02/09/2014 Scotland Decides

the force and a very difficult position. `` in a very difficult

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Now on BBC News, Scotland Decides: Referendum Today, with Sarah Smith.

Tonight, with just over a fortnight to go

until Scotland decides, a new survey shows the polls are tightening.

As the gap between the two sides appears to be

narrowing, the First Minister says "independence is closer than ever".

It is moving many people, the thought that they have a

once`in`a`lifetime to change the status of this country. That would

be the biggest hangover in history. "independence is closer than ever".

Has the campaign been more heat than light?

We speak to both sides about whether voters are getting

the information they need. And our correspondent is

on the road with George Galloway, the political maverick determined

to keep Scotland in the union. Good evening from Glasgow.

Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond,

says he believes that independence is closer than ever in the wake

of an opinion poll which suggests the no campaign's lead has shrunk.

The YouGov poll which excluded undecided voters put

support for the union just 6% ahead, compared with 14% in mid`August.

The First Minister has been speaking to our

Political Editor Nick Robinson. The worry I would have is what we

would feel like if we didn't take this opportunity. That is a downside

of not being with you, what is a downside of going with you. You

asked me what the concern is, and what is moving many people is having

this once`in`a`lifetime opportunity to change the country, if they

didn't take it that would be the biggest hangover in history. We are

saying we will have the ingredients if we work together as a country to

build a more prosperous and just society, that is the attraction of

the yes message. Nobody will do better for the people of Scotland or

do a better job or care more about it than the people who live and work

in Scotland. You say you will get more childcare, as an example. Who

will pay more in Scotland in their taxes to fund the ?700 million bill?

Two ways, at the start of the process we will set out in our

plans, including cancelling the Trident programme. Men and women are

able to come back into the Labour force and the income they generate

through income tax and a range of other taxes comes to the Scottish

exchequer, where is currently 90% of it goes to the Exchequer in London,

allowing us to fund childcare over ten years to enable that to happen.

The Scottish Parliament's own figures say you need 40,000 women to

go back to work. No, they were looking at one cohort. We are

arguing for the policy over a 10`year period, that is a successive

ten years of cohorts. So their figures are wrong? Wrong in the

sense that they are looking at the policy over one year. Can we get the

100,000 more people back into the workforce? Particularly women? In

the last year we have had an increase in female employment of

36,000. They say there are only 65,000 women available. This is not

a one`year policy, there are successive generations and

successive years of mothers, that is the point we are making. We are 70%

already of women participating in the workforce in Scotland, much

higher than the rest of the UK. In a country like Sweden it is 76% so why

can't we have the same participation of the workforce as Sweden? Why

can't we? Because they don't have access to the same system of

childcare as they have in Sweden. We want that, which is why the radical

policy has been put forward. You say Scotland will be fairer, the cuts

will end, but you also seem to say nobody 's taxes will go up. Who will

pay for these things? There plenty of cuts in nuclear weapons so

we don't agree with expenditure. We have not put forward

any proposals to change tax, if we had you would know about them. Is it

straight with people to say actually somebody pays more in tax? We are

projecting budget deficit of 2.4%, an increase in spending of 3% a

year, is not a Princes Ransom, it is not a reckless spending policy. The

current coalition is putting forward 1% per year, which means ?25 billion

more cuts which is a dead`end policy, leaving people out of the

workforce. You are promising business taxes will go down, you are

not promising to increase the taxes of the rich. Only in the last few

days this has been backed by a Nobel laureate, a member of the Scottish

Council of economic advisers are very serious economist who these

policies. Political Editor Nick Robinson.

So let's get more on that new poll published

in today's newspapers carried out by the polling organisation YouGov.

It shows support for a yes vote has risen in the last month.

Excluding the ''don't knows'', 53% of those asked said they

to vote no. 47% would back independence.

So taking that latest survey into account ` the poll of polls suggests

the no campaign is now on 55%. The yes campaign is on 45%.

