfil all of its obligations up

Echoing other institutions, they say the UK cannot enjoy similar

They call for fair treatment of EU citizens and the motion highlighted

the fact that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted

This SNP MP hopes that could prove useful.

That keeps the door open for later things, whatever they may be.

This is the start the process and we keep all options open.

There will be a lot of attempts by member states perhaps to divide

The European Parliament has become the first institution to formally

Later this month European leaders will meet to hammer

Fans and former players are threatening to boycott

Clyde Football Club until the club's board rethinks its decision

The former Scotland player was ruled in a civil

court to be a rapist, although he's appealing

David Goodwillie scoring for his country in 2011.

In January the Court of Session ruled that David Goodwillie

Denise Clare in 2011 and they were ordered to pay

In the civil case Denise Claire said she was incapable of consenting

The judge found her to be cogent, persuasive and compelling.

But the Crown Office said there was not sufficient evidence

Today Denise Clare told the BBC she is dismayed that he had

been allowed to return to professional football.

He was a promising footballer, but when he left Plymouth FC

in January by mutual consent, many thought it was

But last week Clyde Football Club announced they had signed him.

Former Clyde player Stephen Tennant says many think

He suggested fans who own the club could try to force the board

On the whole I do not like it when footballers

are set out as role models, I think is probably over

for David Goodwillie in terms of football,

I do not feel he has a place in the game any more.

Many fans today said they will boycott the club from now on.

George Lennox has been to games since he was eight years old.

Today he wrote to the club to say he will not return until they get

As far as I'm aware a large number of people are not coming back.

A few of my friends have written big essays on Facebook justifying

It seems the club is more interested in staying in the professional

At the end of this scene -- season Clyde face falling out of the top

leagues for the first time in the history. Some say that justified the

decision but critics including fans say that is no excuse for such a

signing. A campaign to vaccinate girls

against a cancer-causing sexually transmitted infection has led

to a dramatic drop in Researchers found a 90% reduction

in levels of the human papillomavirus in women

since the vaccine was The virus is thought to account

for about 80% of cervical cancers. Public health specialists say

the large numbers of girls taking up The whole success stems

from the fact we have got a very high uptake of the vaccine and have

done since the inception of the programme and so a 90% uptake

of all three doses and when you do that you start to remove the virus

from the population. Women are well represented

at the highest levels of Scottish politics,

but it's emerged that only one in three candidates

for the forthcoming council elections here are female,

according to analysis Last month two of the most powerful

politicians in the land met on the eve of one of the biggest moments in

British political history. This coverage was met with outrage among

many but it also turns the spotlight on the role underrepresentation of

women in politics, and according to campaign group 50-50 there is still

some way to go. They say only around one third of candidates for the

forthcoming cantonal elections are women and are calling for gender

quotas to introduced. The women 50-50 campaign advocates for candid

quarters which means all parties that at at least 50% women

candidates and that means the ballot paper reflects society more. We need

to aim for that and that for me prevent the democratic deficit we

have that woman. The Scottish Greens have 45% followed by the SNP on 41%.

Scottish Liberal Democrats on 32% and Scottish Labour on 32%. Only 17%

of Scottish Conservative candidates and 18% of independent candidates

are female. Scottish Conservatives admit it is disappointing. I don't

think it is right. I think we need to do more and when I started as an

MSP 11 months ago I made it my priority to speak and say that we

need to do this and they have been working close with our candidates

board as well to make sure even the selection process is suited to

females as well. Some would argue that females are already a force in

Scottish politics with three of the main parties led by women, but the

claim levelled that all parties today is that more needs to be done

to ensure that the door for females entering politics is firmly open.

Four games in the Scottish Premiership tonight.

It was goalless at Rugby Park in the Kilmarnock

against Rangers game, as it was between

Good evening. It has not been a bad night so far. Mostly dry, clear

spells around. A lovely sunset here from Motherwell early this evening.

The rest of the night it will be fairly cloudy but some clear spells

more central and eastern areas. Across the West the cloud will

continue to thicken during the night and outbreaks of light and patchy

rain mainly over high ground in the north-west. Breezy across the far

North. Around 8am you can expect some showers across Shetland where

it is still breezy. The far north and north-west could have some light

and patchy drizzle but drier further east especially across the borders.

Temperatures 7-8. The day remains rather mild and most of the cloud

will be towards the West. The best brightness along the east coast.

They're so compared to today. More cloud. At the rest of the UK more in

the way of cloud for all of us. Largely dry conditions for much of

England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Just a few showers across higher

ground for the north-west of Scotland. Temperatures are around 12

to 15 at best. This settled weather has been responsible because of high

pressure that is with us across the UK. It is with us for Friday and

Saturday. You could see these weather fronts to the north of us

edging in across Shetland bringing showery rain for Friday. Here is the

picture, rain, mist and Michael were Shetland and Orkney. For the

north-westward will see some thicker cloud bringing more patchy rain at

times. The best weather for more central and eastern areas. Your

temperatures could reach 13 or 14. Saturday is similar. Looking at

mainly dry conditions. Across the West 's some thicker cloud and

patchy light rain or drizzle. The best brightness along the east

Coast. Temperatures 10-12 C for most but maybe 14 or 15 for the

north-east. Our next update is during Breakfast

at 6:25am tomorrow morning. But, from everyone

on the late team, good night. Marine Le Pen has her eyes

on the French presidency.