this is bbc news. i'm carole walker. the headlines at eight. the uk government rejects calls referendum before brexit — theresa may says "now is not the time". right now we should be working together, not pulling apart stretch we should be fr? together to get we should be working together to get that right deal for scotland and for the uk. as tensions increase between the two leaders, nicola sturgeon says that westminster must respect scotland's democratic mandate. we have a conservative government with one mp in scotland saying that they will stand in the way of the with one mp in scotland saying that they vl of stand in the way of the with one mp in scotland saying that they vl of the d in the way of the with one mp in scotland saying that they vi of the scottish way of the with one mp in scotland saying that they vi of the scottish people. ie with one mp in scotland saying that they vi of the scottish people. this choice of the scottish people. this is like winding the clock back to the bad old days of margaret a record fine for the conservative party for breaking campaign spending rules during the last general election. 10 people are injured by flying rock and lava at europe's biggest active volcano.

this is the moment a bbc crew and a group of tourists were caught in the blast on mount etna in sicily. and at half past eight, the key moments from today's school report, featuring some of the young reporters who've appeared across the bbc. good evening and welcome to bbc news. the prime minister has rejected a call for a second referendum on scottish independence, saying now is not the time. theresa may said the government's focus must be on securing the best brexit dealfor the uk — only then could the scottish people judge whether they wanted to be part of it or not.

was a democratic outrage. our political editor laura kuenssberg reports. we should be working together, not pulling apart. we should be working together to get that right deal for iiééiféi‘ 551m? fig 35513 , , , , , and for the uk. that's my scotland and for the uk. that's my job as prime minister. and so for that reason, i say to the snp, now is not the time. the prime minister's westminster message, deliberately timed to land in edinburghjust moments

deliberately timed to land in edinburgh just moments after the first minister's weekly grilling, first ministérmklfifilfifl? where nicola first ministsr‘sfifisifl’fg‘r’ilffifl‘? where nicola sturgeon‘s audacious vow where nicola sturgeon‘s audacious vow to hold a second referendum was the main order of the day. we don't wa nt the main order of the day. we don't want it, we don't need it, why won't she listen? kelner first minister tell us this, does she want to spend the next few years leading the government or a campaign? will scotla nd government or a campaign? will scotland be guaranteed to be awful member of the european union or not? can she guarantee that? - can't, can she guarantee that? issue can't, it's all bluster, just again. well, the band is well and truly back together for cheap tory and labour combining again to talk this country down. number ten's - combining again to talk this country down. number ten's refusal even to discuss another independence referendum for two years could well backfire. these two tough, normally cautious politicians are both taking gambles. i - it cautious politicians are both taking gambles. i- it would be gambles. i think it would be com pletely u na cce pta ble gambles. i think it would be completely unacceptable and outrageous and almost

anti—democratic for a conservative government with one mp in scotland to seek to block the democratic will of the scottish parliament. that seems to be - going back to the seems to be like going back to the bad old days of margaret thatcher. here's number 10 downing street's calculation. a majority of scots voters chose this centre of power the last time out. and private tory focus groups the last time out. and private tory focus groups over the last time out. and private tory focus groups over the last few months suggest their message of not now is a relief to some, who simply don't want to go through the whole thing again. but for others publicly be patronising, arrogant even. technically, it is down to westminster to say yes or no. but telling the scottish government they can't even talk about another referendum for two years, risky does not begin to cover it. only a week ago, expectations were that the snp was getting a big move ready, as was gettirg arbigmovereadgf as= prepared was gettirg arbigmoveraadgf as= prepared for their spring that will start this conference that will start this weekend. but before that stage is even set, the drama whose ending

will affect us all is well let's speak tojim gallagher, a professor at oxford and glasgow universities. he fought the last referendum as part of the better together campaign and has worked for both the uk and scottish governments. thank you very much indeed for joining us. it's quite a gamble, isn't it. for theresa may to turn around and say, we're not going to let you, the scottish government, have the referendum that you want you it, they could play into nicola sturgeon‘s hands perhaps by building greater resentment in scotland against the westminster government, couldn't it? yes, it's a high-stakes game, this one. theresa may undoubtedly bé§ = legal game, this one. theresa may undoubtedly has = legal right to undoubtedly has the legal right to do this, there's no question of that. weather she is politically right to do it is a different question. she might be. most scots

at the moment don't actually seem to wa nt at the moment don't actually seem to want a referendum, but scotland is very divided on this. it might be that it would stoke up resentment or it might be that it would ring relief to many people. of course, last time around, leading figures including alex salmond said it was a once ina including alex salmond said it was a once in a generation vote. of course they're now saying that the circumstances have changed cars of brexit, - there's no real sign brexit, but there's no real sign that public opinion on independence has changed that much? public opinion on independence is more less where it was in the referendum in 2014. | is a lot of where it was in the referendum in 20111. i is a lot of people who say 20111. it is a lot of people who say they would vote yes, but it's not they would vote yes, but it's not the majority. what it tells you is that scotland is deeply divided, and another referendum won't fix that, whatever the result would be. we're seeing already the shape of what a future referendum might be fought on. are already hearing theresa may saying very strongly to the snp,