That's according to an average of half a dozen recent polls taken,

calculated by the What Scotland Thinks website.

Labour's Jim Murphy has resumed his 100 streets in 100 days tour.

The MP for East Renfrewshire temporarily halted the tour last

week amid claims of organised intimidation by yes supporters.

There was a noticeable police presence

at the event in Edinburgh today. Mr Murphy insisted there was still

a lot to play for. We always knew this was going to be

close and the polls suggest that, but the only poll that matters is

the one that happens on referendum day. I am confident the majority

will speak out, who want change, the best of both worlds, more power in

the Scottish parliament but don't want to take the enormous risk of

leaving the UK, and we can change our country. David Cameron is

temporary, independence is forever, and that is why we are campaigning

to keep Scotland in the UK. a lot to play for.

So with accusations of mud`slinging on both sides of the campaign are

the voters being well served? Are they getting the facts

which will help them decide which way to vote on the 18th?

Earlier on BBC News, Victoria Derbyshire hosted

a debate with 300 voters in Dundee. As a snapshot, I would like to ask

you now, who here feels they have been able to get straightforward

facts and information? ALL: No! I would say there were more saying no

and yes! `` than yes. a debate with 300 voters in Dundee.

You can listen to more of that debate on the Five Live website.

With me now to discuss the tone of the campaign is Angus Millar

from Yes Scotland, and in our Dundee studio is Connor McElwaine,

who's a Better Together campaigner. How can it be that people still feel

they are not getting enough information? They are put through

this lance of the different perspectives, there is maybe not as

much impartial information as people would like to see but ultimately we

need to highlight that in amongst the competing facts and the

argy`bargy, everyone agrees Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries

in the world, that we will be the wealthiest country in the world ever

to become independent and we have got what it takes. We say that we

should believe in ourselves, we should believe in our ability to

make Scotland a better place to live because nobody knows Scotland better

and nobody would do a better job. There are unprecedented levels of

voter engagement with this campaign. People are turning up to public

meetings and town halls around the country, yet people still feel they

don't have the information that will help them make up their minds. I

think one of the main positive things to come out of this debate

will be the impact that young people in particular have engaged in this

issue in an unprecedented way. Looking beyond that, a broad range

of people who would never have got involved in a political campaign are

getting involved in this argument. What I would say is that I was in

the audience of the five live debate today and we heard people literally

crying out that they are not getting the answers they deserve. The SNP

are the ones proposing what is on the ballot paper and it is only

right they come forward with the answers to these sometimes very

simple questions. There is little more than two weeks to and people

still don't have answers to their pressing concerns. Problem is that

voters don't believe either side when you paint different pictures of

what an independent Scotland would be like, and they just don't know

what will happen to their lives if Scotland voted yes. It is certainly

true people don't trust politicians in general unfortunately, but in the

yes campaign we are focused on day`to`day conversations between

people and families in the workplace, people talking about what

independence will mean and the real opportunities we have with

independence to make Scotland a more prosperous country. People relate

more to people they know and trust in their everyday lives and I think

that is of far more value to the campaign then maybe two politicians

debating on the TV for example. Are you worried by this latest poll that

would show your lead is narrowing? No, I think it shows a consistent

lead for the no campaign, and we are out every day campaigning for every

vote, speaking to a lot of undecided voters who don't have the answers to

the questions they need. We always expected the polls would narrow at

this point but we continued to speak to undecided voters until the end of

this campaign. We have seen Jim Murphy pelted with eggs, Alex

this campaign. We have seen Jim Murphy pelted with eggs, Salmond has

received death threats, is there a problem that things are getting too

aggressive? I have been me subject of numerous personal attacks on

social media. I went to the debate with Jim Murphy today and words

cannot describe the atmosphere at that event, other than it was a

horrible atmosphere. It must be a horrendous position to be in if you

are on undecided voters, going along to one of these meetings and being

worried that you will be shouted down if you ask a difficult question

to one of the politicians proposing that we should go independent. I

have got thick skin but it is a shame that this environment is

existing in the campaign. I don't think it has any place in the

campaign. This decision is irreversible and people need answers

to the questions. Do you recognise that description of the campaign as

nasty? No, I think there have been

unacceptable incidents on both sides of the campaign and it is important

to highlight that it is not just yes versus no campaigners.

