12 June 2012
Last updated at 23:38 GMT

Warm weather at the end of the month helped lift the figures

Retail sales in Scotland remained weak in May, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).

Total sales for the month were up 0.1%, but like-for-like sales – which strips out the effects of new store openings – were 1.2% lower than a year ago.

The warm weather at the end of the month boosted spending on food and summer clothes.

In contrast, UK sales rose on both measures with the total value of goods sold up by 3.4%.

This was the fourteenth month in a row that UK sales growth exceeded that in Scotland.

Ian Shearer, Scottish Retail Consortium director, said: “A welcome spell of warmth at the end of May helped lift these figures but the burst of summer didn’t bring a boost on the scale enjoyed elsewhere.

“The underlying picture remains weak, showing sales falling in real terms for the sector overall, and this is particularly worrying given that they are being compared against poor figures for May in 2011.”

He added: “Consumer caution persisted, household budgets are still under severe strain and most shoppers are committed to buying only what they consider to be essentials.”

David McCorquodale, Head of retail in Scotland for KPMG, said: “A week of sunshine and Scotland‘s muted celebration of the Jubilee will not overcome the underlying issues facing the industry, which remains under pressure from a combination of low consumer confidence and squeezed incomes.

“We have seen yet more casualties on the high street in May and more are forecast.

“The seismic structural changes in the industry would be easier to manage in a better economic environment but retailers do not have that luxury and are therefore hanging on and managing cash and margins as best they can.”

12 June 2012
Last updated at 23:23 GMT

Alex Salmond is due to appear before Lord Justice Leveson

Scotland‘s First Minister Alex Salmond is due before the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

The SNP leader’s spokesman said he would “answer any and all questions” at his appearance before Lord Leveson, at London’s Royal Courts of Justice.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg is also scheduled to appear.

Mr Salmond has come under pressure from opposition parties in Scotland over his relationship with the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

The businessman’s News International organisation is at the heart of the inquiry which is looking in part at the extent of unlawful or improper conduct of media companies.

Mr Murdoch closed his popular Sunday tabloid, the News of the World, in July last year following allegations the paper hacked the voicemails of murdered schoolgirl, Milly Dowler.

Throughout this week the inquiry is hearing from politicians who are explaining what relationship they have with the press.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

I don’t know Mr Salmond well, but I’ve had three meetings here and he is an amusing guy and I enjoy his company and I enjoy talking with him and listening to him”

End Quote
Rupert Murdoch
Speaking during Leveson appearance on 25 April, 2012

Former prime minister Gordon Brown and current Chancellor George Osborne appeared on Monday. Prime Minister David Cameron is due to give evidence on Thursday.

Mr Salmond’s name has already been raised during the UK government commissioned inquiry.

When Mr Murdoch’s son, James Murdoch, came before Leveson on 24 April, he was asked about emails in which it was revealed that Mr Salmond’s adviser – named as Geoff Aberdein – had agreed that the first minister would call Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt “whenever we need him to”.

Tory MP Mr Hunt had been given the quasi-legal job of deciding the fate of satellite broadcaster BSkyB – which News Corp wanted to take full control of.

The day after Mr Murdoch junior’s appearance, Mr Murdoch senior was in the Leveson hot seat when the issue of his relationship with the SNP and its leader was raised.

The 81-year-old was asked by inquiry lawyer Robert Jay why the Scottish Sun newspaper was anti-SNP at the 2007 Holyrood election but by 2010 had swung behind Mr Salmond and his party.

Opposition questions

Mr Murdoch said his organisation had not done any deal with Mr Salmond, although he said that on a personal level he liked the first minister.

The Australian told the inquiry: “I don’t know Mr Salmond well, but I’ve had three meetings here and he is an amusing guy and I enjoy his company and I enjoy talking with him and listening to him.”

Emails, including this one, were submitted to the Leveson Inquiry from James Murdoch

Since the Murdochs’ appearances at the inquiry, Scotland‘s opposition leaders have used First Minister’s Question time at Holyrood to raise the issue of Mr Salmond’s relationship with News International key personnel.

During the weekly QA exchange on 2 May, the first minister was asked by Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, whether his phone had ever been hacked.

