08/05/2017 Reporting Scotland

Here on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

On Election Reporting Scotland tonight...

What do the council results tell us about what will

And I'll be calling the parties to account out

And we'll reveal who really is Holyrood's top dog.

Between now and the general election, we'll bring you up

to speed with daily events from the campaign trail with

If you watch nothing else each day, we will be here with your essential

So, with the local elections now out of the way, today the general

But who got the biggest bounce from Thursday's results?

Here's our political correspondent Glenn Campbell.

Nb That the SNP won is not in doubt. They are the biggest. Their win is

reflected in new data confirming the share of first preference votes each

reflected in new data confirming the party received. The SNP were first

with 32%. Seven points ahead of the Conservatives on 25. Labour are on

20%, pushed into third place ahead of independence and others with shop

smaller shares. Now look at how that compares with what happened five

years ago. The SNP vote share has not changed. The Tories are up 12

percentage points, mainly at the expense of labour, down 11 on the

last local Government elections. What might be going on? It looks as

though what has happened have the Conservatives' concentration on the

question of the strong, robust opposition has meant that Labour

voters have gone straight over to the Conservatives because the Labour

Party's message has been more muted, Let's the polarisation of Scottish

politics between all the parties. The Tories will place the future of

the union at the centre of their campaign for next month's general

election. At Westminster, the SNP is defending 56 of the 59 available

seats in Scotland. It won them with a 50% share of the vote across the

country in the general election two years ago. That is more than the 47%

share they got of the constituency vote at last year's Holyrood

election for up and much more than the 32% of first preference is the

party got in this year's locals. The truth is the figures for the SNP are

low as compared with 2015 and 2016. But of course back in 2012, they

also did relatively poorly in the local elections, so what we are now

wondering is whether or not this simply reflects the fact that voters

are less willing to vote for the SNP in local elections are if this is a

sign of what is to come. Having won all but three of the Scottish seats

in the last general election, the SNP has the most to lose in next

month's vote. Opinion polls suggest there are still on course to finish

with the largest group of MPs. We've got a trio of top commentators

to talk about the campaigns so far and the challenges ahead

for the politicians. Stephen Paton is the online content

editor for The National, Marianne Taylor writes

for the Herald, and in our Edinburgh studio, we're joined

by Andy Maciver, a former director of communications for

the Scottish Conservatives and currently director of the PR

agency Message Matters. Thank you to you all for joining us

this evening. Marianne, who gets the biggest bounce from Thursday's

results? I think it is clear the Conservatives had a fantastic day,

and it was not as we imagined it would would be. It has left some

very interesting propositions, situations. I think it would be

naive to think that all the voters vote on things like wheelie bins on

the roads. Obviously the are influenced, knowing this year that

there is a general election just around the corner, but I also think

that it reflects, as John Curtis said earlier, the changing

landscape, the new landscape we are in. Nobody quite knows how this will

hit Julie Yates and how it will go. I think the SMB will be nervous

about what has happened, but on the other hand, they are believed it

quite strongly to you. Will they be nervous or does it suit the SNP, do

you think, for the soon Conservatives, the old bogeyman

against the opposition. I definitely think it helped them. Not just in

terms of the general election but looking at a referendum in the

future between the SNP and the Conservative Party. I do not think

the local elections were a massive resurgence in Tory support as much

the support for the union, collecting around the Conservative

Party, when you are looking at the breakdowns figures with only 25% of

the country voting for the Conservatives, it is not so much

resurgence. That is a problem for them, because that is not a buy into

their policies, it is to them to the opposition to independence at this

time. If you look back to the local elections in 2012,

time. If you look back to the local second had a higher percentage of

the boat than the Conservatives. As they frame it as their win, I do not

think the numbers back that up. And in Akiva, Glasgow lost. What now for

Scottish Labour? Not much, but I think the reality of last week is

Scottish Labour was a stock market company. It would have been priced

into the stock last week, so I do not think it has a huge impact on

labour. I think the interesting thing in last week's results and

what it tells is the most about Juno the eighth added particular areas

the opposition parties did well. You look in East Lothian, probably their

top target see, they did well. The Lib Dems did it well in Edinburgh

West. The Tories did well right across the South in Perth, Moray, in

Aberdeenshire, all places they are hoping to take on June the 8th. That

is something that will worry the SNP the most. But the thing that will

really concerned the SNP is in those particular seats, maybe eight or ten

target seats for other parties, the SNP did poorly and their main

