:00:36. > :00:42.As the Commonwealth Nations come to Glasgow, we'll be asking how
:00:43. > :00:46.relevant the organisation is today - and whether it should be doing more
:00:47. > :00:59.to press the case for tolerance and freedom And criticism builds from
:01:00. > :01:04.The common wealth as a huge amount it can do to highlight, to condemn
:01:05. > :01:07.and to be one of the structures that can be brought to bear to make
:01:08. > :01:13.things better. And criticism opposition politicians over the use
:01:14. > :01:16.of armed police for regular patrols. Glasgow has certainly been shining
:01:17. > :01:19.these past few days as it welcomes But the Commonwealth is
:01:20. > :01:26.about more than that - And with many member states having
:01:27. > :01:31.a poor record on human rights and democracy, some feel it could
:01:32. > :01:34.use its so-called "soft power" But could promoting British values
:01:35. > :01:56.smack of "neo-colonialism"? builds from it started with a kiss.
:01:57. > :02:06.A quick peck but for some, it had much wider meaning. Here is to
:02:07. > :02:10.quality in Scotland! We know there are countries where it is illegal to
:02:11. > :02:15.be gay, 41 out of 53 Commonwealth states. So although that kiss was a
:02:16. > :02:22.fleeting moment, I think the symbolism of it was very powerful.
:02:23. > :02:28.It isn't the first time the Ann games have been used to make a or
:02:29. > :02:36.point. Less supple was the boycott in 1986, which saw 32 nations fail
:02:37. > :02:40.to take part because of sanctions on South Africa. So is more than a kiss
:02:41. > :02:44.necessary to promote change? Scotland has been working with human
:02:45. > :02:47.rights organisations on the ground and not one of them is called any
:02:48. > :02:52.kind of boycott. We don't think that tells. This is a real opportunity,
:02:53. > :02:54.hosting the Commonwealth Games, to have discussions with the
:02:55. > :03:00.dignitaries and people coming from those countries, and to let them see
:03:01. > :03:04.how we celebrate rights and tolerance in Scotland today. But
:03:05. > :03:11.tolerance varies widely across the Commonwealth. There is a section of
:03:12. > :03:15.the Charter but still the death penalty is in place in more than
:03:16. > :03:21.half of member states, and torture and imprisonment based on difference
:03:22. > :03:23.isn't unusual. Whilst words are one thing, action hasn't been
:03:24. > :03:36.forthcoming. The most recent example of that is that Sri Lanka it now has
:03:37. > :03:41.a shocking human rights record. The Commonwealth as a huge amount it can
:03:42. > :03:46.do to highlight and condemn and be one of the structures that can be
:03:47. > :03:54.brought to bear to promote the respect, the protection and
:03:55. > :03:58.safeguarding of human rights. The secretariat has twice suspended
:03:59. > :04:04.members it deemed undemocratic - first Nigeria and, most recently,
:04:05. > :04:09.Fiji after a military coup in 2006. It was reinstated earlier this year
:04:10. > :04:13.and is competing in Glasgow. Critics argue that sanctions prove that the
:04:14. > :04:16.Commonwealth is an outdated institution, a hangover from
:04:17. > :04:24.colonial days, imposing our ideals on member states. But for others, it
:04:25. > :04:27.can still promote positive change. There are forms of imperialism in
:04:28. > :04:31.the sense that we insist that other people do things in exactly the same
:04:32. > :04:34.way that we do them. But I don't think it is in any sense
:04:35. > :04:39.imperialistic to suggest that something like freedom, something
:04:40. > :04:45.like forms of democracy, our fundamental and international human
:04:46. > :04:48.rights. So far as any organisation, including the Commonwealth, stands
:04:49. > :04:55.up for those freedoms assault a termination, I don't think that's
:04:56. > :05:00.being imperial. Medal domination is the key focus at the moment but the
:05:01. > :05:04.debate about the Commonwealth's role as a modern institution fostering
:05:05. > :05:06.progress and equality is sure to continue long after the final gold
:05:07. > :05:08.has been won. I'm now joined in the studio
:05:09. > :05:11.by the Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who represents Glasgow,
:05:12. > :05:13.and by the Sunday Herald's foreign affairs editor David Pratt -
:05:14. > :05:16.who has, of course, travelled And, from Edinburgh,
:05:17. > :05:19.by the Labour MP Thomas Docherty who's on the executive committee
:05:20. > :05:33.of Westminster's Commonwealth Good morning. David, you've
:05:34. > :05:38.travelled around the Commonwealth extensively. What is your impression
:05:39. > :05:43.of the impact the organisation can have? You look at the Charter of the
:05:44. > :05:46.Commonwealth and it is promoting democracy, human rights and
:05:47. > :05:50.tolerance. Whenever I've travelled in Commonwealth countries, I've
:05:51. > :05:54.always found there is a real love and passion for the Commonwealth.
