16/09/2014 BBC News at Six

Tonight at Six - I'm in Glasgow, with just two days to go before

Arguments over new powers. The Yes campaign says it is an insult to

Scotland. But Gordon Brown calls on Scots to

protect key services by voting No. Do you think we would ever stand

by and allow the NHS to be So you think we would ever allow

the NHS not to have the powers The only guarantee of the powers we

need to protect our health service, create jobs, and make sure we don't

get Tory governments we don't vote for,

I've been speaking to neighbours on Loch Lomond who are polls apart.

After weeks of pressure following the Rotherham child abuse

scandal, the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner stands down.

The two British tourists murdered in Thailand - police hunt

And how Malawi - one of the poorest countries

in the world - is leading the way in Africa at cutting child mortality.

Police name a man they want to question

in connection with the disappearance of teenager, Alice Gross.

And a new way to pay on public transport.

Passengers can now use their bankcard on the tube.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six from Glasgow.

With just two days to go before Scotland decides its future,

the leaders of the UK's three main parties have said Scotland's

parliament will get more powers if the country votes No.

David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg said the union offered

But the Yes campaign has described the offer as an insult to voters

and asked why it had taken so long to be made.

There've been chaotic scenes in Edinburgh as the Labour leader,

The NHS has also been at the heart of campaigning today which as James

Cook reports, has at times been chaotic.

This campaign began more than two years ago but as Ed Miliband arrived

in Edinburgh, you wouldn't know it. Both sides are fired up. There is

little sign of fatigue, as they argue passionately about the future

of this country. Today, those arguments focussed on Scotland's

health service. The NHS is already run from Edinburgh and this

document, passed to the BBC, suggests the Scottish Government may

soon have to save more than ?400 million from its budget The Scottish

Parliament, has the powers, if it so wishes to use them, to raise the

amount of money spent on the National Health Service or any other

public service, if they are prepared to go to the Scottish people and ask

them to raise the revenue to do so. This nails the Scottish National

Party lie, that somehow they are powerless to protect the National

Health Service. As tempers fray and temperatures rise, SNP ministers are

hitting back. They insist they are not planning to cut the NHS, and if

money is tight, they say, Westminster, which sets Scotland's

overall budget. Is to blame We'll fight to protect the health service.

I was Health Secretary. I know how hard it is to protect the health

service when your overall budget is being cut. We will do that and will

continue to to but when your budget is being cut by Westminster, that

makes it harder and harder to do. There is a wider argument at play.

Both sides agree that they want Scotland to have more control of its

own affairs. They just disagree about how much control and how it

should happen. Today, the three UK party leaders published a pledge,

vowing to introduce more powers, if Scotland says No. They say they'll

ensure the Scottish Parliament is permanent. That it has the powers to

raise revenue and the final say on NHS spending. If we vote No, we are

voting for a stronger Scotland, a stronger Scottish Parliament with

more powers so we can protect the NHS, we can protect our education,

we can protect services in Scotland and at the same time, we avoid the

risks that would come from independence. But campaigners for

independence, say the pledge is nonsense. They point out that the

three parties still don't agree on what extra powers should be devolved

and some on the Yes side want to go, much, much further. We live in a

Scotland right now that's socially scarred. The left-wing fire brand

Tommy Sheridan has been touring the country, calling for a radical new

Scotland. So popular is his message, he sometimes has to speak outside to

those who can't pack into the hall Well on 19th December when we are

independent, we won't yet be a socialist country, we will just be a

free country but the declaration is quite clear - it is going to be a

fairer and more progressive country and socialists like me who want

public ownership of gas and electricity and the railways, we

will be listened to a lot more. This country's future has been hanging in

the balance for a long time but soon now, very soon, Scotland decides.

With just two days to go there's been no let-up in the campaign

A poll of polls, collated by the website, What

Scotland Thinks, based on recent polls, suggests that of those who

expressed a view, 51% are against independence, with 49% in favour.

I've been to the village of Balmaha, on the shore of Loch Lomond, to

The road leading to Balmaha gives a sense of the divisions

The village of just a few dozen residents stands on the banks

of Loch Lomond and the passionate debate of independence has stirred

Betty Twaddle runs a B with her husband.

She last lived here for 36 years and has never doubted how she'll vote.

I really do believe the people of Scotland are the right people to

I just want us to take responsibility for ourselves.

I mean it would be daft for the London Government to put

So, we need to be - we need to do it on our own.

At the other end of the village, along the lock is Charles Cottham.

He and his family moved here from the Midlands almost 30 years

He's worried about the possible impact of a Yes

I speak as somebody who's invested our whole livelihood.

