12/11/2015 Scotland 2015

Critics say plans to regulate the practice have been watered down.

A new bill to regulate lobbying is stuck in the 19th century,

Electronic communications haven't been included - we'll ask why.

Far's the spik o' the Mearns in the new adaptation

It seems Doric was too expensive for the director.

A Holyrood committee was told today that Scottish government plans for a

new lobbying law seem stuck in the 18th or 19th centuries, before the

And there are complaints, too, that the draft legislation doesn't

cover contacts with senior civil servants, or special advisers.

But the lobbying industry welcomed it as balanced.

Whether its controls on smoking, the debate about fracking or minimum

pricing for alcohol, the lobbyists are at work. Industry says they want

to share their expertise, opponents to say it is big business trying to

buy influence. So the Scottish Government plans a new law to make a

law being more transparent, the legislation came under scrutiny at

Holyrood today. This does strike a balance. As you

know, we started from a position of not seeing the overwhelming public

case, we have to say, for legislation in this area. There is

not an overwhelming public problem, but we accept a case has been made

and if there is good to be legislation, this is a decent and

balanced starting point. But the standards committee heard

evidence that what is proposed to seems much weaker than similar laws

around the world. It doesn't include telephone calls,

for example. It doesn't include more importantly written communications.

It is something that we found, or is found, looking at this, quite

striking. I had never seen this sort of wording before and it kind of

pains me to say that even the UK recognises that lobbying takes place

by way of written communication. So is any legislation better than

none? I would welcome the fact there is

going to be ready to lead back for gelation in this area and it would

really hope that the Government has slightly more ambition than we see

in the current bill. It is what to cost a lot of money, for instance,

to create a register and police this thing, so better to have a good

system that is pleasing and monitoring. Just focusing as fairly

as the current Government is proposing is a missed opportunity

actually a night hopefully we will see stage one and stage two of the

screening of this that we may get a wider scope in a better reach for

the proposals. But the lobbyists say we shouldn't

believe myths about their power over policy and politicians.

Contrary to probably what a lot of expectations are, what we do is

fairly boring. It is a lot of research and analysis. We provide

briefings on committee hearings and things like that and support our

clients in terms of what they are seeking to do in terms of

contributing to a debate. In terms of the bill, we would be calling for

a level playing field across the board, so that any rules and

regulations apply so anybody who engages with the politicians,

in-house consultants, in-house practitioners, charities, third

sector, trade unions, management consultancies and law firms.

But not monetary group spend much has produced a report on lobbying in

Holyrood. It says that it can be beneficial, can lead to better

policymaking. But it warns that too often introduces a rate the system

that leads to bad decisions benefiting the few. The Scottish

Government legislation being scrutinised today had its origins

and a member 's bill, but the MSP behind that says the draft he does

not go far enough. In fact, he says it is a travesty.

I think if you look at some of the glaring examples, the bill appears

to be living in the 18th or 19th century and have to realise that the

telephone and computer has been invented. That we do things like

conference calls and the like and that there was a whole new range of

modern communications, other than people turning up in top hat and

tails to speak to one another face-to-face over tea and crumpets.

The committee to be near Stewart Stevenson made clear today that

members want to see the new law beefed-up as a through Parliament.

Here with me now the SNP MSP George Adam.

Thank you very much for speaking to us tonight. We heard Neil Findlay

saying the bill is a travesty. Why do you think the Scottish Government

decided to exclude electronic communication in this modern age? It

seems slightly unbelievable. When we are taking the evidence

originally in the committee, there was obviously to find a balance it

wouldn't make it more difficult for organisations, third sector

organisations and some of the companies and making sure that MSPs

and also ministers could do their business as well, so there was to

find some kind of balance between that. Obviously, the bill is at

stage one, yesterday was the first part of evidence for that. So as a

convener Stewart Stevenson said, there are various members on the

committee who are of the mind to look at that as the bill goes

through the system. I was like to ask you that. Do you believe the

bill might survive in its present form? Stewart Stevenson made his

views clear that it perhaps should be beefed-up.

