19/04/2017 Reporting Scotland

A UK general election will be held on the 8th of June after MPs backed

the Prime Minister's call for a snap poll.

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the Scottish National Party's

initial election pitch here this morning, before MPs had even voted

on the Conservative Government's plans for that June election.

And when it came to the vote on that issue this afternoon,

Here's our Westminster Correspondent, Nick Eardley.

It started with Nicola Sturgeon quick off the mark. Only the SNP

stands between Scotland and an increasingly hardline Tory

government. She offered to work with other parties to try and keep the

Conservatives out of government and argued that SNP win in Scotland

would be a case against the Independent vote. When the tide is

right, will crumble to dust. In 2015, her party won 26 of Scotland's

right, will crumble to dust. In 59 seats. Will be aiming for the

same this time? I be leading a campaign to reach Tain -- return

each and everyone of the constituencies. Winning those 56

seats would be a huge challenge for Nicola Sturgeon's party. The only

way is down. This party... Hello! Smiles as the campaign begins but

there's a long road ahead. The Prime Minister hopes to be smiling too.

She wants to backing for her Brexit plans. The government offering a

chance to vote for the general election that will secure the strong

and stable leadership that continues to see is through Brexit and beyond.

She's faced claims of hypocrisy for saying and independence would would

be a distraction but then calling an election a response. Now is the time

for a general election because it will strengthen our hand on the

negotiations for Brexit. Now is not the time for a second Scottish

independence referendum because it will weaken our hand in negotiations

on Brexit. The SNP and conservatives argue it's a straight battle between

them in Scotland but others want European vote to do. The Liberal

Democrats will speak for Scotland. If you want to send a message to the

First Minister is that we don't want a second independent, and a message

to the Prime Minister that we don't want a hard Brexit, you fought for

the Labour Party. The eyes want a hard Brexit, you fought for

right, 522. SNP MPs abstained. The nose to the left, 13. So for the

next seven weeks, you'll hear arguments from across the political

spectrum about policy, about a Brexit, about the future of the

Brexit, about the future of the UK and Scotland.

Or independence? Or is it about the economy?

Our political editor Brian Taylor casts a wry glance

In politics, these are troubled, confusing times. Let's take things

back to the roots. Maybe over the next few weeks, you might find it

handy to have a clove of garlic ready to kick those canvassers away!

I want to quote that great Scottish sage, the movie ogre charrette. He

reminded us that onions have layers. So, too, to elections. The first

layer is the constituency. This is not a presidential contest. These

old Westminster parliamentary elections, you're directly electing

an MP, your local champion. elections, you're directly electing

Secondly, the UK Government. You're selecting indirectly a tenant for

this has. Your choosing and UK Cabinet in overall control of the

economy, both sides of industry say alongside constitutional to mother

must be an emphasis on growth and jobs. Focus on the economy, focus on

telling us exactly what the government is going to do to create

an environment that business can actually grow and business can

invest in. That should be the priority. It's about jobs,

investment and infrastructure for business. Focus on the policies that

matter to people on that day basis. The quality of employment, the fact

that too many people are working in precarious work with low pay, they

don't have access to quality public services. Those people working in

public services are struggling to provide quality public services.

Layer three, Brexit. Theresa May wants support for her for long

version of quitting the EU. She wants a bigger majorities to see

that through Parliament. Opponents wants to challenge her, I'd is

thwarting Brexit altogether, defending the single market, was

seeking a Scottish team. And there's independence. The Tories up that a

bigger vote for them across Scotland would ease the pressure for a

referendum. By contrast, the SNP give primary focus to countering

Conservative austerity and a hard Brexit. They insist they already

have a Holyrood mandate for a referendum. But they say a big vote

for them would reinforce that, meaning that Tory opposition would

crumble to dust. But of course, there's another thing to bear in

mind when you're in peeling the layers of an onion. It's cool all

end in tears. -- it could all end in tears.

So, to that campaign, and the battle for your votes to come.

What is on your mind and how will you decide

where to mark your cross on the ballot paper?

Cameron Buttle reports from Scotland's most marginal seat.

This is called Scots view. It was said to have been so Walter Scott's

favoured few of the Scottish Borders. It's right in the heart of

the Roxburgh and South Cliff constituency and that covers a huge

swathe of southern Scotland. From the West to the Ettrick Valley,

right over to Eyemouth in the east. All of that is the battle ground for

the closest fight in Scotland. And that includes places like hike,

Jedi, Galashiels and here in Kelso, when it's already the talk of the

town. Personally I think public transport is a big issue here,

because it's been cut so badly. And National Health Service. If

because it's been cut so badly. And get rid of this independence, I

would. That's not going to happen. Undecided. Scotland will go either

owned or just stay. I don't know if she's... So you're going to go SNP?