if you leave, brexit will take look, if you leave, brexit will take scotla nd look, if you leave, brexit will take scotland out of europe whatever happens, scotland will be taken out of the eu. doesn't a lot depend on the sort of brexit deal which theresa may achieves? a great deal does depend on that, and that's why theresa may says she wants to delay. but i think she is right to say that no matter what, scotland will leave 55s eu, because no matter what, scotland will leave 2 eu, because it won't be the eu, because it won't be independent before britain leaves the eu. you've got two incredibly strong characters head—to—head, nicola sturgeon and theresa may. i know that you supported the better together campaign, but who is your money on to emerge i top in this money on to emerge on top in this one? i don't think either of them is going to emerge on top, because both of them are going to be losers, one way or another. i think one of the lessons that i draw from both the referendums is that in the end, in a

referendum, there are always more losers than winners. which is why i don't think we should have another one. but do you think that nicola sturgeon will get her away, will at least get that “firing-4:4?” 7’ 7" 7 ' sturgeon will get her away, will at least get that s‘ssrjurfl‘i "7 7 7 sturgeon will get her away, will at least get that m i think i least get that referendum? i think it's possible that she will. i don't know when it will be or in what form. in the long run, if the people of scotla nd form. in the long run, if the people of scotland really do want to be independent, if they have a substantial majority who want that, thenit substantial majority who want that, then it will happen, but that's not then it will happen, but that's not the case just now. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at10:110 this evening in the papers — our guests joining me tonight are broadcaster lynn faulds wood and martin bentham, home affairs editor at the evening standard. the conservative party has been fined a record £70,000 pounds for breaking spending rules during the 2015 general election ——

during the 2015 general election and three by—elections in 20111. the electoral commission said there had been significant failures in the reporting of expenses and that there was a "realistic prospect" the money had given the party an advantage. 12 police forces have now asked the crown prosecution service to consider criminal charges. the conservative party insists any failures were due to administrative error. daniel sandford reports. they poured big resources into south thanet. but now they sis been given thanet. but now they have been given the biggest everfine thanet. but now they have been given the biggest ever fine for breaking the biggest ever fine for breaking the rules on recording election spending, here and elsewhere. we've never issued findings to that extent before. and i think they are some of the worst in that they were unable to provide evidence when we needed

it, and reports were inaccurate and the spending returns did not contain things that they should have done. the tory candidate, craig mcnally, won the seat. his official expenses after the campaign showed that he was within the local spending limit. but the parties spending in the area is now under question. the conservative party spent thousands of pounds on hotels here in south thanet. £15, 000 of pounds on hotels here in south thanet. £15,000 in a single hotel on the hill in ramsgate. the electoral commission says that at least some of that money should have been included in the local candidate's election expenses. one of the local ukip leading lights told me they a lwa ys ukip leading lights told me they always felt the conservative party had cheated. just the sheer number of bodies and full—time staff that we re of bodies and full—time staff that were down here, the sheer number of buses ! were down here, the sheer number of buses that were bringing in volu nteers buses that were bringing in volunteers at weekends, who were all fed and watered and had money spent on them. the conservative party also

had battle buses of activists touring other marginal seats. again, the electoral commission says that some costs should have been put on local candidates' expenses, possibly pushing them over spending limits. so far, 12 release forces have sent files to the crown prosecution service. kent police is not one of them. then there was money missed off the tories' national expenses altogether, more than £3800 for hotel rooms in margate, over £63,000 of spending on the battle bus tours and almost £105,000 over the spending. we have complied fully with the electoral commission throughout their investigations. they - imposed throughout their investigations. they- imposed a fine on the they have imposed a fine on the conservative party and the conservative party and the conservative party and the conservative party will be paying that fine. if there are criminal prosecutions, they could lead to by—elections in like by—elections in constituencies like south thanet. recently, labourand the liberal democrats have also been fined for illegal expenses returns.

the electoral commission is worried that parties are to the electoral commission is worried that parties are - to see the that parties are starting to see the finds as a cost of doing business rather than a way of keeping british rather than 3 “iii 25 ggggjgj inf-21,22 = elections fair. the leaders of france and germany have hailed the result of the general election in the netherlands, where the prime minister mark rutte has seen off a threat from the far right. with most of the votes counted, mr rutte's centre—right party has beaten geert wilders and his anti—eu and anti—islam freedom party into second place. joining me now from the netherlands is rutger bregman, author of the book utopia for realists. thank you very much forjoining us. tell us first of what you make of the results from this election? well, there have been a lot of reports in the international media about” reports in the international media matthel reports in the international media mat the failures of populism and about the failures of populism and that somehow, the trump result, the

brexit revolt, hasn't happened in the netherlands. but i think that is a complete fallacy. actually, just a complete fallacy. actually, geert wilders's party won five seats in parliament, and the big change has been in the past ten and 15