:05:55. > :05:58.It's viewed very favourably by most of the people that I've encountered.
:05:59. > :06:02.I understand the criticisms of it being some kind of talking shop and
:06:03. > :06:07.that its toothless and doesn't have any real power but I think that
:06:08. > :06:11.would be too greatly underestimated. It does have the soft power. It is a
:06:12. > :06:18.network of networks in that respect and things can be done. But clearly,
:06:19. > :06:22.it is very important, I think, now, that they ratcheted up the pressure
:06:23. > :06:26.in terms of human rights. It really is time that many of the member
:06:27. > :06:29.states in the Commonwealth began to pay more attention to that and had
:06:30. > :06:33.pressure put on them by other member states who've already attained that
:06:34. > :06:39.level of tolerance and values within the Commonwealth Charter. Patrick,
:06:40. > :06:42.it may be time to ratchet up the pressure. What is your impression of
:06:43. > :06:45.the Commonwealth? You might think that these nations are all
:06:46. > :06:49.progressive beacons of human rights but some of them are guilty of
:06:50. > :06:56.terrible abuses of human rights. Is the Charter just warm words? Yes,
:06:57. > :06:59.many members of the Commonwealth - many of the governments that are
:07:00. > :07:04.members of the Commonwealth - are guilty of serious human rights
:07:05. > :07:09.abuses and not giving effect to the aspirations of the Charter, whether
:07:10. > :07:13.that's in relation to the way we organised the Games in Glasgow or
:07:14. > :07:18.domestic politics in member states. But as a community of countries, as
:07:19. > :07:22.a forum, it serves a useful function in raising issues. It is only really
:07:23. > :07:26.going to move up the pace its member state governments are willing to
:07:27. > :07:30.support because it is composed of them. They make the decisions about
:07:31. > :07:34.its priorities. One of the opportunities that are created is
:07:35. > :07:43.the way that civil society can engage. I give you the example of
:07:44. > :07:47.LGBT and intersex rights and equality. Many of the countries in
:07:48. > :07:50.the Commonwealth, as he said in your package, do still criminalise our
:07:51. > :07:56.community, but so did Scotland only 35 years ago. If you are over 35,
:07:57. > :08:00.during your lifetime being gay was illegal in this country so it isn't
:08:01. > :08:04.about preaching but about identifying the journey we're all on
:08:05. > :08:09.and, in many ways, civil society organisations, like the one but have
:08:10. > :08:13.come together to set up Prior House on Albion Street in Glasgow, has a
:08:14. > :08:24.programme of more than 70 events in the games, highlighting LGBT I
:08:25. > :08:28.issues. But as a way of highlighting thing so we can work out what the
:08:29. > :08:31.priorities are, and how we can support other countries, not finger
:08:32. > :08:34.wiring and lecturing and saying we know all the answers, but working
:08:35. > :08:40.out how we can find some common ground. Thomas, do you agree with
:08:41. > :08:45.that? Working with civic society, not finger wiring, or do you believe
:08:46. > :08:49.we can get these governments to do more without giving the impression
:08:50. > :08:53.of being neocolonial? Patrick and David are absolutely right. What's
:08:54. > :09:00.important to remember is that it isn't a political union at an
:09:01. > :09:04.association of members, the 53 sovereign countries and the 20 or so
:09:05. > :09:07.dependencies and territories. Patrick is right when he says we
:09:08. > :09:11.have to move at the pace of those sovereign countries want to move
:09:12. > :09:16.that but that isn't to say we can't do a lot of work and in Westminster
:09:17. > :09:20.we have, on average, three delegations a week coming into
:09:21. > :09:24.Westminster - speakers of Parliament, parliamentarians, civil
:09:25. > :09:28.servants, government officials - coming to see how to improve their
:09:29. > :09:33.democratic process. There will be a delegation of monitors and observers
:09:34. > :09:36.going into Fiji in September from across the Commonwealth to be
:09:37. > :09:40.guaranteeing fair and free elections and if they are not free and fair,
:09:41. > :09:45.that will be reported back to the Commonwealth Parliamentary
:09:46. > :09:52.association and that will help to steer how governments respond to the
:09:53. > :10:00.situation in Fiji. David, hearing about that, how do we avoid the
:10:01. > :10:05.impression of being neocolonial in wanting these rights? The Gambia has
:10:06. > :10:10.left the Commonwealth thinking that it is an imperialistic organisation.
