STURGEON PULLS OUT OF CONFERENCE
The First Minister was duee to open News Xchange 20188 in Edinburgh at the Nationalal Museum of Scotland onn November 13.
But Bannon is scheduled to speak in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre the following day. The BBC are “co-hosting the event”.
The agenda includes a special edition of BBC Question Time, with Sarah Smith lined up to interview Bannon.
The event is underwritten by the European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public service media organisations.
Sturgeon tweeted yesterday: “I believe passionately in free speech but as First Minister I have to make judgments – and I’ll not be part of a process that risks legitimising far right, racist views.”
Bannon was a key figure in
Trump’s rise to power and served as chief strategist at the White House before leaving his post last year.
Since then, Bannon has visited Europe backing far right parties like France’s National Front, Alternative for Germany and the Italian League.
News Xchange said: “We scrutinise a range of relevant viewpoints in the framework of a balanced debate.”
The Scottish Government said Sturgeon had only just been told of the invite to Bannon, adding: “Her attendance is no longer appropriate on that basis.”