Mr Salmond responded by saying: “I’ll be going to the Leveson inquiry, I’ll be speaking specifically about a range of matters under oath and that’s where I shall give my evidence, which is exactly the right thing to do.”

It has already been revealed that former Scottish First Minister Lord McConnell and SNP MSP Joan McAlpine – Mr Salmond’s parliamentary liaison officer and a former journalist who worked for News International – were both victims of phone hacking.

The Leveson Inquiry is expected to make public documents relating to Mr Salmond’s evidence session on Wednesday afternoon.

Details of meetings and contacts have been published already, including a log of Rupert Murdoch’s phone calls with Mr Salmond. (Details below)

Leveson Inquiry – Calls and meetings between Rupert Murdoch and Alex Salmond

Date

Event

Who initiated it?

What was discussed?

Source: Leveson Inquiry website

17/11/2000

Telephone call (possibly)

-

-

12/10/2007

Telephone call (possibly)

-

-

30/10/2007

Opening of new printing plant in Scotland

-

-

4/04/2008

Breakfast meeting

-

Discussions about Rupert Murdoch’s Scottish roots

25/09/2008

Telephone call

Alex Salmond

-

19/02/2009

Telephone call

Alex Salmond

-

17/03/2011

Telephone call

-

-

20/06/2011

Meeting

-

Discussions involved Alex Salmond’s interest in Scottish independence

11/12/2011

Meeting

-

Discussions about News Corporation’s investments in Scotland

Undated in 2012

Lunch

-

Discussions involved Alex Salmond’s interest in Scottish independence

21/02/2012

Telephone call

-

-

29/02/2012

Lunch (with others, including Frederic Michael and Geoff Aberdein)

-

Discussions about News Corporation’s investments in Scotland

Although Chris Cusiter appeared to add urgency to Scotland’s efforts last week
when he came on as substitute for Mike Blair, head coach Andy Robinson has
resisted calls to make a third change so the Edinburgh scrum-half will start
again.

A stomach bug doing the rounds, meant that five players were unable to take a
full part in training. Robinson believes that all will be fit by the weekend
but is wary of the risk that others may go down with it.

Robinson dismissed the suggestion that the two wing changes would have
happened regardless of injury as “hypothetical”.

However, he did accept that Edinburgh flier Visser, who has been the
RaboDirect Pro12 leading try scorer for the last three seasons, was always
likely to win selection for this game.

“It is simple, he has to bring the way he plays for Edinburgh onto the
international stage,” Robinson said.

“What Tim has to do is bring the support lines that he runs and his ability to
score tries.

“He is very elusive in his ability to beat people and when he has the ball in
hand he has the ability to take players on and has to be encouraged to have
a real go.”

Visser is the only uncapped player in the side, although Ryan Grant, who made
his debut in the 9-6 win against Australia, and Matt Scott, who was making
his first start in that game, both keep their places. Ross Ford will again
captain the team.

“We are delighted with our win over Australia but also respectful of the fact
that conditions played a big part in that,” added Robinson.

“It is important that we build on our very good defensive performance with a
good attacking performance, as well as defensive.

“The one thing that we know about Fiji is that they hit hard in defence and
I’m sure Netani [Talei, the Fijian captain who plays for Edinburgh] will be
talking to his team about getting stuck into our players.

“If you think about our attacking game, it was very difficult conditions to
show anything in the Australia match so I wanted to give the halfbacks that
opportunity and Matt Scott, Nick De Luca and Stuart Hogg in the backline
that opportunity to be able to show what they can do. I thought our pack
played well.

“We have got to be able to put pressure on Fiji in the tackle contest.

“We have also got to play against Fiji in the Scotland style, not Fiji style.
That will be important for us, if we try to play sevens against them, we
will be beaten by this Fijian team.

“Having watched them play against Samoa and Japan I have been highly impressed
with their offloading and running skills.”

