16/09/2014 Scotland Decides

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

Tonight, the yes campaign pours scorn on a Westminster pledge

of more devolution. Cameron, Clegg and Miliband promise

extensive new powers for Holyrood if there's a no vote.

With a little help from a former Prime Minister.

Safer change, faster change, Sarah change, friendly change, better

change, is what we are proposing. The only guarantee of the powers we

need to create jobs, make sure we don't get Government we do not vote

for, is to vote yes. The NHS has been a key campaign

issue. Now a leaked document shows Scotland faces a funding gap.

We are at a fish market, hearing some sceptical views about both

sides of the campaign. Good evening from Glasgow.

With just two days left in the campaign, both sides have

been presenting alternative plans to give Scotland more power.

The leaders of the three main parties at Westminster signed

a pledge in this morning's Daily Record to give more powers to

Holyrood, if voters say no. The yes campaign called it

Project Panic, and insisted only independence can

guarantee Scots more power. In a moment, we'll be discussing the

day's stories with representatives from both campaigns.

But first, Gordon Brown has been taking centre stage once again

for the no campaign. This was his plea to voters when he

spoke in Clydebank this morning. You agree with us that solidarity is

more important than separation. If you agree with ask that cooperation

is better than conflict between nations. If you agreed with us that

sharing is the way forward for the future. Then, please, persuade all

your friends in these last vital 48 hours that the only way forward for

Scotland that is safe for change, fast change, Sarah change,

friendlier change, better change, is what we are proposing. A strong

Scottish Parliament but Scotland still part of the United Kingdom.

Thank you very much. Well, Ed Miliband visited Edinburgh

this afternoon to underline his commitment to more devolution.

But there were chaotic scenes at a shopping centre as the Labour

leader tried to meet voters. He was surrounded by crowds

of pro and anti`independence supporters and had to be ushered out

via a back door. Well, the yes campaign dismissed

the pledge from Westminster as a "last`minute desperate offer

of nothing". Our correspondent James Cook grabbed

a word with the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

as she visited an engineering firm. The key of the campaign, and we are

now only two days away, then common sense and mutual economic interest

will replace the rhetoric from the no campaign.

We flee, more powers are on offer. A substantial and serious offer.

Scotland can have more powers. They do not tell us what powers they

are talking about. We have no guarantee these leaders who fought

to keep that option off the ballot paper, will deliver anything. The

only guarantee of the powers we need to protect our health service,

create jobs, make sure we do not get Government we have not voted for, is

to vote yes. And to keep control in our hands and not pass it to

Westminster. One of the pledges made today

by the three party leaders was to continue the Barnett Formula.

It gives Scottish voters more per head of public spending. In an

interview, the architect of the plan has said the formula should be

scrapped. I would want the formula scrapped.

It is grossly unfair, I never dreamt it would continue this length of

time. If the Government feel the Scots should have extra money for

any reason, then do it honestly, not by this subterfuge of a formula.

Some of the other stories on the campaign trail tonight:

The NHS in Scotland is facing a funding gap of more than ?400

million, according to confidential papers passed to the BBC.

The Scottish Government says the paper is part

of regular discussions among NHS leaders to plan for the future

and that it will go on protecting and increasing the NHS budget.

The boss of the energy company which operates Scotland's two

nuclear power stations has told staff there's continuing uncertainty

about what independence would mean for the power sector.

The chief executive of EDF Energy says the company is not "policy

neutral" and it's his responsibility to defend its interests.

The Scottish Government says it has already set out its position

on the issues raised by EDF. Joining me from Aberdeen is

the former government adviser Christine Jardine who's now a

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate. And in Edinburgh is Andrew Wilson

who used to be a SNP MSP. Thank you both for joining us.

Christine, I have two ask about this intervention from Lord Barnett. The

sooner had the three parties could promised to continue the formula

than he has said it should be scrapped.

The Barnett Formula, the importance of that the three party leaders have

made clear that the formula will not be scrapped. The yes campaign said

it would be scrapped. What we have seen underlines what we have been

saying, the most positive way forward for Scotland is to

strengthen the Scottish Parliament, give us tax raising powers, welfare

powers, and everything that the yes campaign we need independent for, we

can have. Do you believe the Barnett Formula

will be retained with a no vote? All we know is there is enormous

pressure on budgets coming from London. We don't agree with the

approach that George Osborne is leading. Gordon Brown is supporting

this it would appear. We had a huge protest in Trafalgar Square on

privatisation of the NHS which would have a knock`on effect in Scotland.