:10:11. > :10:12.It was interesting in your introductory package that you were
:10:13. > :10:16.talking about British values. Many Commonwealth countries I visited
:10:17. > :10:21.have already attained values which we would regard as British values in
:10:22. > :10:25.terms of democracy and equality and whatever. There are those, shall we
:10:26. > :10:32.call them, rogue states whose record is rather more chequered.
:10:33. > :10:36.Effectively, the nation of the British Commonwealth stopped in
:10:37. > :10:40.1949. I don't believe there is the degree of finger wagging that people
:10:41. > :10:45.suggest. I think it is this association and there is a parity, a
:10:46. > :10:49.level playing field, when it comes to diplomatic negotiations. There is
:10:50. > :10:54.not as much finger wagging as people would suggest. The Commonwealth has
:10:55. > :10:58.actually been very effective in some areas in terms of human rights in
:10:59. > :11:02.the past. I remember as an activist with the anti-apartheid movement, it
:11:03. > :11:07.was at the forefront in the fight against apartheid. And it has shown
:11:08. > :11:13.itself on many occasions, from Pakistan, you talk about Gambia,
:11:14. > :11:16.camera room. There are umpteen instances where the common wealth
:11:17. > :11:28.has shown itself to be very effective. -- Cameroon. These issues
:11:29. > :11:31.and discussions are important. We need to find ways of putting issues
:11:32. > :11:37.on the agenda that some of those governments don't want to address.
:11:38. > :11:40.One of the reasons why there is a backlash, and undermining of
:11:41. > :11:46.previous progress on equality for the LGBTeye communities around the
:11:47. > :11:49.world and in many common wealth countries is that the hard right
:11:50. > :11:53.religious community is in America have started shifting their
:11:54. > :11:57.resources. They recognise they are losing the fight at home in terms of
:11:58. > :11:59.prejudice and equality and a shifting their resources into
:12:00. > :12:02.developing countries will top how do we make sure that the pro-ecology
:12:03. > :12:14.movement goes global in the same way? -- pro-equality. What are the
:12:15. > :12:18.ways we can use to put that issue onto the agenda to force
:12:19. > :12:22.governments, as well as civil society in those countries, to face
:12:23. > :12:28.the reality of the harm that is being done on issues like human
:12:29. > :12:30.rights and the death penalty? You're talking about the internal
:12:31. > :12:35.mechanisms of the Commonwealth itself, in order to put those things
:12:36. > :12:38.on the agenda. It can only be done by the, was nations sitting around
:12:39. > :12:42.and talking about it and pressure being brought to bear by groups
:12:43. > :12:49.within the Commonwealth itself. Let's bring in Thomas. When you meet
:12:50. > :12:52.these parliamentary delegations, how far do you think we can go in
:12:53. > :12:58.promoting the values that we currently hold just now? One of the
:12:59. > :13:02.things that is quite interesting is that quite often there is some
:13:03. > :13:06.feedback from delegations who say they aren't sure why the UK is
:13:07. > :13:11.lecturing them about civil rights and human rights. Patrick makes a
:13:12. > :13:15.valid point about where we were just over 30 years ago so we've got to be
:13:16. > :13:21.very careful that this isn't seen as neocolonial patronising. But where
:13:22. > :13:26.we are making progress, for one example, Cameroon will host the next
:13:27. > :13:29.worldwide meeting of the Parliamentary association and
:13:30. > :13:36.Cameroon introduced a law not so long ago, frankly, anti-gay rights
:13:37. > :13:39.and the president of Cameroon has instructed his law officers not to
:13:40. > :13:42.prosecute anybody further under those laws because of the gentle
:13:43. > :13:46.pressure that has been applied by Commonwealth countries. That's not
:13:47. > :13:50.to say it won't stay on the statute books but by gentle pressure we are
:13:51. > :13:54.moving countries. But I do stress, it is a mechanism to allow
:13:55. > :13:58.governments and parliaments to do things. The Commonwealth itself is
:13:59. > :14:02.not an institution like the EU. It is a loose federation that brings
:14:03. > :14:09.people together. It can't be seen as the same type of political bloc of
:14:10. > :14:20.sanctions ordered the matter pressure that, say, NATO or the EU
:14:21. > :14:24.can do. -- or democratic pressure. Someone is quoted saying that the
:14:25. > :14:27.John Barrowman case will be quoted Someone is quoted saying that the
:14:28. > :14:32.by people who see it as the main powerhouse of the Empire and posing
:14:33. > :14:35.their influence on them and that he fears they might be a backlash.
