BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney tells BBC Scotland that the 'living wage' is at the heart of the Scottish government's business pledge, which aims to promote "fairness, equality and sustainable economic growth".

He said:

• "It is the government setting out, in collaboration and consultation with the business community, the interventions and the approaches that are good for business; that will strengthen economic performance; that will create better quality employment - but we recognise that it will not be possible in all sectors

• "It's been described by the first minister as "a shared national endeavour" and I think that's exactly how we should look at this: of government and business coming together.

• "What we do in government is that we invest in companies very substantially through the support that we give to the enterprise development of individual companies, to support them in exporting, and taking forward their skills development activity.

• "Only by strengthening the economic performance of individual companies do we improve the value of employment and do we strengthen the company base within Scotland."

BBC Democracy Live

Coming up today on Democracy Live.

• The Justice Committee will begin looking at the Prisoners (Control of Release)(Scotland) Bill which will end automatic release for all long term prisoners. The committee will also take evidence on the inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Death (Scotland) Bill.

• The solicitor general and procurator fiscal will give evidence, to be followed by Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister Paul Wheelhouse.

• In the afternoon, after topical questions, the Scottish government will lead a debate entitled 'Equity and Excellence in Education' following the first minister's announcement of a £100m educational attainment fund.

• SNP MSP Christine Grahame will lead a member's debater, titled Through our Eyes, which looks at the role of kinship carers generally and grandparents in particular.

Follow all the twists and turns here.

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BBC Radio Scotland

Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University has said he thinks it's unlikely the EU referendum will take place on the same day next year as the Scottish election.

As yet the date of the vote isn't known, but both the SNP and Labour have already warned it shouldn't be held on the same day.

Professor Curtice told Good Morning Scotland:

• "There are two arguments as to why it probably won't happen. Probably the most crucial one is that it is pretty likely that the Conservative Party is probably going to end up being divided over the referendum and that different members of the party are going to be on different sides of the fence.

• "Anybody who has listened to Owen Patterson, the former environment minister, or John Redwood, the former cabinet minister, in recent days, and our own commissioner in Brussels, Lord Hill, would reckon that these are not people who are on the same page on this issue.

• "And therefore the Conservatives will not be wanting to fight elections - not only in Scotland, in Wales - but the London mayoral contest and local elections in England, at a time where probably members are going to be on different sides of the issue.

• "The second reason is that where very many people were not terribly interested in how the House of Commons should be elected and the subtle difference between single member party and alternative vote, it's perfectly clear that this referendum is going to be a big gig.

• "We're already effectively in the pre-campaign period and to that extent there really is an issue as to whether you really want to mix together what will be important elections for Scotland, for London, for Wales, and which in themselves may be important for the future of the union, at the same time as this crucial issue with the European Union."

Listen to the programme live.

BBC Sport
Scotland

Scotland's Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren have both earned a spot in next month's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Image source, Getty Images

Both players have been named in the top 60 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Gallacher at 51 and Warren 59.

It follows a disappointing week for Gallacher, 40, who had to pull out of the PGA Championship at Wentworth with a wrist injury.

He made his Ryder Cup debut last September, but missed the cut in last month's Masters.

Making the front pages of Scotland's papers today: Dundee United striker "biting storm" continues, privacy concerns over Police Scotland's use controversial face recognition software, and one man's "last supper".

Read the full paper review here.

Laura Maciver
BBC Scotland Business

• Full year profits at Ryanair jump 66% to €867m. Traffic was up 11%.

• Scottish landlords meeting housing minister later to discuss upcoming legislation for rental sector

• O2 network 'back to normal' http://bbc.in/1LE3lv3

BBC Sport
Scotland

Ross County have completed the transfer of Queen of the South midfielder Ian McShane on a three-year contract.

Image source, SNS Group Craig Williamson

A fee had been agreed on Friday for the 22-year-old, who played under Jim McIntyre while he was Queens manager.

"I am very delighted to get Ian on board at the club," McIntyre told the Ross County website.

"He brings with him a great deal of footballing qualities and experience which will blend very well into the team".

BBC Radio Scotland

The 2014 School Education Report, discussing the resourcing of teaching in Scotland, said council spending on education had fallen by 5% from 2010 to 2013 in real terms.