Haven't been on the committee myself and been through all the evidence,

yesterday was the first one I was actually on the committee, but when

you went through everything, you actually look at what was already

said in the Scottish Government, since Neil Findlay brought in his

member still in 2013, the Scottish Government brought in June 2013

because they have the resource to make the bill stronger because they

agreed with Neil that there was an issue. So one of the things when you

look at is that the Government has listened all the way along, so as we

go through process, do have quite strong characters within that

committee, even though I am no longer there, I think cross party

there was an agreement that we will look at making it stronger. The bill

is already stronger than what we have in Westminster, which is a good

thing, but the only thing without is that the Westminster one quite weak

when we looked at other areas. Canada is an exemplar for it,

America is a disaster area for lobbying. You pay money, you get

what you want, as far as America seems to be.

In Scotland it is important that is strong because we are going to get

new powers commit to the Parliament. Neil Findlay was point you this

morning that the graft is going to go up and the spin watch report

there was a quote that lobbyists have described it as a dream, all

the new powers. So this important that perhaps it is beefed-up.

I think that is part of the reason why the Government from the start,

they could see that eventually they would get the extra powers and that

is why they have been so supportive of getting the new bill. And to work

with everyone to make sure we can make the bill as strong as we

possibly can. From what I have done during my time in the committee, is

seen from colleagues working on it, I think that we will get there

eventually to see it. Personally, if you ask me, to conclude the

electronic mails with a lobbyist, I would say it is a good way to go was

well. Unlike Neil, I don't think I have ever seen anybody with top hats

and skills to lead back tails discussing business, but I see the

point of view that he is making. -- top hat and tails. Let the

parliament go through the process and make that difference.

Thank you very much. Now, a new film adaptation of

the novel Sunset Song The classic tale of Chris Guthrie's

struggle with the land in the Howe of the Mearns

is well known. The book is famous for the lyrical

Doric dialect but the director, Terence Davies, picked a Lancashire

woman to play Chris and most of the rest of the cast express themselves

in their Central Belt accents. The director says

the he couldn't afford Raise your glasses folks, the best

man has a toast. I've never seen a sweeter bride or

knowing a better friend than the room.

Look at my hands. Read with the scrubbing,.

You're daft, the place is fine. What more do you want?

Less dirt. And when she had thought it would be

a thing they wouldn't understand together. -- wouldn't be a thing.

The sights and sounds of son sex song starring Agyness Deyn. --

Sunset Song. So why is Doric so difficult

on screen? I'm joined now from London

by accent coach Elspeth Morrison and in Aberdeen broadcaster

Robbie Shepherd. Good evening.

First of all, we don't want to be critical of the film, it was

wonderful to see it, wonderful to see the sights and sounds, but it is

difficult to get Doric on screen. What you make of the Central belt

accents in the film and Agyness Deyn, an English model and actress,

in the starring role? Well, as you say yourself, it's

difficult, but the point is, I think there is too much been made of that.

I haven't seen the film yet, I heard that clip just now, but what we

should be looking for is the director's approach to it, it is the

whole of the landscape of them are to the picture, the weather, the

hard-working conditions. -- the Mearns. What I heard just now was

not bad. Likewise, it is pretty difficult to

imitate a good Doric accent. No, you never imitate a! , on, come

on! In the Holocaust of the Northeast, he was in the different

places, my homeland and down at the the Mearns. Each of these areas have

their own actions. It is difficult to try and home and exactly on the

one. He did it himself and his book, wrote in a sort of English

way, to be understood. I am not quite so critical as you thought I

might be. High praise from Robbie, actually.

Maybe someone like Agyness Deyn has managed extremely well to try and

imitate the Doric accent? Yes, actors do their absolute best

to be authentic. But I think audiences, really what they are

looking for often is clarity, truth of character, people have got to

understand what is going on. If an accent is extremely strong were

extremely unfamiliar, basically your audience is going to switch off.

extremely unfamiliar, basically your think we have maybe seen

extremely unfamiliar, basically your authentic and he sounded

fantastically Orkney, but the audience was saying they thought it

was a made up accent. But it was a real accent and I think Doric might

have that same sort of a fact as well. Perhaps Robbie might have some

thoughts. And what is the authentic Doric?

