the war of words over a second scottish independence referendum intensifies. the snp accuse the prime minister of running scared, but theresa may vows to fight for what she calls the precious union. good morning, it is friday 17 march. also this morning: a warning that secondary schools in england face losing an average of six teachers because of funding changes. more than a million people work in the so—called gig economy, but many miss out on holiday so are the jobs flexible extra income, orjust exploiting staff? i will discuss later. i'm at cheltenham, where it is gold cup day.

i will have all the sport from here shortly. elsewhere, manchester united are through to the quarter—finals of the europa league after a 1—0 win against fc rostov at old trafford. and we join the cast of the rom com love actually, as they film a remake for comic relief. and matt has the weather. good morning. it is a little bit chilly out that if you are about to head up the door but while southern and areas will see head up the door but while southern and - areas will see dry and and eastern areas will see dry and bright weather throughout the day, north and west can expect cloud and outbreaks of rain. details on that and a full forecast coming up. good morning. first, our main story: the snp will today accuse the government of being too scared to allow a second independence referendum. deputy leader angus robertson will open his party's spring conference by saying the conservatives have a desperate desire to prevent anyone rejecting brexit. but theresa may will tell her own 777mm; riflff if that she will fight to keep what she calls the precious union.

our scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. two leaders, both talking tough in the battle over scotland's future. theresa may and rejecting a referendum on independence before the uk leads the eu, saying now is not the time. nicola sturgeon determined it should go ahead, and ata time determined it should go ahead, and at a time of her choosing. determined it should go ahead, and at a time of her choosinglj determined it should go ahead, and at a time of her choosing. i think it would be unacceptable it would be completely unacceptable and outrageous, and almost antidemocratic, for a conservative government with one mp in scotland to seek to block the democratic will of the scottish parliament, and stand on the way of the scottish people having the right to choose their own future. miss sturgeon will use her party conference in aberdeen use her garty conference in aberdeen! keep the spotlight on her to keep the spotlight on her argument that downing street's position is unsustainable. 2000 party members who will pack this

later will likely agree. hole later will likely agree. elsewhere in the granite city the views were mixed. maybe sometime in the future we can vote on it. as far as it was announced, what they were proposing, i don't think... for me, thatis proposing, i don't think... for me, that is not something i would like to vote on. although theresa may says to wait until a deal, the deal is about being taken out of europe, so is about being taken out of europe, soi is about being taken out of europe, so i don't think theresa may has any right to stop - it has been two right to stop her. it has been two make you since people of scotland first loaded on whether to leave the united kingdom, for now they will be none of this. both sides are instead focused on trying to persuade people in scotland that they are right about the timing on any possible second independence referendum. 0ur political correspondent mark lobel is in westminster for us. mark, both sides showing no sign of backing down on this. indeed, theresa may upping the anti again in the indeed, theresa may upping the anti again- in the times, indeed, theresa may upping the anti again - in the times, writing again today in the times, writing

that it would be fundamentally unfairfor the that it would be fundamentally unfair for the scottish people to have to face this decision in the timeframe outlined by the snp which is holding the referendum by spring —— ante. she thinks it would 2019 —— ante. she thinks it would not be good to be the energies she needs to get a good brexit deal against those needed to hold a referendum, in fact last night she launched her plan for britain including some technical errors which was a gift for opponents, at é point saying it which was a gift for opponents, at g point saying it wasn‘t which was a gift for opponents, at é point saying it wasn't working, one point saying it wasn't working, and her objectives for brexit being to strengthen the union. she will refer to as the refer to the conservatives as the conservative party. refer to the conservatives as the conservative - party. words what she said on downing scheme—sees! she said ere gees-5557. 7 7 7 7 street when esheihe—e'het she seid eh dee-hihew 7 77 7 7 street when she took g the job. esheihe—e'het she seid eh dee-hihew 7 77 7 7 street have she took g the job. esheihe—e'het she seid eh dee-hihew 7 77 7 7 street have changed g thejob. esheihe—e'het she seid eh dee-hihew 7 77 7 7 street have changed g downing things have changed on downing street. it has become such a hot potato, because of nicola sturgeon is adamant that next week she will hold a vote on the scottish h-l-j ;e-l~£~~—kkrw ii iii i i f" and asked the essee'e%.e7—.e 2.71.4 £££%¥£!e: %,:l:,%,:! $1715 7 ~ to ‘ them lilestminster government to allowihenl