Mr Morris said he blamed both the austerity agenda and decisions of the Scottish government for this decrease.

He told Good Morning Scotland:

• "There is no doubt that the austerity agenda is putting enormous pressure on Scotland's local authorities and on schools, but the Scottish government have spending decisions to make.

• "In the run up to the last Scottish parliamentary election we were told that there would be significant reductions in class sizes - that hasn't materialised.

• "Teachers are the key to educational improvement, and certainty over class sizes; certainty over teacher numbers; the removal of teachers from working with early-years children - all of these are factors that can have an impact on educational performance."

Listen to the programme live.

BBC Radio Scotland

The EIS is warning that teachers must not be used as scapegoats for falling standards in Scottish schools.

The union's Assistant Secretary for Employment Relations Drew Morris told Good Morning Scotland:

• "At the moment the teaching profession is under an enormous degree of pressure. We've had a period of significant change through Curriculum for Excellence, and through changes in the exam system.

• "Scotland's teachers are continuing to work 10 hours above their contractual requirement to try to improve the education system.

• "In the previous debate Nicola Sturgeon emphasised the need for dialogue with business leaders. We need the same ongoing dialogue with Scotland's teachers and with local authorities to look at the system.

• "It's quite curious that when the system seems to do well everyone takes time to praise teachers and the work that's going on in schools. When there's a 'but' in the system attention seems to be turned back to teachers

• "I think we need to look at some of the broader, structural issues underpinning education - the uncertainty over teacher numbers, and the increased workload that is placed upon teachers.

• "One league table that Scotland's teachers are at the top of, across Europe, is the time that teachers spend in the front of classrooms.

• "So if we are going to have a debate, that debate must extend not just simply to what teacher deliver, but also to look at the resourcing of education, and the demands placed on teachers."

Listen to the programme live.

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BBC Scotland

Dumfries and Galloway could face a serious shortage of GPs unless 25 new recruits are hired by the end of next year, BBC Scotland can reveal.

Image source, Thinkstock

About 19% of the workforce of 132 family doctors in the region will need replaced before December 2016.

In addition to the 11 posts which are currently vacant, 14 GPs are expected to retire within 18 months.

Some doctors already work long hours "under considerable pressure", according to the local health board.

BBC Radio Scotland

Join Hayley Millar and Andrew Kerr for the nation's news.

Still to come on the programme;

Drew Morris of the EIS on concerns over falling standards in Scottish schools.

John Swinney will be discussing the SNP's economic priorities following their successful general election campaign.

Rosie Sullivan, a 12-year-old singer-songwriter from the Western Isles, has come top in a national youth song writing competition and has travelled to London's EMI studios to record her music.

Listen live.

BBC Sport
Scotland

Andy Murray began his French Open campaign with a straight-sets win over Argentina's Facundo Arguello at Roland Garros.

Image source, Getty Images

The Briton, seeded third, won 6-3 6-3 6-1 to take his clay-court record this year to 11-0.

Murray goes on to face Canada's Vasek Pospisil or Joao Sousa of Portugal.

The Scot has won titles in Munich and Madrid on clay in recent weeks, beating Rafael Nadal along the way, but the two-time semi-finalist insists he is still not among the title favourites in Paris.

James Cook
Scotland Correspondent, BBC News

Coming up on @BBCBreakfast, external in a few minutes we'll be live at Tynecastle where @NicolaSturgeon, external is to make a speech on the economy.

Failings in Scotland's classrooms should not be laid at the door of teachers and schools, according to the general secretary of the EIS teaching union.

Larry Flanagan cited the impact of poverty, while falling budgets also posed serious challenges.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she is prepared to make tough decisions to improve the education system.

MSPs will debate "equity and excellence" in education later today.

Nicola Sturgeon is to make her first major economic speech since the general election.

Image source, AP

The first minister will set out her economic priorities at Heart of Midlothian's Tynecastle Stadium in Edinburgh.

She will be joined on the visit by Finance Secretary John Swinney.

The pair will also unveil the Scottish Business Pledge, which aims to promote "fairness, equality and sustainable economic growth".

Jo Perry
BBC Scotland news website

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