All that we have, is represented by, if you like, the value of Scottish

And we're very scared that that would quickly deteriorate.

We see ourselves as British and we see it as one country

and we don't want that to change and we don't want to be divided.

With passions running so high, some question how communities

like Balmaha will move forward after Thursday's vote but first

Scotland must find out which direction its people are heading.

And our Scotland Political Editor, Brian Taylor,

who has been following all the twists and turns of this referendum

The people I spoke to today, very sure about how they were voting.

Some aren't, though. How is the offer of new powers being received?

It is an intriguing element to this last couple of days of the campaign.

There are two facets to it - there is plausibility and impact. On the

issue of mrausibility, those who support independence say this cannot

be guaranteed to go through - those issue of plausibility.

They say there are backbenchers in Westminster who distrust new powers

for Scotland. They point out the basis of this is entrempling the

Barnett Formula, a formula that is cordially loathed in Wales and the

offer would be maintaining that across the UK as a whole. Supporters

of this campaign say all of that is trumped in the fact that it is the

three big parties in Westminster, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats

and Labour, jointly agreeing to put this forward. Brian, thank you.

Well, that pledge by the three main

Scotland - in the event of a No vote - has prompted some in Westminster

to say the price of keeping Scotland within the Union is too high.

Our Deputy Political Editor, James Landale, has been to Leamington Spa

Kenilworth in Warwickshire, where Henry III convened one of the fist

English parliaments as he besieged the castle in 1266. More than seven

centuries on, the promise of more power for Scotland is prompting

calls for a new English Parliament, a new age. An English Parliament,

yes. I think our English MPs should have more say over everything. I

have always resented Scottish MPs sitting in our House and making

decisions for us. I think that's totally wrong. The English

Parliament for the English, a Scottish Parliament for Scottish and

a Welsh Parliament for the Welsh and so on. Some Tory MPs are so worried

that if Scotland votes No they want David Cameron to recall Parliament

on Monday to set out his plans for England. We have long argued on

purely English matters, only English MPs should vote on. In other words,

English votes for English laws. I think this whole debate highlights

the need for that. If Scot sland going to have its own tax-raising

powers. If they can choose their own level of income tax, then, of

course, we in England will want to chose our level of income tax. It

won't necessarily be the same as Scotland's and we don't need

Scottish MPs helping us make that decision. How might power be

devolved to England? English MPs could have a greater say over

English legislation, deciding the detail at the committee stage or

they could win complete control over decisions affecting England with a

English Parliament at Westminster sitting two days a week. Or there

could be an English Executive and First Minister with some

English-only departments in Whitehall. But Labour is cautious.

You go down the road of creating a two-tier system, a two grade of MPs,

at your peril, so that you have more important MPs and then less

important MPs. How are you going to sort of work that all through? I

think there are some really tricky issues. Many Tory MPs I have spoken

to today are angry. Angry that the Prime Minister has put the union at

risk. Angry that he is offering Scotland so much. If Scotland votes

Yes, some will demand David Cameron's head. If Scotland votes

no, they'll demand more powers for the English. And in Wales today

there were complaints, too, about the UK's vow to protect Scotland's

public funding through the so of helicopter called Barnett Formula.

Wales has been missing helicopter called Barnett Formula.

Wales has been nothing but a spectator nation through this whole

process today's vow to keep the Barnett Formula for Scotland locks

in disadvantage for Wales. David Cameron says he is not remotely at

the stage of thinking of an English Parliament but some in his party are

ready to go into battle for one. The debate about self-determination in

Scotland is over. Here in England, it's only just begun.

Well, with just two days to go before Scotland votes, tonight David

Dimbleby will be interviewing, one-on-one, Scotland's First

Minister, Alex Salmond, and the former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown

to test their arguments. Scotland Decides, the Dimbleby By views is on

BBC One at 9.00pm. That's all from Glasgow.

Now the rest of the day's news with fee ownia.

South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun Wright,

has bowed to weeks of pressure over the Rotherham child

An independent report found that 1,400 children had been sexually

The police as well as the local council were heavily criticised

In a statement, Mr Wright said the calls

for him to quit were distracting attention from the victims.

