:00:59. > :01:03.Both sides in the independence referendum campaign are urging
:01:04. > :01:07.anyone who hasn't yet registered to vote, to do so before it's too late.
:01:08. > :01:09.More than four million people here have already signed up.
:01:10. > :01:12.And with a high turnout and possibly a close vote expected,
:01:13. > :01:30.17 days to go until polling day. Some voters have already cast their
:01:31. > :01:39.vote by post. You must have registered by midnight tomorrow to
:01:40. > :01:46.be eligible. If you have registered or are going to apply for a postal
:01:47. > :02:02.proxy vote, that has to be done by 5pm on Wednesday.
:02:03. > :02:09.Go online, download the form, sign it and get it back to the
:02:10. > :02:14.registration office. Spreading the independence message at a cafe
:02:15. > :02:30.today, those seeking to find people to vote yes. We are making sure
:02:31. > :02:36.people who may not yet have registered to register. So we're
:02:37. > :02:46.trying to make sure we get as big a turnout as possible. It is very
:02:47. > :02:58.important for us. The little young to vote this time but other newly
:02:59. > :03:01.registered voters could swing it. We are trying to get across to
:03:02. > :03:06.people this is probably the single biggest decision they will make in
:03:07. > :03:11.their lifetime. That is why it is so important people registered to vote
:03:12. > :03:22.and then vote. There is no going back. It is irreversible.
:03:23. > :03:36.Some have already made up their minds and voted by post. Many more
:03:37. > :03:37.will do so. These numbers will be updated next week. They are expected
:03:38. > :03:48.to rise significantly. The Prime Minister David Cameron has
:03:49. > :03:51.admitted that he is nervous about the result of the Scottish
:03:52. > :03:53.referendum. Today I've been talking to
:03:54. > :03:56.the leader of the Better Together campaign Alistair Darling `
:03:57. > :03:58.and I started by asking him if HE was anxious that there might be a
:03:59. > :04:09.Yes vote on the 18th of September. I have always said it will be closer
:04:10. > :04:13.than people think and we will be fighting down to the wire. It is a
:04:14. > :04:19.huge decision, the biggest decision most of those will ever take. It is
:04:20. > :04:28.not surprising people are agonising over how to vote. It is going to be
:04:29. > :04:41.a very tight race, right down to the wire. We will be fighting every day.
:04:42. > :04:50.People will vote no but they might vote yes.
:04:51. > :04:56.Additional powers in relation to taxation and housing benefit are
:04:57. > :05:04.important. But we have coming down the line already is responsibility
:05:05. > :05:12.to fix the income tax rate. We have power over land tax rates, stamp
:05:13. > :05:19.duty `` stamp duty. The three nonnationals parties have further
:05:20. > :05:29.proposals in relation to further tax raising powers. In relation to
:05:30. > :05:33.housing benefit and welfare reform. Do you think Scotland could be a
:05:34. > :05:36.successful independent country? Of course, but we will be less
:05:37. > :05:50.successful than we would be if we are part of the UK, in terms of
:05:51. > :05:54.jobs, opportunities. You can see more of that interview
:05:55. > :05:58.at 10:30pm on BBC Two Scotland tonight.
:05:59. > :06:01.The future of how immigration could work in an independent Scotland is
:06:02. > :06:03.being discussed by both sides in the debate.
:06:04. > :06:05.The Scottish government has proposed a more liberal immigration policy.
:06:06. > :06:07.But Better Together has questioned how a different Scottish system
:06:08. > :06:10.could work whilst sharing a border with the rest of the UK.
:06:11. > :06:18.Andrew Kerr from the Sunday Politics in Scotland reports.
:06:19. > :06:30.From the hills of Sydney to Hillhead, a brave move. Stepping out
:06:31. > :06:39.into the world to open a cafe, still run by his grandson `` from the
:06:40. > :06:44.hills of Italy. He got the money together and opened
:06:45. > :06:50.the shop. The Italians were part of Scotland's story.
:06:51. > :06:57.It is a good argument that immigration is a positive thing
:06:58. > :07:10.economically and demographically. Migrants tend to be youngsters
:07:11. > :07:15.economic growth. The older population require extra spending in
:07:16. > :07:21.terms of pension, health care, social services. Originally, the
:07:22. > :07:25.family here were strangers to this land, but they worked hard and
:07:26. > :07:30.became fully integrated, part of the fabric of the city. That is the hope
:07:31. > :07:37.many people who come to the shores, but not the reality, sadly. The
:07:38. > :07:49.latest figures worry the UK government. Totalled 243,000.