opposition in those seats did really well. Hang on, we saw the SNP do

well in Edinburgh, at area they well. Hang on, we saw the SNP do

not polls so well in the independence referendum. They did

perfectly well in Edinburgh, but I think the biggest seats that is in

jeopardy is Edinburgh West. They did not do particular well in some of

the keyboards in Edinburgh West, I think that remains in jeopardy along

with a number of others. What about the Liberal Democrats? They lost

seats on Thursday. Tim Farron here today seemed to be very confident of

a researchers for them in Scotland. I think that is hard to see. It is

not impossible, but in the new landscape, I do not think there is

room there for them at all. I do not see how they would be able to appeal

to union voters who wanted a stronger voice, the whole Brexit

thing is not playing strongly here in Scotland as it is elsewhere in

England. I do not think there is room for them. It is not playing

here at all. Brexit is the elections south of the body. It is all about

independence year, no? Soul now framed through the constitutional

lens of who is going to stand up for or against a referendum. Possibly

one of the reasons why supporter has gone away from the Labour Party in

the local elections, given that both the Labour Party and the

Conservatives ran on the same message, vote for us to say no to

another referendum. It is no surprise that the support... Andy

Maciver, was we look forward to the surprise that the support... Andy

next four weeks, not the big policy areas in Scotland? I think it it is

going to be a policy election. They're going to trying keep this on

policy, you will see what they have been doing with the well fine cap

and they will try their best they possibly can to keep on two issues

like that. This general election is almost like two referendums wrapped

into one. As you look to England, is very much a referendum on Brexit and

that is what the Tory party once it framed us. We saw them say that they

need a bigger mandate to negotiate Europe. To me, the Tories are trying

to make it into an independence referendum. It is a bit of an

answering between the Tories on the SNP to see who can be the central

theme of the campaign. Internally, the SNP have been under a little

pressure to turn it back onto independence because there was a

period where they were trying not to talk about that about this time last

week, Nicola Sturgeon said it was a key issue in the campaign as well,

so I do not think we will see much policy at all from south of the

border, there is not much time for it, there is not a lot of space in

the media for it, and there is not much appetite among the parties to

talk about it. We will see personalities. Theresa May has been

on the The capital Mac one Show. I believe we will seek Brexit, which

is not soft cuddly. I think people deserve the... I would ask them why

they have taken the biggest risk of the campaign by going on the show in

the first place. We will find out tomorrow at seven. Thank you for

your time. More from the campaign trail coming

up, but first Anne Lundon has Two men from Larkhall whose bodies

were recovered from the Irish Sea after going out on a speedboat

at the weekend have Our reporter

Willie Johnston has the details. The victims have been named as Sandy

Hamilton, who was 35, and 47 old Kevin McKinlay, both from Larkhall

in Lanarkshire. The friends had set out on Saturday morning from Port

Logan just along the coast here, foray powerboats drive up the coast

when something went badly wrong. Their bodies were discovered last

night after a major air and sea search which had gone on for nearly

24 hours. They were found about two and a half miles of straw. The

tragedy happened in apparently benign conditions. Over the weekend

we have had fantastic weekend weather. The water is very

attractive, the sun is out, and it is good to go out and enjoy the

water at that point. I think this highlights the danger the water can

entail, how quick a very fun, enjoyable day can become a

catastrophe and a disaster. The warning has been echoed by police

Scotland, who say their investigation into the tragedy is

continuing. Willie Johnston, Reporting Scotland, Portpatrick.

A plea's been issued for more families to get

The Fostering Network says over 600 new foster families

are needed in Scotland, with homes particularly sought

The charity says unless people come forward, children face being placed

It's getting increasingly difficult to find somewhere to live

in the centre of Edinburgh, and that's partly down

to the capital's success as a draw for tourists.

According to research by the Scottish Green Party,

by 2050, almost half of the homes in the EH1 postcode

Margo Mason lives in Edinburgh's New Town,

and is one of the growing number of people who rent out their homes

The extra income enables her to stay living in the city centre.

I didn't have enough money coming in to live on.

The alternative would be I would have to sell my house,

Homeowners like Margot still live in the places

they rent out at peak times, but there is an ever growing trend

for people to buy up properties in Edinburgh that they will use

Critics say this is causing problems.

Ross Cowan lives on the historic Grassmarket,

and there are now three holiday flats in his stair alone.

You've got noise disruption, littering within the stair.

For somebody coming into the holiday let,

it is like a hotel without any staff.

They can do what they like, because there is no-one there.

Estate agents are concerned about losing rents from

If you cannot find somewhere to live,

The Scottish Green Party reckons that if the trend continues,

around half the homes in EH1 will be holiday homes by 2050.

