22/04/2017 Reporting Scotland

The SNP's national executive has ruled not to endorse two sitting MPs

as candidates in the general election in June.

Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry, who were elected as SNP

MPs but now sit as independent members, were told by

the party's ruling body that they would not be selected.

With less than seven weeks until poling, all the political

parties have been out campaigning across the country.

This morning SNP members met to sort out their candidates for the UK

election. After the party's success at the last Westminster election

that was an easy job, mostly. All of the party's 54 sitting MPs were

reselected with immediate effect, but Michelle Thompson and Natalie

McGarry, elected SNP members in 2015, has been ditched by the party.

Both politicians withdrew from the party amid separate investigations

into their financial affairs. In a statement Mr Thompson said she was

very disappointed with the decision. The Edinburgh West MP added:

Miss McGarry, the number for Glasgow East, also insisted she has done

nothing wrong. The SNP now needs to find five

candidates here in Glasgow East and Edinburgh West and for the three

seats the party did not win in 2015. That process is due to be completed

by the end of the week. Scotland's other parties have set out similar

timescales. Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has been eyeing up

candidates, which me include former parliamentarians. The Conservatives

made that up several current and recipes to stand at Westminster, and

the Liberal Democrats say the selection process is well underway.

In any case, it looks like the election campaign in Scotland will

be fully up and running in the next week.

A 33-year-old man is critical in hospital with a serious head

injury, after a fight in Paisley in the early hours of this morning.

Police are treating the incident as attempted murder.

It happened in the town's New Street, near the junction

Football, and Aberdeen have booked their place

in the Scottish Cup final, by beating the holders

Our senior Football reporter Chris McLaughlin

It was a real roller-coaster cup semifinal. Aberdeen are through, but

they did at the hard way after a quite stunning start. They were

ahead after just 13 seconds, a mistake from the Hibs midfield, and

there was Adam Rooney to punish. What a start. It was 2-0 before the

half-hour, Ryan Christie with this cheeky free kick after the Hibs wall

crumbled. Hibs fought back. Substitute Grant Holt on them hope.

The Reds after that look rattled, and on the hour Dylan McGeouch

levelled. Just when extra time was looming, how about this from Jonny

Hayes? A wicked deflection, but they all count in the end. At times, at

2-2 you're not sure how it going to go. It went our way. We got a break

with the goal and we are delighted to get out of the final. Aberdeen

are through to the Scottish Cup final for the first time in 17

years. They will face either Celtic or Rangers and will play here at the

National saving tomorrow. Vincente won the Scottish

Grand National at Ayr. A 20-foot-long whale has been

refloated, after it became stranded on a beach in Fife,

west of Elie. The minke was spotted on the beach

yesterday afternoon by a passer-by. Coastguard teams from St Andrews

and Leven, and divers from Marine Life Rescue lead

a rescue operation last night, and helped the mammal back

into deep water at high tide. Paisley has been filled

with the sound of saxophones, The singer - who died in 2011 -

would have been 70 this week. There was an outdoor

rendition of the iconic sax solo from the hit song,

Baker Street, to celebrate one It's been a simply beautiful

day for most parts - Judith's here with the outlook

for the rest of the weekend. I hope so. As far today was

concerned there was plenty of sunshine as you can see. There is

some more stubborn cloud in the north-east it was much cooler. For

the showers to come across northern Scotland tonight. Elsewhere cloud

will tend to increase. The best chance of any clear skies will be

across eastern Scotland, we could even see a touch of frost.

Temperatures around the freezing mark. For most of us for- 5 degrees.

The big change tomorrow, the wind is back in the West, making it feel

milder. More cloud towards western Scotland. It starts drying bright.

The best sunshine will be across eastern areas. Some patchy rain

showers across the West and North, those wins will strengthen through

the course of the day. The rest of the UK and Northern Ireland very

similar, cloud increasing. I pressure dominating things further

south. The highest temperatures around 17 Celsius. Back in Scotland

we are looking at 15 degrees in eastern Scotland, you live in- 12 in

the West. In the evening winds pick up across the northern islands with

a band of rain spreading into Shetland. Patchy rain in the West.

Change on Monday as this weather front sinks south we draw in much

colder arctic air. For the first two days of next week it will be a

wintry spell of weather, some snow in the forecast, and turning colder.

Sunday Politics Scotland is on later than usual tomorrow, at 3.15,

that's because of coverage of the London Marathon.