hold westminster government to allowihenl hold an referendum, is eel; 5; 31945551532; 515533”; she knows the answer even though she knowsthe’enswem‘s even thoogh she knowsthe'enswem‘s noteelee angus even thoogh she knowsthe'enswem‘s not new angus robertson will "" ""% theresa ”a of! "" ""% theresa ”a of_ scared accuse theresa may of running scared at their conference l aberdeen. at their conferencein aberdeeee= theresa may hasn't ruled out a the big question for referendum but the big question for her is going to be, and will her is going to ‘oe end will ~ to her is geing te ‘ee end will ~ to be, if not now, when? every secondary school in england could lose the equivalent of six teachers by 2020, according to a think tank. the education policy—«institutesaysi g.|_..|. ...:|| --- -..l- .. ...-...-- funding is at analletimejilng sarah campbell has more. save our schools! parents and pupils in cheshire, protesting last month about a lack of funding for their schools the government hers plens ' " " ' " it says, more fairly, and it says that at £40 billion this

year, school funding in england is the highest it has ever been. however, a report has concluded that no school will avoid a real terms cut in budget over the next few years. and from local authorities having less money to spend. so while the distribution efmcrneg enough money in the system to meet those pressures. real terms lost funding per primary school will be £711,000, and per secondary school, the average cut will be £291,000. that gggates, to evggg gggggg g% and every secondary school losing six. in england are facing, and is helping them to make savings.

britain's surveillance agency gchq has described claims es ugeiséwleue the unusual move to issue a statement came after he use the he - use the nsa, he didn't use the cia, he didn't use the fbi and use the department of he didn't osethe departmentsef he used is that? justice. he used moose/11st, isthet?! is justice. he used gchq.7.whetis.thetz! is the justice. he used gchq.7.\d!hetis.thet2! is the initials . the intelligence spying agency. sintered base sang to them the president transcripts'of the of con, conversations president trump, is able involving president trump, is able to get it. there are no american to get it and there are no american fingerprints on it. the uk's biggest—everfine for river pollution is expected to be imposed on thames water today. the company has admitted -~~~ ~ ~~ to breaching more than a dozen environmental laws. stretches of water in 0xfordshire and buckinghamshire were heavily jeremy stern reports. haddock caught west of scotland and in the north sea has been taken off a list of sustainable

fish to eat., . . the marine conservation society says stocks declined last year, a woman in peru has had a miraculous escape after being swept away the 32—year—old woman had fallen into a raging river, but somehow managed to get out onto a riverbank, and was helped to safety by onlookers. i was about to say, why isn't the person going to i was about to say, why isn't the person - going to help her? person filming going to help her? you can - that there are quite a .7 é ‘ people there. a bbc team ofjournalists and several tourists had to run for cover after they were caught in the middle of mt etna erupting, in sicily.

fissile hevewustnseefr sending fragments of rock flying in all directions. we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc science correspondent, getting her we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc scie hand rrespondent, getting her we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc scie hand 5757577; as , getting her we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc scie hand 5757577; as she tting her we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc scie hand 5757577; as she and] her we will be ‘cesh‘e to the bbc scie hand 5757577; as she and her' first hand account, as she and her tea m first hand account, as she and her team esre first hand account, as she and her team i355 uninjured, but shaken. she team were uninjured, but shaken. she was saying it has only; dawned g has “ust ha- -ened. it is of my favourite days of the one of my favourite days of the year, gold cup day at one of my favourite days of the yeai friday. zup day at cheltenham. one of my favourite days of the yeai fridayllp day at cheltenham. one of my favourite days of the yea| friday. i am ay at cheltenham. one of my favourite days of the yea| friday. i am with cheltenham. one of my favourite days of the yea| friday. i am with you ltenham. one of my favourite days of the yea| friday. i am with you on iii; and friday. i am with you on that. good morning everyone. it is such a special day, such a special feeling standing here. a lot of - asked standing here. a lot of'peopte'asked

why it is so special, i think me why it is so special, i think it is the history, that they have been is the history, that‘they‘havebeerei doing this since the 1800s. first of all, racing on top of cleeve hill ,, we” ,, .. it came down here - the before it came down here onto the flat. before it came down here onto the flatfi iconic slope flat. this iconic slope takes you down to the winning - it is st s . . g day as well, and having patrick‘s dayas we‘d? and’hav'mg down a little bit earlier, it as es “7—7 e "t: eh eefle like are es “7—7 7: "t: 5‘7 eefle like a q7. es “7—7 7: "t: 5‘7 eefle likea mini q7. 7s “7—7 7: "t: 5‘7 eefle like a mini - everyone 27.7 77 “77 77 "t: 5‘7‘7 eefle like a mini - everyone was was like a mini dublin. everyone was singing a certain song, ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby, of by ruby. reby.—ef7eedrse.7lsy7the7kaiser: winners for ruby walsh, they will repeat