Yes. In one shape or another, this constituency had been Liberal

Democrat for decades but in 2015, the SNP surge swept through the

Borders as well, the candidate, Carl Kerr took a seat by just 320 foot.

Second place went to the Scottish Conservatives, John Lamont. The Lib

Dems Michael Daw was knocked down to third but still got more than 10,000

votes. The question is, what will happen to those of us crusty mark it

in interest in. Brexit is going to come into it. 60% voted to remain in

Europe. 66% voted to remain in the United Kingdom. It's a mixed

message, that's going out to the Tories, John Lamont will be

expecting, I would imagine, to win this seat, to wrestle it away from

Calum Kerr of the Nationalists. this seat, to wrestle it away from

is the key vote. Labour has never had a big showing down here though

is the key vote. Labour has never they do have the voters. But some of

them are thinking hard about what they're going to do. Here, my vote

would count, because I vote Labour. But I'll still vote Labour. You

wouldn't think of tactical voting? No. Well, I might if I think the

Tories might get an extra seat. There are around 75,000 votes to

fight for in this constituency and a little over 300 in at the last time.

It doesn't get better. -- it doesn't get any tighter.

Police Scotland say officers have no authority to arrest

a suspect who is the subject of an Interpol alert.

Harris Binotti is being sought by authorities in Myanmar,

They want to question him about the death of another British

Both men had been working as teachers there.

Mr Binotti left Myanmar the day before Mr Ferguson's body

According to newspaper reports, Mr Binotti has

And in Rugby, just two Scots have made it into the British

and Irish Lions squad for the summer tour of New Zealand.

More from our sports reporter David Currie.

Two lions and a shirt, like the Windies Glasgow boys will wear on

the Lions tour of New Zealand in the summer. No wonder the face gleaming.

I'm chuffed to bits. It's hard to sum up. There's been a lot of us by

collision over the last few weeks, who's going and who is not. As soon

as my name was read out today, it was massively excitement. It's

amazing. An amazing feeling. Really proud moment, proud moment for my

family. It's just, yeah, as Evelyn described it, it's a

once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. After the successful six Nations in

which Scotland won three of their five matches including wins over

Wales and Ireland, there's disappointment to do. After all,

there are 11 Irish and 12 Welsh players on the squad. To have two at

this stage, is very disappointing. I thought the brothers might have

gone. Finn Russell might have gone but if you look at the people whose

selecting it, they'd be going with who they know, their Welshman, they

Englishmen. The selection is a matter of opinion. We might slightly

disagree but that's what makes it interesting. This will be a

physically demanding tour, with ten matches being played in just about

five weeks, including three tests against the world champions, New

Zealand. That means injuries and further call ups are inevitable.

With Scotland on tour in Australia, the Lions are in New Zealand,

Scotland players might make Andy stand-bys.

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

Very cloudy skies across the country tonight. Also fairly mild

conditions. A few spots of light rain and hillfort -- hill fog.

Primarily in the West. And it's a mild start to the day. Whilst it is

very cloudy, there will be a few brighter claim chinks around the

East Coast up towards northern part of Aberdeenshire, towards the West

Highlands, the islands, more drizzle and persistent rain for the Northern

Isles with a strong westerly. That rain clearing for Shetland but it

will linger for Orkney and in the West, spots of rain on the door for

the course of the day involves cloudy for most, some brighter

moments across eastern parts of the country. Across UK as a whole,

fairly cloudy, the odd spot or the odd shower, through parts of

Northern Ireland in towards Wales, into was the south-west, the best of

any brightness south of the border will be in the far south-east around

Kent and Sussex. Reasonably mild and not too bad for us tomorrow either.

Cloudy in the West, cooler than that. The rest of the afternoon, the

wet weather in the north-west are little heavier, more persistent.

Cold fronts sinking its way southwards, high-pressure nearby,

but we are to the north so that whether French beans is D-Day for

some others on Friday, not all day. Cloudy use darts, moving its way

southwards so it will improve across the North. But sterling fresh as

temperatures drop. Quick look at the weekend, high-pressure and Saturday,

largely dry, cloudy, but at school it times and then this developing

system like to -- likely to bring wet and winter weather throughout

Sunday and into the new working West. -- working week.

Our next update is during Breakfast at 6.25am tomorrow morning.

But from everyone on the late team here in Glasgow and around