Michael Allan's business manages short-term lets,

which he says are good for the local economy, but he agrees

All of the negatives can be solved by simple regulation,

by the council taking insight from local neighbourhood areas,

taking advice from agencies, to create good policy.

Other cities like London and Paris have introduced regulations

The challenge is to find a solution that suits the capital.

Thanks, Anne, back to Election 2017 in Scotland.

This was the day Labour and the Conservatives

Nicola Sturgeon pulled a pint in Perthshire

and Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron brought his battle bus to Scotland.

Here some of the key moments with 32 days to go.

Theresa May says the Conservatives will not abandon their promise to

reduce annual net migration to the tens of thousands. Even though they

have never met the target. Of course once we leave the European Union, we

will have the opportunity to ensure that we have control of our borders

here in the UK. Labour have been talking tax. Kezia

Dugdale does not seem keen on the Shadow Chancellor's promise not to

increase tax for low and middle earners. That is a policy he has

produced because that is where the power lies, England. I have

consistently argued for using our powers to raise the money we need to

stop the cuts. The S hinted that a 50p rate for

higher errors could be back on the table. We should not be increasing

the burden of income tax for low and middle-income earners. The cost of

living is going up. We set in the past that UK wide, going back to the

50p top rate is something that should be considered.

While the UK Lib Dems leader was in Scotland. He is not interested in

deals or coalitions. Individuals will make their own choices and we

are not in a case of being able to delegate. But the one party standing

for Scotland in the UK and Scotland in the EU, that is a powerful

message. With me to talk through today's

events, Ivan McKee from the SNP, Annie Wells from

the Scottish Conservatives and Jackie Baillie from

Scottish Labour. And in Edinburgh is

Alex Cole-Hamilton from Thank you all for joining us this

evening. Jackie Baillie, John McDonnell announced yesterday a

commitment to a tax rise for anyone over ?80,000 a year, will that be in

commitment to a tax rise for anyone the Scottish party manifesto? We

already control income tax in Scotland and we set out our

proposals quite clearly at the last budget because we thought that the

Scottish Parliament should use the new powers they have in a bid to end

austerity. So we proposed a top rate of income tax for those lucky enough

to earn over ?150,000 because we thought that was the right thing to

do. Now we see the ridiculous spectacle of Nicola Sturgeon having

initially proposed a 50p top rate of tax, then denying it in the

Parliament where she had the power to do something about it. What about

your policy, will you back what John McDonnell has been saying? Those

people owning over 80,000 fans a year. We think those with the

broadest shoulders should be a little bit more. -- over ?80,000 a

year. In Scotland we have responsibility over our own taxation

so we would come forward with proposals as we have done that suit

what is going on at the time. And I will not include people who earn

?80,000 a year? We think people should be paying a little and more,

those who are fortunate enough to earn more, because we want to end

austerity in Scotland, whereas the SNP and the Tories simply want to

pass it on to the very poorest in our country. Ivan McKee, does the

50p rate for higher earners remain on the table for you? Yes, it has

always been on the table. The issue of the 50p rate is, you have to do

the calculations to understand how much it will raise. If you don't do

that property, it can actually cost you money. It would be insane to put

a tax rise in that it is going to cost you money and you get less

money for public services. But we are clear that we will not increase

taxes for low and average earners, as you have seen in the Labour Party

policy, to increase taxes for the lowest earners and societies, so

they would pay for posterity twice. We do not think that is the right

thing to do. So where should the line be? ?80,000 by the Labour

Party, or is it for you? I am not go to make a manifesto commitment on

this show. We will see what happens when the party manifesto comes out

but the 50% rate is never off the table, and the details of what we

will propose will be clear in our manifesto. Annie Wells, the other

big story today was migration. You never actually managed to reach it

appointments minister said -- Bardia Prime Minister say that the promise

to cut net migration will be in it again. Do we have a problem with

migration in Scotland? I don't think we do. The only issue here is that

we only have 4% of people that come to the UK actually coming to

Scotland. So we need more people coming? The Scottish Government have

the leverage to control it, to make this the place to come. But who is

good working with the highest taxes in the UK and a education system?