As soon as the scale of the abuse scandal in Rotherham became clear,

there were calls for Shaun Wright to quit. Will you resign? I'm not

resigning as South Yorkshire police Commissioner. Before becoming

commissioners, he was a councillor responsible for children's services

in Rotherham, while child sexual abuse was rife. The political

establishment said h position was untenable. I think he has real

questions to answer and I think in those circumstances he should heed

the calls. But he refused to g even after a humiliating dressing down

from MPs. What you have revealed yourself to be, today is a Charlton

who is in love with office and in love with the Sal rain you are a

disgrace. I hope you get sent down. The final straw came last week when

the people of Rotherham confronted him in a public meeting. I've had to

live with this for 12 years. Why have you still got your job? You

should stand down. Today he bowed to the pressure and resigned, saying in

a statement: Jessica, not her real name s one of

the victims. She doesn't want to be identified, but told me the

resignation is long overdue. I think it is good that he has gone, because

people are going to, you know, start and have a bit of faith that they

are actually going to do something and hopefully encourage people to

come forward about what has happened. But the grandfather of

another victim horning didn't want his face shown, says it is too

little, too late. Any child should be able to walk through any town in

this country and not be touched or abused by any man. It is that

simple. The police didn't do their job and let all our kids down. The

authorities stressed today that Mr Wright will not be getting any

searches pay. Our top story this evening: just two days to go before

Scotland votes on its future. Arguments over new powers if

Scotland stays in the union. And still to come: Stephen Sutton

inspired people around the world to donate millions of pounds for

teenage cancer sufferers. Now the charity reveals how it will be

spent. On BBC London: Forced from her home

after making a complaint, we look at how revenge evictions are hurting

the capital's renters and a proposal to extend Croydon's tram network is

backed by south Londoners. In 2000, World leaders made

a series of pledges known as, The target was

a two thirds reduction. New figures

from UNICEF show it's been halved globally, but that still means every

year six million children die before Malawi is one of the few

countries in sub-Saharan Africa Our medical correspondent,

Fergus Walsh, reports from there This is healthcare Malawi-style -

a clinic that goes to the people. Run by health workers, trained by

UNICEF, who live in the community, Like Amiedo, who's malnourished

and must go to hospital. Other children just

need routine vaccines. Simple measures which mean this poor

country has succeeded in meeting the child mortality

target, whilst others have failed. Despite all the progress, the sheer

scale of preventable child deaths Imagine, 17,000 lives

lost every day. Easier to focus on individuals

and remember that every child that survives, and is healthy,

is more likely to finish school, earn a living, and help countries

like Malawi to thrive. That means protecting children

against threats like malaria. This woman has already lost

a son to the disease, now her two-year-old, daughter, Roda,

always sleeps under a bed net. My son, Isaac, was the same age

as Roda when he died. We realise how dangerous

mosquito bites can be. Childbirth itself can be fatal

for mother and baby. That's why these women have come

to stay in hospital up to a month before they're due date to avoid

delivering without medical help. Malawi has the world's highest

premature birth rate, partly due But the basics are often missing

at this maternity hospital Rachel McLeod-Spring has

worked here for seven years. We have a lot of premature babies,

it's a huge problem, and the drug that is used to help

mature the lungs, so that premature babies have a

better chance, hasn't been available So even though we might have

the knowledge and the skills, and This is what's known

as kangaroo care. Skin-to-skin contact helps

ensure tiny babies stay warm. The twins, in the orange bobble

hats, are being cared for With more children surviving,

and a rocketing birth rate, family Mothers are encouraged to use

contraception and advised that If more children survive,

then we start getting dividends. If more children survive, that means

that people have less children. That means that Malawi is able to

provide better services for the less children that

in Malawi, and that you'll be able start talking about economic growth

because the country is able to take Malawi has shown what even

the poorest countries can achieve, but others must do more

if global leaders are to keep their You can find out a lot more

about child survival in Africa by going to the BBC News website, where

you'll be able to compare different There's analysis

of the challenges involved in A memorial service has been held

on the Thai island of Koh Tao for the two British tourists

murdered there on Sunday. David Miller,

who was 24 and from Jersey, and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, from

Great Yarmouth, were found dead with Their bodies have now arrived

in Bangkok where Police are focusing their search

for their killer on the Burmese migrant worker community,

as Jonathan Head reports. This report contains some flash

photography. The bodies of the two victims arrived in the Thai capital

tonight. The police still need to conduct forensic tests to help

advance their investigation. But already they believe these CCTV

images, showing David Miller and Hannah Witheridge leaving a bar they

were killed may lead them to the culprit. On this second day, after

the murders, police have found across the island questioning

migrant Burmese workers. No suspects have yet been named or detained. The

senseless loss of two young lives has stunned people, not just here,

but across Thailand. That is why there is so much urgency in this

investigation. Now, two-days after their deaths, grieving friends and

families have begun to pay tribute to two people whose lives seemed

full of promise. David shown here enjoying his guitar. Friends posted

affectionate messages. His parents also broke their silence issuing a

statement that read: 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge's

family also issued their first statement:

Both families have requested privacy. On the island, where they

first met a few days ago, local people and visitors are finding

their own way to deal with the shock of these savage and inexplicable

deaths. Jonathan Head BBC News, Thailand.