:14:36. > :14:40.Could there be a backlash in some way? I think if governments took a
:14:41. > :15:22.very moral There's growing political concern at
:15:23. > :15:25.the visible presence of armed police on our streets - with opposition
:15:26. > :16:22.politicians questioning where and on our streets - with opposition
:16:23. > :16:26.he'll raise the issue at the convention of Scottish local
:16:27. > :16:30.authorities next month. He says this is a strategic policy change and not
:16:31. > :16:38.an operational decision for the chief constable. Other council
:16:39. > :16:41.leaders have expressed concerns. The justice secretary says armed
:16:42. > :16:45.officers have been a long-standing feature of policing and it is for
:16:46. > :16:49.the chief to make operational decisions about where and when to
:16:50. > :16:53.deploy resources. The justice secretary declined our
:16:54. > :16:58.request for an interview but I'm joined from Aberdeen by the SNP MSP
:16:59. > :17:03.Kevin Stewart, who sits on Holyrood's Justice subcommittee on
:17:04. > :17:06.policing, and here in the studio by Labour's justice spokesman Graeme
:17:07. > :17:08.Pearson, formerly the director-general of the Scottish
:17:09. > :17:13.crime and drug enforcement agency. Good morning. Thanks for joining me.
:17:14. > :17:19.Graham, you've heard the arguments from the police. You had a fair
:17:20. > :17:21.number of years in the police yourself and were an armed officer
:17:22. > :17:50.at one point during your service. What is the issue? There are a
:17:51. > :17:53.couple of issues. It's not been explained where we have a 39 year
:17:54. > :17:55.low in crime and we perceive the use of firearms dropping dramatically,
:17:56. > :17:58.why do we need to have officers patrolling the streets armed with an
:17:59. > :17:59.automatic handgun. And there is the decision-making process and
:18:00. > :18:02.analysing the need for change. This is a change in policy and the
:18:03. > :18:05.democratic process should have an input to that decision. From
:18:06. > :18:09.personal experience, what did you feel about carrying a handgun on the
:18:10. > :18:13.streets of Glasgow? It was during the time of major threat with the
:18:14. > :18:17.armed robberies, wages being stolen, so we knew what we were there to do
:18:18. > :18:22.but it was a complete nightmare to be in a public location whilst
:18:23. > :18:27.carrying a weapon. In those days it was a Smith and Wesson, not an
:18:28. > :18:32.automatic weapon as they are now. Kevin Stewart in Aberdeen, we have
:18:33. > :18:37.heard the argument there. What is the risk assessment here? Gun crime
:18:38. > :18:44.is falling, we don't have raids on cash vans, so why do we need armed
:18:45. > :18:48.police on the street? The McDonald's restaurant in Inverness, that was a
:18:49. > :18:53.famous case. He seems to have changed his tune. In 2006 he was
:18:54. > :19:10.supportive of round-the-clock armed coverage from his officers, so we
:19:11. > :19:15.have 2%, 275 out of 17,244 officers who are trained in firearms. There
:19:16. > :19:19.has been no change since the single force came into being. There has
:19:20. > :19:27.been no change in policy in terms of what happened previously in
:19:28. > :19:30.Strathclyde or Tayside and we had this similar situation prior to the
:19:31. > :19:36.single force. Highland itself changed policy after the inception
:19:37. > :19:40.of the single force. Let's put that point to you. You've changed your
:19:41. > :19:44.tune and it's good to have armed officers around the country because
:19:45. > :19:50.every service is the same to every man, woman and child in Scotland?