:07:50. > :07:54.Maintaining social cohesion, pressure on social services and
:07:55. > :08:05.wages are the Conservatives's concerns.
:08:06. > :08:10.It is exposed to critique from UKIP and anti`immigrant groups. One of
:08:11. > :08:19.the mistakes made by the Conservative government is they have
:08:20. > :08:24.responded by restricting access to welfare and health services. A very
:08:25. > :08:32.different and more liberal ball `` more liberal plan for immigration, a
:08:33. > :08:39.points `based system to keep students and attract skilled
:08:40. > :08:46.workers. The policy could face these sorts of
:08:47. > :08:55.hurdles. Would Scotland be able to attract that level of immigration?
:08:56. > :08:59.If it were able to attract that level of immigration, would public
:09:00. > :09:10.opinion be supportive of that knowledgeable approach? Would it be
:09:11. > :09:23.able to pursue that liberal policy? At the cafe, the coffee is on, but
:09:24. > :09:26.trouble is brewing over the numbers. They will have to get them from
:09:27. > :09:47.outside Europe, and what does that mean? It means Africa and Asia.
:09:48. > :09:49.It is a perfectly decent policy to argue for more immigration. They
:09:50. > :09:55.should have the honesty to tell the truth.
:09:56. > :10:05.He is a very nice man but he is a quintessential spin doctor. He is
:10:06. > :10:14.stretching the argument. The Scottish Government is not
:10:15. > :10:18.concealing anything. Most sensible people would know it is a bit of
:10:19. > :10:22.nonsense. As the arguments boil over, it is
:10:23. > :10:25.good people who were here in Scotland now who face tough choices
:10:26. > :10:31.on how they want their communities to look and how they want them to
:10:32. > :10:35.survive. The UK government's under occupancy
:10:36. > :10:36.penalty, which critics call the bedroom tax, has proved
:10:37. > :10:46.controversial. are no longer penalised. It's a
:10:47. > :10:50.stark reminder of the anomalies of Scottish devolution being felt in
:10:51. > :10:56.England. Now a man from Teesside his human rights. Mark Denten
:10:57. > :11:06.reports. The level of pain, it is like
:11:07. > :11:11.walking around with a washing machine strapped to your back.
:11:12. > :11:20.Because he has a third bedroom, Peter has to pay ?1650 a year, ``
:11:21. > :11:21.?650 a year. If you lived in Scotland who soon would not have
:11:22. > :11:40.too. The to set a cap.
:11:41. > :11:54.I am disgusted. It should go across the board. I am sure it has some
:11:55. > :12:03.kind of human rights violation. It won't be a United Kingdom. Coalition
:12:04. > :12:07.supporters say keeping the under occupancy is penalty in England but
:12:08. > :12:12.not in Scotland is fair. It depends whether or not you believe in
:12:13. > :12:22.devolution. The Scottish parliament will have to make choices. They have
:12:23. > :12:29.to make a choice. The Department for work and pensions
:12:30. > :12:30.spending spare room subsidy was necessary to keep the soaring
:12:31. > :12:36.housing bill under control. And on Wednesday viewers in the
:12:37. > :12:39.North East and Cumbria can see a special programme"Scotland and Us"
:12:40. > :12:41.on BBC One at 10.25 pm.It looks at what would happen depending on the
:12:42. > :12:44.outcome of the Scottish Referendum vote. You can get involved in the
:12:45. > :12:46.debate on Twitter using the hash tag BBC Scotland and us.
:12:47. > :12:49.Two well known political characters touring Scotland are proving to be
:12:50. > :12:52.Socialists Tommy Sheridan and George Galloway are on separate
:12:53. > :12:55.But both say they are reaching out to huge audiences
:12:56. > :12:59.Our referendum correspondent Laura Bicker has been with both of them.
:13:00. > :13:00.Tomorrow we will hear from George Galloway.
:13:01. > :13:10.Tonight she reports from Tommy Sheridan's Hope over Fear tour.
:13:11. > :13:20.A Friday night, and fundraisers making their way into a community
:13:21. > :13:27.hall. Tommy Sheridan is greeted like a
:13:28. > :13:36.hero, a celebrity, despite his recent spell in prison. Something in
:13:37. > :13:42.his happy to joke about. I know a thing or two about being in
:13:43. > :13:50.handcuffs. Part politician, part independent
:13:51. > :13:58.salesman, this is his 71st public meeting. He hopes to do 100 before
:13:59. > :14:07.September the 10th. Since 1951, our country has had to
:14:08. > :14:16.Wenzhou 35 years of Tory government `` country has had to endure.