This is a tiny minority of people involved in the debate. The

referendum has been usually positive for Scotland. We have a massive

level of voter engagement and some people voting and discussing

politics for the first time in decades. There are political

discussions on the breakfast table, at the pub. It is a really exciting

time for Scotland with people actively engaging about the future

of the country. That is what we will take away from this campaign,

regardless of how the vote goes. Tommy Sheridan and George Galloway

are two well known political mavericks touring Scotland

at the moment. They are both socialists but are

on separate sides Our referendum correspondent

Laura Bicker has spent time with both of them `

tonight she reports from George This is not George Galloway's normal

stomping ground but just one of the stops on his just say no to.

Hundreds packed into the hall to hear him speak. Some are tired of

hearing about it. But you have to listen. This was before the Respect

party MP was attacked in London and on this night his harshest words

were for his political opponents. One of the problems with Scottish

Nationalists if they blind themselves to those facts that do

not suit their argument. Some Yes campaign supporters were keen to

hear him speak but did not agree with what they were hearing. Listen,

you have 45 minutes. Put this in your pipe and smoke it. And come

back. The distinctive hat and coat stayed on throughout the talk. His

pacing and dreaded each sentence. It has been a difficult week for the

Bradford West MP, so why take on another fight? I felt that the No

campaign was not being energetic or eloquent enough in defence of what

we have. My target by and large is working class people, Labour voters,

left wing people who are beginning to move pretty wholesale towards the

Scottish Nationalists position. It seems that many are keen to listen.

He is a terrific orator and you just knew he would give you a laugh.

These guys are fans so I thought I had better come along to see what

they're talking about. Really enthusiastic. He takes no prisoners.

Despite the odd bit of heckling, this was very much George

Galloway's platform. For him, this is personal.

The future of higher education in Scotland has played a major part

Academics from institutions across the country have been

discussing what impact independence might have on research.

Gavin Esler spent the day talking about the issue in the historic

For some thoughts about how education will play into the debate

I am joined by Professor Murdoch and Professor Naismith. What do you

you and for medical science if there are is a yes vote? For biomedical

science it is difficult to see independence as being a positive

outcome. I think we will suffer a little bit and funding could be cut

off from some collaborations. I do not think it is the defining issue

of the referendum but it will be difficult to see a positive for

biomedical sciences. There is a lot of international collaboration, what

do you make of that? I do not have any concerns just because a border

goes up or comes down. Those who work on particular projects will

continue to seek out those mines to work on similar projects. As for the

funding, I have no idea which government would be a next in so I

could not predict if it Conservative or Labour, or an SNP

alliance. My main concern would be to emphasise that I do not think

international research will be confined by boundaries. The British

track record of funding finds perhaps has not been that good.

Scotland gets more than its proportional share of funding

however. That is correct. I think the track record of output has been

outstanding in Britain. I agree that international collaboration of

Wilmot N. But funded collaborations with England, I think that will end.

Debates and discussions like this have been taking place all over

Scotland. `` collaboration will not. Stay with BBC News for the latest

on the Scottish referendum. Tomorrow ` on the eve of the NATO

summit ` Gavin Esler will be live in Faslane to discuss the future

of Scotland's defences. There's lots of analysis

of all the issues of the campaign, including today an assessment

from our Economics Correspondent Colletta Smith on what the future

holds for Scotland's pensioners. That and much more

at bbc.co.uk/scotlanddecides. A reminder you can join

me every night at 7:30 Here on BBC News, just to bring you

up to date with events in Spain. The Spanish authorities have apparently