:19:51. > :19:56.Kevin has only got half the story. The officers I spoke about in 2006
:19:57. > :20:01.were following organised crime figures and we knew not only were
:20:02. > :20:03.they involving firearms, but were in danger of being murdered themselves.
:20:04. > :20:08.I had surveillance officers alongside them and we feared they
:20:09. > :20:14.might be caught in the crossfire. That was the challenge and the
:20:15. > :20:20.threat and I was happy -- I was happy that was analysed and the
:20:21. > :20:23.corporate decision was we thought we could get through that without
:20:24. > :20:27.harming the officers, so if that was the case then, what has changed?
:20:28. > :20:30.This is called an operational decision, but the fact we are
:20:31. > :20:36.sitting here discussing it makes it look like a strategic decision. Is
:20:37. > :20:40.this not one for the Cabinet Secretary to get involved with and
:20:41. > :20:46.speak to Sir Stephen Harris? The detractors of the single force said
:20:47. > :20:52.it would lead to political interference by the justice
:20:53. > :21:00.secretary all of the time. And now we see completely the opposite
:21:01. > :21:04.whereby the chief constable has made an operational decision on this and
:21:05. > :21:06.other matters, and the first thing the detractors say is that the
:21:07. > :21:12.justice secretary should not intervene. There are processes in
:21:13. > :21:15.place with the Scottish police authority and they look at the
:21:16. > :21:19.operational matters on a quarterly basis, and of course they report to
:21:20. > :21:26.the justice secretary. We, as a Parliament, also have the ability to
:21:27. > :21:30.scrutinise what is going on, but what we do not want to see is that
:21:31. > :21:36.politicisation that the detractors said they did not want. OK, we are
:21:37. > :21:40.hearing the reasons why it is operational, but if it is
:21:41. > :21:46.operational, does it come down cost saving exercise? You have cops on
:21:47. > :21:50.the beat attending routine, domestic incidents, whereas they have been
:21:51. > :21:55.sitting in response vehicle and are not attending? Is it cost-cutting? I
:21:56. > :21:59.don't think it is. I think it was a complete waste of resources having
:22:00. > :22:05.people sat in vehicles or offices waiting to recall. It is much better
:22:06. > :22:09.that they ate -- are out and about and keeping Scotland safe, and that
:22:10. > :22:14.is one the reasons why we have crime at a 30 year low, and long may it
:22:15. > :22:18.continue as far as I'm concerned. Finally, Graeme Pearson, we hear
:22:19. > :22:23.from the police it is about preventing the same kind of service
:22:24. > :22:32.across Scotland and incidents like Derek Birding Cumber -- Bird in
:22:33. > :22:36.Cumbria. Now we have armed response offices in rural locations. Is that
:22:37. > :22:40.not a good thing? We always had armed response officers on the
:22:41. > :22:44.street in vehicles with guns in locked cabinets. It took 60 seconds
:22:45. > :22:48.to get them out. We now have a photograph in the paper today of an
:22:49. > :22:54.officer with a automatic pistol in the middle of a supermarket doing
:22:55. > :22:57.his shopping which is not a Scotland we want in the 21st-century.
:22:58. > :23:01.Gentlemen, we have to leave it there. Thank you for joining us.
:23:02. > :23:04.We'll be looking at the Week Ahead in a moment but now it's time
:23:05. > :23:12.Good morning. It's been described as the biggest spectator weekend
:23:13. > :23:19.Thousands of people are in the city for Commonwealth Games events today.