Two men were killed today when a helicopter crashed

It came down at Flamborough this lunchtime.

Witnesses reported hearing a loud crack before the aircraft

There's no indication of the cause yet.

Nearly a billion dollars is needed to fight

That's the estimate from the United Nations,

which warns that 20,000 people could be affected by the end of the year.

The UN says the ability of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to provide

even the most basic essentials is on the brink of collapse.

America is due to send 3,000 military personnel to help out.

Here, falling food and petrol prices have led to a slight fall

The Consumer Price Index dropped from 1.6% to 1.5% in August.

Inflation has been below the Bank of England's 2% target now

House prices are rising well above inflation though, according to

They rose by nearly 12% over the past year.

In London, prices rose by nearly 20%.

With me now is our business correspondent, Simon Jack.

Good news in there as far as shoppers and motorists are

concerned? Yes. If we start with food. Food prices saw their biggest

annual fall in over 12 years due partly to the cut throat competition

in the supermarket centre. On the forecourts, for motorists, petrol

prices are among the lowest we have seen for three-and-a-half years.

That mirrors falls in crude oil prices. That feeds through into a

loot of things, the biggestst part of any component of the price is

getting it from a to b. Although inflation is weak, wages are even

weaker. They are rising at half this rate. A lot of people might think

they are getting better of. There will be more month left at the end

of the money more than more money left at the end of the month. The

Bank of England will be watching that. They say that an imminent

raise in interest rates looks that little less unlikely. Thank you.

The 19-year-old, who died of bowel cancer in May, and

inspired people all over the world to donate millions to his chosen

Today, the charity revealed he raised nearly ?5 million

Stephen's mother, Jane - talking exclusively to the

BBC - told Sian Lloyd that she was "immensely proud" of her son.

I don't think we actually realised, until there had been

so many pictures that were published, that Stephen was actually

But then, in some ways, I'm not surprised at that because, even as a

child, Stephen was always having to do something jokey in a photograph.

Four months after her son's death, Jane Sutton is speaking

for the first time about his remarkable story.

Stephen Sutton's 'thumbs up' campaign went global when he posted

It inspired people to donate ?5 million to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

It is extremely difficult to see your child going through cancer.

But the fact that Stephen was was genuinely happy

Stephen always used to say it was all about the "fun" in fundraising.

He was having great fun but, at the same time,

he was just raising all this money to help other young people.

The aim of Stephen's Story is to spread

To show people what it's like to have something go wrong with your

Stephen's message couldn't be clearer.

When he was diagnosed with bowel cancer, aged 15, he wrote a bucket

Fundraising soon made it to the top and he used social media to

His legacy will fund two new units like this one in Birmingham,

What Stephen did was just on such an enormous scale and he did

it at a point in his life where he knew he was very close to death.

I think that you can't fail to be touched by that.

It does make me feel so proud, yes, just to know that Stephen is still

going to continue to help so many people.

So many young people who are diagnosed with cancer.

Stephen Sutton lived life to the full.

His legacy should help other young cancer patients reach

Time for a look at the weather, here's Darren Bett.

Grey, misty murky mornings before we get warmth and some sunshine coming

through in many places. That could trigger heavy and potentially

thundery showers. We had few showers today. Most places ending fine and

dry and quite warm. The low cloud comes back in from the east over

night. Becoming extensive. Mist and fog, particularly around coasts and

hills. Another warm night as it was last night. A slow start to the day.

Very murky out there. The mist, fog, low cloud slowly thinning and

breaking. Across sheltered western areas, then the south, in eastern

parts of England into eastern Scotland it could be gloomy all day.

Another lovy afternoon across southern England and Wales. Warm and

humid. Temperatures low to mid 20's. Cooler for Norfolk. The East

Midlands more likely across the north-east of England with the cloud

reluctant to break up and a few spots of rain. It should brighten up

eventually in it Northern Ireland. Western Scotland good, eyes earn

Scotland, cloudy, cooler with rain at times. That pattern continues on

Thursday. Grey start for most of us. It could stay damp and grey across

eastern Scotland, north-east England. The sunshine will come

through lifting temperatures, but giving showers to the south-west.

Best temperatures 26 degrees towards the south-east. Cooler towards the

north-east of the UK. On Friday there will be downpours moving north

into the Midlands and Wales too. Further north it may be dry, grey

and misty to begin with. Hopefully, we will see sunshine. Always a

struggle towards the north-east of the UK. Fiona.

Just two days to go before Scotland votes on its future,

arguments over new powers if Scotland stays in the Union.

It's goodbye from me and on BBC One we join