Scotland (v Fiji, Churchill Park, Lautoka, Saturday): S Hogg (Glasgow);
M Evans (Castres), N De Luca (Edinburgh), M Scott (Edinburgh), T Visser
(Edinburgh); G Laidlaw (Edinburgh), M Blair (Edinburgh); R Grant (Glasgow),
R Ford (Glasgow, capt), E Murray (Newcastle), A Kellock (Glasgow), R Gray
(Glasgow), A Strokosch (Gloucester), R Rennie (Edinburgh), J Barclay
(Glasgow). Replacements to be announced.

Edinburgh have got ‘taste’ for Heineken

Edinburgh coach Michael Bradley believes his side will carry self-belief from
their recent Heineken Cup campaign into next season’s competition and have
no reason to fear a draw that has placed them in the same pool as
twice-winners Munster as well as Saracens and Racing Metro.

The capital club became the first Scottish side in Heineken Cup history to
reach the semi-finals. They were stopped at that stage by Ulster, who went
on to lose the final against Leinster, but Bradley argued that his side has
moved up to a level where it can compete regularly in Europe.

“I think everyone will be setting their targets high in this competition,”
said Bradley. “We can certainly draw on last season’s experience as we now
understand what drives sides like Munster, Toulouse and Leinster, to get to
the latter stages on an annual basis, because it’s such an exciting
competition.

“Last year Edinburgh Rugby got a taste of that and I think the confidence in
our players will have grown from that experience. We fear nobody.

“We will be confident in all our matches, as we were last year. We will
prepare well for this group and look forward to the fantastic challenge.”

Yesterday’s draw put Glasgow in the same Pool Four as two former winners,
Northampton and Ulster. It also lined up a return to his former club for
Scotland winger Max Evans, whose current club, Castres, are the fourth seeds
in Glasgow’s group.

Look at the evidence; Mr Salmond is insisting that in his version of
independence Scotland would keep the Queen. This, in spite of the fact, that
if you were to poll the SNP’s membership I’d wager you’d get a healthy
majority for, if not a republic, then at least a referendum on retaining the
monarchy. Then there’s defence. Mr Salmond and poor old “Field Marshal”
Angus Robertson hum and ha over Nato membership. One minute the party’s
about to rethink its opposition to this nuclear alliance, the next the issue
is kicked into the long grass and all the time there is a huge majority
amongst SNP members against ever joining the Atlantic alliance. They want
nothing to do with it but Mr Salmond can’t – or won’t – come out and support
them.

There’s even talk of Mr Salmond’s version of an independent Scotland allowing
what’s left of the UK to keep their nuclear weapons on Scottish soil for a
period after the supposed breakaway, even though most Nats want them out
immediately. And, ludicrously, the SNP leadership talks of leasing military
bases to the UK, even if those bases would be part of Nato.

However, clinching the now all-pervading argument that Alex Salmond’s version
is a poor kind of independence is what is happening on the economic front.
So watered down has the SNP’s once proud, if reckless, go-it-alone idea of
controlling its own destiny become that no nationalist worthy of the name
would recognise the puny gruel that Mr Salmond and John Swinney, his finance
minister, are now serving up. It really is pathetic. A supposedly
independent Scotland would ask England if it could, please, keep the pound
sterling. It would plead with the Treasury – in vain I’d bet – to get a
Scottish representative on the Monetary Policy Committee which would thus
determine Scotland’s interest rates from what would by then be a foreign
country.

And now we get the farce to end them all, whereby Mr Swinney tells us that an
independent Scotland would look to the present UK Financial Services
Authority to continue to run the rule over Scotland’s financial
institutions, including its banks. Once again this would essentially be
foreign control of a supposedly separate Scotland.

This really is a joke. And whilst serious players in the financial world gave
the Swinney Grand Plan ostensibly serious responses, their correct reaction
should probably have been a great big belly laugh.

However, what is going on isn’t really a joke. The Scottish electorate is
being subjected to a two years-plus debate before we get a referendum on
independence but the drip, drip, drip of Wee Eck’s retreat from that
separate Scottish state outside the UK should now be obvious to all but the
most purblind loyalists. With an economy in the doldrums and an education
system that doesn’t work, we have greater priorities than this pointless
debate about a separate Scotland that would be independent in name only.

All Wee Eck really wants is more devolution. It’s time he ended this hoax and
owned up.