:23:20. > :23:21.The marathon, started from Glasgow Green this morning with
:23:22. > :23:23.crowds lining the route, our Commonwealth Games reporter Lisa
:23:24. > :23:42.The city is having to fit in 390,000 extra people in town for the
:23:43. > :23:45.sporting action in town. Road closures in Glasgow over the
:23:46. > :23:50.marathon, 40,000 at Ibrox and the same for Hamdan when the athletics
:23:51. > :23:53.gets underway. -- Hamden Park. There has not been too much disruption so
:23:54. > :23:57.far, but it could be a different story when everybody had sown. --
:23:58. > :23:59.heads home. Police are treating the death
:24:00. > :24:02.of a man in Greenock as suspicious. The emergency services were called
:24:03. > :24:04.to reports of someone seriously injured in a common close in
:24:05. > :24:07.Tobago Street just before half past The man was pronounced dead
:24:08. > :24:10.at the scene. Police Scotland are conducting
:24:11. > :24:12.extensive enquiries and are keen to speak to anyone who
:24:13. > :24:16.was in the area at the time or has Now, looking to today's action at
:24:17. > :24:23.the Commonwealth Games the Scotland pairing of Paul Foster and Alex
:24:24. > :24:25.Marshall won 16-15 against England Scotland face South Africa
:24:26. > :24:36.in the quarter finals of the And in the pool, Ross Murdoch and
:24:37. > :24:44.Hannah Miley are both competing. Team Scotland's matched its
:24:45. > :24:47.best-ever total of 11 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games after
:24:48. > :24:58.only three days of competition . That was superb, and he wins the
:24:59. > :25:04.gold medal. Judo has accounted for six
:25:05. > :25:06.of those gold medals. After disappointment
:25:07. > :25:07.at the 2012 Olympics, flag bearer Euan Burton took victory
:25:08. > :25:10.in the under 100kg final. His wife Gemma Gibbons won
:25:11. > :25:20.a silver for England. The flag bearer thing was just a
:25:21. > :25:23.massive honour, and it's only when the tournament starts and you think
:25:24. > :25:26.you have led the team out and the rest of the team are producing some
:25:27. > :25:30.results, and you want to make sure you can do the same. I was nervous
:25:31. > :25:33.all-day, and maybe some of it was not my best, but thank goodness I
:25:34. > :25:35.got the job done. And now it's time for a look
:25:36. > :25:46.at your weather. A different feel to the day, feeling
:25:47. > :25:48.cool of the many of us and we will see a fair bit of cloud this
:25:49. > :25:53.afternoon and also some heavy showers. Quite a bit of rain across
:25:54. > :25:58.western and central Scotland at first, and heavy, thundery downpours
:25:59. > :26:02.over the East Highlands and towards the Borders. They will be slow
:26:03. > :26:05.moving. If you are caught in one, it could be with you for a time. A
:26:06. > :26:09.colder feel to the day with temperatures around 18 or 19
:26:10. > :26:13.Celsius. It will be quite different to the rest of the week so far.
:26:14. > :26:18.Over the past few weeks we've been hearing from a variety of voters
:26:19. > :26:22.as we count down towards the referendum.
:26:23. > :26:24.Last week, Mark Hogarth from Harris Tweed Hebrides explained why
:26:25. > :26:29.Today we'll hear from Pat Kane, the former lead singer of Hue
:26:30. > :26:41.and Cry and now a prominent campaigner for a Yes vote.
:26:42. > :26:47.Some places in Scotland has the past, present and future scrunched
:26:48. > :26:51.into one. Just there is the canal in the 19th century that took sugar and
:26:52. > :26:55.grain all the way up to the mills which are now beautiful designer
:26:56. > :27:00.flats. Right over here is something called the whiskey bond which used
:27:01. > :27:05.to be a whiskey bond but now is a cartel of creative 's, from
:27:06. > :27:14.sculptures, to 3-D manufacturers, eco-start-ups. So this place used to
:27:15. > :27:19.be the hub of the industrial revolution and has now become the
:27:20. > :27:21.hub of the information revolution. There are creative places like this
:27:22. > :27:27.all over the developed world, whether it is Barcelona, Berlin,
:27:28. > :27:29.Prague. You don't need independence to have a creative place, the
:27:30. > :27:34.independence the me has never been just about having the same as what
:27:35. > :27:38.everybody else does, it is a visionary thing, how do we do things
:27:39. > :27:44.different, better and more humanely. Glasgow, and too much of Scotland,
:27:45. > :27:49.is a place where the rich dominate the poor. Those with skills and
:27:50. > :27:53.assets live next to those with precious little. With the life
:27:54. > :27:57.expectancy of the affluent at 20 years more than people living next
:27:58. > :28:04.door to them. I'm not proud of this Scotland. I'm ashamed of that
:28:05. > :28:07.Scotland. The reason why artist, creatives and entrepreneurs support
:28:08. > :28:10.independence is that they know success does not just depend on
:28:11. > :28:14.talent and ambition. To have a creative society, you have do have a
:28:15. > :28:19.solid base, and that means secure housing, health and food and
:28:20. > :28:24.lifelong education. It means beautiful and welcoming public
:28:25. > :28:37.spaces and using the resources of the diverse enterprises. Progress
:28:38. > :28:40.does not depend on supercool smart elite pulling away from a struggling
:28:41. > :28:45.majority. The most creative act I can imagine is a yes vote, a
:28:46. > :28:47.thunderclap that brings about a fair, prosperous and dynamic
:28:48. > :28:51.country. Let's get started. Pat Kane there, and next week we'll
:28:52. > :28:54.have our fourth guest to explain why Now time for a look at the
:28:55. > :29:00.Week Ahead. I'm joined by the
:29:01. > :29:02.Chief Scottish Political Correspondent of The Herald,
:29:03. > :29:05.Robbie Dinwoodie, and from The Times we have Lindsay McIntosh, she's
:29:06. > :29:16.their Scottish Political Editor. Welcome to you both and thanks for
:29:17. > :29:20.coming in. Let's start with a story bubbling up in the Sunday Times.