What matters much more than outdated formulas is the powers we have to

take decisions for ourselves. People have 48 hours to the

referendum, and the Tories and Labour are promising not very much.

We had this in the last big referendum in 1979.

People are very cynical about it. The choice we face in 35 hours when

the polls open is, do we trust ourselves with the NHS and our own

budget and taxation, or do we had power to George Osborne?

Christine, is it too late to come up with this file to pledge more powers

for the Scottish Parliament? The NHS is completely devolved, the

Scottish Government does have power over the Scottish health service at

the moment. Those of us who have had direct contact with the health

service has spoken to people, here in Aberdeen, the difficulty of

attracting consultants to Aberdeen. There are problems with the NHS in

Scotland which the Scottish Government are responsible for and

not dealing with. As for these last`minute proposals,

it is not true. In October 2012, just after the Edinburgh agreement,

the Lib Dems produced a commission report.

It is only recently that the three main parties... Only today, on the

front page of the daily record. They have all signed this pledge

today. But the First Minister himself said last week that it was

not new, these proposals have been on the table since spring. The First

Minister Cotes say it is not new and Nicola Sturgeon came today it is

last`minute. It has been clear for several months the way we would move

forward is with new proposals, you powers, starting on September the

19th. We believe the things the UK has given us, positive things like

the NHS, like the BBC, need to continue. If you look at the White

Paper, Mr Salmond lists what he would like to keep.

So, why leave? On the NHS, a central plank of this campaign, Gordon Brown

said the SNP are simply lying about the consequences. Hollywood has all

the power it needs to protect the NHS.

I would like to hear from Christine how many of the proposals by Menzies

Campbell are included, I cannot see any.

It is a shame he feels he is able to say these things. Sir Harry Burns,

the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, agrees with us for a yes

vote. The threat to the NHS in Scotland is grave as a result of the

budget consequences. What we have right now in the NHS in England are

people protesting in Trafalgar Square. Christine is right, we do

administer the NHS. We have increased the budget seven years in

a row, record spending this year, more nurses than ever before.

The pressure under us because of the consequential through the Barnett

Formula which they think is our salvation, that is very grave. I

have to respectfully suggest that he is completely wrong. Calling other

people liars is not what we would expect from a former panellist.

Templates `` tempers are running high.

It is true that if less money comes to Scotland, there is less money

available to spend on the NHS. I have been at meetings over the last

few months with the Yes Campaign, and they have said the Barnett

Formula was going to be scrapped and that would be a bad thing. And.

Today we have the party leaders saying it is not going to be

scrapped and suddenly, the Barnett Formula is a bad thing. This is

typical of what we are seeing, the shifting sands of what the Yes

Campaign are telling us. Not answering the questions. The three

party leaders have answered questions about the barn at formula.

`` the Barnett Formula. If the Yes Campaign would stop trying to divert

as from the actual issues and answered the actual questions the

Scottish people want and said, that would be a step forward. Tempers are

getting frayed and we need to see some reasonable discussion again. We

need to get away from government ministers being mobbed industry by

people. We need to get away from the angry scenes we have seen outside

the BBC. That is not good for any of us and it is bad for Scotland. We

need to get back to talking about where we want to go after the 18th

of September. Less than 36 hours to go until the polls opened. Scottish

waters are vital to the UK fishing industry. More than 80% of

Britain's total cat is landed in Scotland. What are the fishermen

making of all of this? What would you say the fishing

industry is like? We had the best of it. Do you believe the promises of

the politicians? No. Have they been knocking on your door? And I tell

them to get lost! What do you think of independence? There are some

positives? There are some positives. And negatives as well. A lot of

negatives. The positives... The SNP say they will make the fishing

industry a priority. They will promise anything. What about the

risks? The next generation, they will not be a fishing industry like

there was when I was younger. Most people are selling their boats.

Stay with BBC News for the latest on the Scottish referendum.

On the final day of campaign ` we'll be live across Scotland

as the politicians make a last minute dash for votes.

Tonight at 9pm ` a live debate from Glasgow as young people

That's Radio 1's Big Conversation ` on BBC News and Newsbeat.

You can get the latest online ` including today `

a look at the worldwide interest in the referendum as thousands

That is all from me, I will be back tomorrow for our final programme of

the campaign. Sarah Smith with the latest

referendum debate on Scotland. For many people `

getting away on holiday this summer