What are the key aspects of Doric? Often people in the rest of Scotland

are truly aware of other Scottish regional accents.

I was smiling because in my early days of broadcasting I was in the

studios of Beechgrove. We were debating what is the perfect

Scottish accent? This professor mentioned a person a certain person

doing a television series. But I blurted out, he is an actor! That

has got to get it to that frame to be understood. She over --

overemphasised the cockney accent there. Be natural in your Doric

Tyron tongue -- tongue. It is so flowing with all the words. Lewis

and Ibn uses all the words to flow his stories -- Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

Click on Bihar a hard job for actors trying to imitate. It is too

expensive to get voice coaches. We are very pricey. We are very

skilled at what we do and if people haven't heard an accent before, it

takes a while for them to get hold of it. It takes some of them -- some

are more talented than others at picking up the air of it. They tend

to do it and asked a interpretation, some English actors.

They get the rhythm is wrong. It can take wrong. On the whole, only Scots

actors can do Scots accents. There is that fair?

Very fair. Is it in danger of being ironed out across the north-east?

That we losing that regional richness?

I'm often asked this question. The language of my youth, but it is the

language of today and I am 80 years old. Remember people came into the

city and the dialects get missed out. The further out you go in the

country, it is great to hear the genuine tongue and it is so easily

understood. It has been a pleasure to speak to

you both. Thank you for joining me. Storm Abigail is sweeping

across the UK, with gusts Tonight, Lochaber Mountain Rescue

Team went to the aid of a hill walker who was

attempting to climb Ben Nevis. Just before we came on air, I spoke

to the meteorologist Eddie Graham, who'd struggled through

the gales to our Stornoway studio. What is the situation now in

Stornoway with Storm Abigail? Stornoway is used to having a gale

in the winter season but this is the first one. We saw some thunder and

lightning as well and since about 7pm, the wind has picked up from the

south west. Things are not flying yet but it is not to be a night to

be outdoors. This is the first time Met Office

have named a storm. Is it a bit of a gimmick?

No, I think it is a very good idea. Cast your main back 20 or 30 years.

A storm of this severity would almost certainly have resulted in

deaths. A storm of 90 mph would have resulted in deaths of up to a dozen

people. Over the past 20 and 30 years, we have seen improvement in

weather forecasting and also alerting the public. The use of

names definitely adds to helping the public become aware of the severity

of these storms. They are big killers. How can the

public take precautions? I always say to stay indoors if the

wind is gusting over 70 mph. It can potentially be dangerous. Trees can

fall, slates can come off roofs. You don't want to be a victim of an

injury from flying debris. We have had a pretty bad weather

year so far. I suppose this is an autumn storm. Any predictions for

the winter? You are right. It has been an awful

year, particularly on the West Coast of Scotland. Essentially, winter

never let up. We saw it continued into the summer months. The period

for May June and July, certainly in Stornoway, was the worst on record

and that is over 145 years of data. It wasn't quite so bad for the East

of Scotland which tends to be sheltered. All I can say is that it

is swings and roundabouts. They'd be we are in a pattern and will come

out of it in a few years' time. As for the winter, though believe what

you see in the tabloid newspapers about massive blizzards. We simply

don't know. There is a rough indication towards the first part of

winter are being wild westerly wind and frontal systems but what often

happens in our part of the world in winter is that the weather quite an

stone -- quiet and is done. Let's look at some of

the other main news stories today. I'm joined in the studio by

Paul Sinclair, a former Daily Record political editor

and ex-Labour adviser He's a former political

editor of The Scottish Sun. He's now

an SNP communications adviser. Thanks both for coming in. First,

the HM Revenue Customs announcement. Job losses expected in

Scotland as they close thousands of posts.

We are becoming a more digital organisation. Last year, over 85% of

people sent tax returns in digitally. We had 1.1 billion online

transactions last year saw becoming a modern digital organisation.

They employ 8000 people. It is disconcerting for the people who

work for them. Very disconcerting. Even I used to

work at portcullis house in Glasgow. Let's take the man at his

word that this is about modernisation. But we won't know if

there are well be compulsory redundancies and that is important.