:29:21. > :29:27.Strip rusher of the World Cup says Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime
:29:28. > :29:34.Minister -- strip rusher. He's saying this is a good way to punish
:29:35. > :29:36.Russia for what has been happening after the downing of the Malaysian
:29:37. > :29:41.Airlines jet. What is your take on this? There have been a history of
:29:42. > :29:47.body kit -- boycotts which have had good or bad impacts. Most people
:29:48. > :29:53.will accept that boycotting events in South Africa did help to bring
:29:54. > :29:57.change their but you can ruin a World Cup or an Olympic Games and
:29:58. > :30:03.things go back to normal pretty quickly. I don't think there is a
:30:04. > :30:06.hard and fast rule that means using the threat of a boycott is a wake of
:30:07. > :30:11.enforcing the change you want to see. A heady mixture of sport and
:30:12. > :30:15.politics. How effective do you think that threat would be to Russia, that
:30:16. > :30:21.if the World Cup was withdrawn from them? Nick Clegg suggesting England
:30:22. > :30:24.would be a good place to hold it. I think it's definitely something we
:30:25. > :30:29.should talk about, the idea of stripping them from the World Cup.
:30:30. > :30:33.If we're talking about sanctions, and once we are starting to impose,
:30:34. > :30:36.it seems slightly ridiculous that we are talking about giving them this
:30:37. > :30:41.major sporting event which will bring a massive economic boost and
:30:42. > :30:47.global profile to Russia at a time when international events are as
:30:48. > :30:53.they are. The idea of them giving it to England is possibly getting a
:30:54. > :30:56.little bit to political, in terms of that, but certainly we should be
:30:57. > :31:00.talking about whether Russia should be hosting it. Nick Clegg is going
:31:01. > :31:10.further than David Cameron, but how realistic is the prospect? I imagine
:31:11. > :31:17.it would be difficult to get past. I don't think England are favourites
:31:18. > :31:23.of FIFA. FIFA will go their own way. I don't expect this to work.