:14:17. > :14:22.Some people appear not to be my greatest fans. That is fine. We can
:14:23. > :14:27.still agree with the need for a yes vote but disagree in politics. That
:14:28. > :14:40.is fine. Many in the hall were already passionate yes voters. Is
:14:41. > :14:46.there is no denying his passion and belief in what he says. It came
:14:47. > :14:59.right from here. It is a different class. They want to see this. There
:15:00. > :15:02.were no voices that night to silence Tommy Sheridan. Instead a chorus of
:15:03. > :15:06.approval. He denied he was preaching to the converted, there is no
:15:07. > :15:11.denying he can still conman day room. `` he can still command a
:15:12. > :15:16.room. No matter No matter which way the result goes
:15:17. > :15:18.in Scotland's referendum, for Wales it's likely to have a significant
:15:19. > :15:21.impact on the pace of devolution So what do Welsh voters make
:15:22. > :15:30.of it all, are they engaged in it, and what are their thoughts on the
:15:31. > :15:37.future? Our Wales correspondent which way some time at the political
:15:38. > :15:39.heart of Wales, but not a place where visitors seemed to focus on
:15:40. > :15:44.the future shape of British politics. Do you know what is
:15:45. > :15:51.happening on September 18? No idea. No idea. There is a vote in the UK
:15:52. > :15:57.somewhere? I don't know where. Where might the vote be taking place? I
:15:58. > :16:01.don't know. Scotland? Got it. Some do have their sights set on
:16:02. > :16:05.Scotland. This coach tour is leaving North Wales to explore some Scottish
:16:06. > :16:10.history. So what do they think the next chapter should be? We asked
:16:11. > :16:13.them to take part in their own vote. Would you want Scotland to be
:16:14. > :16:18.independent or stay in the UK? One, two, three. This was not a
:16:19. > :16:22.scientific poll, but the results are broadly in line with those which
:16:23. > :16:26.have been carried out in Wales, which suggests two thirds of Welsh
:16:27. > :16:34.adults want Scotland to stay in the UK. Thank you very much indeed. Next
:16:35. > :16:38.stop Sterling, a place synonymous with battles for Scottish
:16:39. > :16:43.independence. A city that celebrates those who carved out their own path.
:16:44. > :16:47.Which direction Scotland should choose is of course entirely up to
:16:48. > :16:51.the people of Scotland. But their decision is bound to have
:16:52. > :16:56.repercussions across the rest of the UK. Whatever the vote, yes or no, it
:16:57. > :17:01.will be followed by a shift in the balance of power. Amongst Welsh
:17:02. > :17:05.voters, there is, it seems, an appetite for more devolution.
:17:06. > :17:10.Control of income tax, maybe even policing, is already in the frame.
:17:11. > :17:17.What about the prospect of an independent Wales? Show me your
:17:18. > :17:22.flags. Research suggests fewer than 15% of people in Wales want it to be
:17:23. > :17:27.fully independent. Stay with the UK, definitely. If we went independent
:17:28. > :17:34.we would be totally lost, we would be out of it completely. We should
:17:35. > :17:38.stay in the UK but have more power for general things, transport,
:17:39. > :17:44.education, things like that. I think Wales should go independent. Again,
:17:45. > :17:50.there are many countries in the EU that are smaller than Wales, and who
:17:51. > :17:56.are doing quite well. Scotland's decision`making world drive forward
:17:57. > :18:07.the devolution debate. What it means for Wales won't be clear until after
:18:08. > :18:12.September the 18th. With just 17 days to go before Scotland decides,
:18:13. > :18:16.let's look at the latest polls. A poll of polls suggest the no
:18:17. > :18:23.campaign is on 56%, the yes campaign on 44%, according to an average of
:18:24. > :18:25.half a dozen recent polls taken. Stay with BBC news for the latest on
:18:26. > :18:41.the Scottish referendum. Tomorrow Gavin Esler is back on
:18:42. > :18:43.the road,this time gauging the mood of the campaign in the
:18:44. > :18:57.university town of St Andrews. And That's the latest from me. You are
:18:58. > :19:01.watching BBC News, approaching ten to eight. In Pakistan, a day of
:19:02. > :19:06.violent clashes in the capital Islamabad, as protesters continue to
:19:07. > :19:09.press their cause for the Prime Minister to step down. At one point
:19:10. > :19:15.they occupied the headquarters of the state broadcaster but were
:19:16. > :19:16.eventually ousted by security forces. Our correspondence sent this