This is like Monday, Cumbernauld and East Kilbride, there has to be

something put in place -- places like Dundee. What is to be done with

those communities thereafter? All part of a modernisation recess

or are they trying to cut costs? I agree with Paul but it is clearly

a modernisation process but the loss of 2000 jobs is frankly enormous.

This is part of saving money but this is cutting people that bring

him in money. We are talking about a series of buildings disappearing and

the estates will be decimated. Some of these facilities and his comrades

were only built 15 years ago. They are huge and state-of-the-art. Will

be closed down now? I know Nicola Sturgeon was speaking to people this

afternoon about it but I don't know what was said.

They may be valuable estate but HMRC are saying they are modernising and

people are saying it is difficult to get in touch with them.

If this is modernisation, let us not be against it but let us not go back

to the 80s were with cleared towns and employment centres. This is the

right thing long-term the taxpayer, that is one thing. Let's make sure

there are no redundancies and do something with the buildings that

involves employment. It was a pretty stormy affair at

Holyrood earlier. The single police force is there one

major area they have undertaken and they have got it wrong. I she still

have full confidence in her justice minister?

Yes, I do. I am more than happy to allow the Scottish people to judge

my government on its record. Perhaps that's why we see today that 58% of

Scotland intends to vote for us again next year.

I think the people want to hear about less about the poles and a bit

more about what she is going to do to support the police.

A pretty bad tempered affair. Was it difficult for the First Minister?

I think Kezia Dugdale was asking the question again and again and not

moving it on. There was the sense that Nicola had irritation towards

the end because she thought she had answered the question and it kept

coming back. I suspect that is a deliberate tactic of Kezia Dugdale,

who I like and who I think in time could become a good leader of the

Labour Party. But she has to learn and just picking and picking at it

in order to wind the clock up is not a productive way to carry out

something that is meant to be an analysis of government policies.

What is your view on policing in Scotland?

I think people think the government have done a good job in delivering

justice in many ways. I can hear all laughing. There were two fundamental

things you need to remember. Crime is at its lowest level in 41 years.

As it is in North America and Western Europe.

It has gone to a very low level and we have 1000 or officers on the

beat. Clearly there are problems with woolly Scotland that need to be

sorted. -- police Scotland. It is a work in progress and we will get

there. Labour supported the creation of a

single police force for Scotland and is the First Minister pointed out,

polls suggest 58% support for the SNP at Holyrood next year.

I don't think the Labour Party supporter did being done badly.

Nicola is a very good performer but there will be a point where the

little sideways nod of the head and Biglia of contempt and reference to

the polls will not work. I think Kezia Dugdale was writes to keep

hammering away today. From Nicholas performance, one, I think going to

the polls is a bit cheap. Two, when Tony Blair was only difficult

position he would actually stand up and say yes, it is not good enough.

The record of Police Scotland is not good enough.

Labour have had their review of Police Scotland but there could be

teething problems. I think there are more than teething

problems when people are lying dying in the side of the road.

Lord Smith has been speaking about the Smith Commission which passed

stage three in the House of Commons on Monday night.

I believe what is now going to be in the statute book, what has gone

through the House of Commons and will go the house of lords, yes I

do. Arguments rage about whether Smith

has been delivered or not. What do you think?

You question whether Smith has been delivered but it depends on where

you come from. It is subjective. If you want to see that it has hasn't

been delivered then you can see that. I think there are some areas

where there is still work to do but in a way Smith is now history. That

is pre-election when the SNP won 56 of 59 seats. It is before the Tories

getting back. The real emphasis is on looking at the Scotland Bill and

how we should move forward and make that shipshape.

We are in a different place after the general election.

Whether we agree whether it has been delivered or not, and I am closer to

that it has been, the essence is that the SNP do not want these

powers. John Swinney said he did not want to mitigate the bedroom tax

because he did not want to let Westminster off the hook. They have

had it easy because of the devolution settlement. You get some

money and spend it and then Miller runs out you blame Westminster. Now

they are going to have to make tough choices on taxation and I don't

think John Swinney really wants to. I keep on coming. -- thank you both

for coming. Shelley will be back

at the same time on Monday night.