Watchdog urged to probe daily briefings
Nicola Sturgeon says she will continue to front the daily Coronavirus briefing after a Labour peer complained to the broadcasting watchdog about the platform it gives her.
Lord Foulkes has written to Ofcom demanding a public official replace the First Minister at the daily briefings as the Scottish Parliament election approaches next year.
The First Minister insisted yesterday that she had a duty to communicate with the public about the government's approach to tackling the pandemic.
"I w i l l d o t h e b r i e f i n g s because I think I've got a really important responsibility as First Minister to communicate public health information to the public," she said.
L a b o u r h a s p r e v i o u s - ly raised concerns over the p o l i t i c a l a p p r o a c h t a k e n by Ms Sturgeon in some of her comments at the daily briefing.the BBC has previously announced it would stop broadcasting the briefings ever y day, but backed
down after concerns were raised by the Scottish Government.
Lord Foulkes said public health officials should present the briefings because "the rules on political impartiality continue to be flouted".
He wrote to Ofcom at the w e e k e n d c a l l i n g f o r t h e "adherence to the rules of political impartiality" by the watchdog.
The peer claimed BBC Scotland refused to cover the event as if it were a news conference. The Scottish Tories have also accused Ms Sturgeon of using the briefings “to promote SNP policy and stir up resentment”.