:31:24. > :31:30.Would it just be for this particular incident over Ukraine? Would it be
:31:31. > :31:37.to do with gay rights? I suspect this one is not a gala. Staying on
:31:38. > :31:42.board -- sport and politics, we have the comment by Ian Bell that if
:31:43. > :31:45.sporting success influenced politics then the football team would have
:31:46. > :31:51.killed nationalism stone dead by now. We have got Glasgow shining in
:31:52. > :31:59.these past few days. Any impact from this on the referendum? I think some
:32:00. > :32:04.sensible points made in that column. We are growing up, we are going to
:32:05. > :32:06.vote and make decisions based on the head and the heart but not
:32:07. > :32:11.necessarily influenced by the Commonwealth Games. I think both
:32:12. > :32:15.sides could feel free to spin the Commonwealth Games and Scotland's
:32:16. > :32:21.success in them as proof of either vote being right. But I think that
:32:22. > :32:25.when it comes down to it, we're going to have a great Commonwealth
:32:26. > :32:29.Games, a great summer, we're going to enjoy it and then start thinking
:32:30. > :32:34.about the referendum and the serious arguments. Any influence on the
:32:35. > :32:37.referendum or is it more part of Scotland showing off itself rather
:32:38. > :32:41.than influencing people? I was in the velodrome yesterday and saw
:32:42. > :32:45.Scotland winning that gold. The atmosphere was fantastic. If there
:32:46. > :32:49.is some way of holding the referendum ten minutes after that it
:32:50. > :32:53.might influence the result. I don't think people will vote the way
:32:54. > :32:57.sporting events go. I do think that if the entire Commonwealth Games had
:32:58. > :33:01.turned into some kind of massive shambles, if the organisation had
:33:02. > :33:05.been badly run, if the Scottish team had flopped, if the early outbreak
:33:06. > :33:13.of food poisoning had run riot or something like that, it might have
:33:14. > :33:20.had a negative effect it going very well I doubt we'll make a massive
:33:21. > :33:23.difference to the polls. Alex Salmond was speaking about not
:33:24. > :33:27.speaking about the referendum campaign. Is it right that we're
:33:28. > :33:31.holding the referendum campaign for a couple of weeks? I think the
:33:32. > :33:34.public would quite like to see it halted for a couple of weeks and I
:33:35. > :33:38.think both campaigns would agree with that. I think there is a sense
:33:39. > :33:43.that they don't want to deploy too many resources. The Scottish public
:33:44. > :33:49.is much more interested in sports and those arguments aren't going to
:33:50. > :33:52.be remembered and then we get to the end of the Commonwealth Games,
:33:53. > :33:57.everyone throws the kitchen sink at it. Not the right time for politics?
:33:58. > :34:01.Alistair Darling made quite a strong speech yesterday. I don't think this
:34:02. > :34:05.campaign is stopping. I think doorsteps are being knocked as we
:34:06. > :34:13.speak. But the truth is that getting political space in the press at a
:34:14. > :34:19.time with this media is low. Talks begin on devolution for the whole of
:34:20. > :34:24.the UK, according to Scotland on Sunday. The impression that we get
:34:25. > :34:31.from the Conservatives is that if there is a no vote, if there is to
:34:32. > :34:34.be more derision, it will be looked at almost from a London basis,
:34:35. > :34:41.perhaps looking at the whole of the UK. Well, if you believe that... I'm
:34:42. > :34:43.not convinced. I think that's the argument. I think they want to say
:34:44. > :34:48.all these parties have signed up but I think things will go very quiet
:34:49. > :34:52.after September the 18th in the event of a no vote and the reason
:34:53. > :34:58.for that is a simple - England aren't really interested. They've
:34:59. > :35:02.said they want a super city across the North of England. I'm sure the
:35:03. > :35:05.North of England does feel there are problems with its relationship with
:35:06. > :35:11.the metropolis but they don't really have a hunger for political
:35:12. > :35:16.institutions to match that. What do you make of that, particularly if
:35:17. > :35:20.people feel this is evolution going to be looked at on a pan UK bases?
:35:21. > :35:25.Maybe Scotland doesn't seem to have any kind of special standing. I
:35:26. > :35:30.disagree. I think things will happen after September 18 if there is a no
:35:31. > :35:33.vote. I think the no parties in Scotland have played a good hand in
:35:34. > :35:38.terms of signing a joint agreement to say that something will happen in
:35:39. > :35:41.terms of more devolution after September the 18th and the thing
:35:42. > :35:44.that has shot down, to an extent, the argument that the yes campaign
:35:45. > :35:49.are making that there will be no change after September the 18th. At
:35:50. > :35:52.the Westminster has seen various hunger for more devolution and for
:35:53. > :35:56.different constitutional settlements and that they are going to have to
:35:57. > :36:00.take that on board in the event of a no vote. Likewise, the North of
:36:01. > :36:03.England and the other UK nations will push for a settlement. We have
:36:04. > :36:08.to leave it there. We are running out of time. Thank you both very
:36:09. > :36:12.much for joining me. That's all we have time for this
:36:13. > :36:15.week. We're back at the same time next week. From all of us on the
:36:16. > :36:20.Sunday Politics Scotland, thanks for being with us and do enjoy the rest
:36:21. > :36:21.of your Sunday afternoon. Bye-bye for now.