But if the national Government, if the Tory Government nationally is

setting these limits, but is inevitably going to impact on the

number of people coming to Scotland. Of course, but you also have the

operations that people are coming here for. At the end of the day,

what we are saying is, if the SNP believe that we should get more

migration here... Do you have an issue with migration here? We need

to encourage people to live and work in our country but we need to make

it a fair place for them to come and work. But on the 8th of June the

people of the UK will have the vote there. We control our borders, or

Jeremy Corbyn just as free movement of people. You have got Theresa May

fighting an election campaign at a UK level on the basis that they want

to reduce immigration despite the fact that when she was Home

Secretary she completely failed to do so. 160,000 people a year from

outside the EU. You have the Scottish Conservatives somehow

trying to blame the SNP... No, because the SNP have been in

Parliament saying we should have more migration in Scotland. We are

saying that if people do not just come to Scotland or to any place

because of cultural values, they come to Scotland or to any place

come because there are jobs, job growth, things for them... That is

not how it works. Immigration is there to encourage growth. If you

ask economic experts, all the UK growth forecasts assume that

immigration will be in the hundreds of thousands going forward, not the

tens of thousands. If it was reduced to tens of thousand, the UK' numbers

would take a tumble. That is going to hurt Scotland. Tim Farron's

visit, Alex Cole-Hamilton is in Edinburgh. He lost to seize

nationally and in Scotland only 7% of the vote last week. Your party

leader says no deals or no pacts. Given how badly you did with that

the last time, it is easy to see why he's doing it. But how will you get

anywhere if you're not prepared to deal other parties? Firstly, the

results of the local election showed our best results were in those seats

where we are in contention against the SNP, Eastern Bodiger, North East

Fife and in the West, and in the Highlands we saw us overtaking the

SNP. Glenn Campbell should a photograph relic, it puts liberal

Democrat in contention and shows that the SNP are unassailable, and

we are absolutely bringing the fight that the SNP are unassailable, and

to them. The seats we took from them last year, against the odds, and in

North East Fife, so Tim Farron did a tour of some of those seats today to

bring a message of enthusiasm to the activist base... But you will have

to deal with other parties to ever get your hands on the levers. I do

not think that is in question. If every party has ruled out a

coalition. The SNP have ruled out ever forming a coalition with the

Conservatives. We cannot ever see as aligning ourselves in this election,

which everybody is for telling as being a Conservative landslide, what

we have a race for here is the effective opposition to take the

fight to Theresa May. Jeremy Corbyn has been shown to be woeful in

delivering that. Complete capitulation over Brexit. The SNP

are driving the SNP -- the independence agenda solely the only

party standing up Scotland's place in the UK and the UK's place in

Europe is the Lib Dems that is a message and you can see the results

of both referendums, that is compelling and is winning over

voters across those areas... Jackie Baillie, when his Jeremy Corbyn

coming to Scotland? I believe he has already been and I think he will be

back several times into the course of the campaign. But at the end of

the day, what this is about is a bold for Labour is a boat very much

against a second independence referendum and it is a vote to end

austerity. We are very clear and Jeremy Corbyn is equally clear. What

we want to do is we want to return to introducing the kind of values

and policies that have been traditional to Labour. We are a

tough time, thank you very much indeed. -- out of time.

And finally, forget the local elections -

anyone looking for clues as to the general election result

today turned their attention to the first Holyrood

14 contenders battled it out to be named Scotland's

with the prize eventually going to SNP MSP Emma Harper

The winner decided, apparently, on a first PAWS the post system.

And that's Election Reporting Scotland.

Tomorrow on the campaign trail, there's oil and gas, Europe,

Join me again after the Ten O'Clock News,

Cloud across the far north was patchy rain drifting into the

Northern Isles by tomorrow morning. But not too cold. We could see a

touch of frost towards the Great Glen area. So if I'm stuck to the

day, any cloud breaking up as we head through the course of the

morning. Seven or six Celsius across the South and the central lowlands.

We could see a touch of frost towards the Great Glen Lyon. Across

the North Coast and the Northern Isles, cloudy with patchy rain, a

bit of a breeze coming from the West. For the rest of the morning,

nothing changing across the far North. Cloud sinking further South

into Aberdeenshire, Friday with bright and sunny spells. As far of

the rest of the UK goes, some lovely sunshine for Northern Ireland, the

Western side of the UK will have more in the way of cloud. Quite cool

and eastern coastal areas, Newcastle right down to the South East.

Temperatures not looking too bad at all, 18 Celsius for Northern

Ireland. You will notice the East of Scotland feeling much better in the

temperature stakes. We could see 17 Celsius by the likes of Perthshire

and inland parts of the Borders as well. But very little in the way of

rain. It will feel pleasant in the sunshine. Always a bit cooler under

the cloud across the former. Holding onto cloudy conditions across the

foreign or with patchy rain and drizzle. Elsewhere, dry as we head

through tomorrow evening. Here is the pressure drop, high pressure

driving our weather. -- the pressure chart. Brightening up on Wednesday,

that rain clears from the Northern