Scottish Six: SNP ‘trying to exert political control of BBC’
THE SNP was yesterday accused of trying to exert ‘political control’ on the BBC after failing in a bid to force it to introduce a ‘Scottish Six’ news bulletin.
Nationalist MPs tried to change the BBC Charter to include a line ordering it to replace the flagship national Six O’Clock News programme with a separate hour-long bulletin made in Scotland.
This would also see the demise of the Reporting Scotland news programme, whose presenting team is led by Jackie Bird.
But the move was rejected by MPs, with UK Government ministers
‘MPs cannot interfere’
accusing the SNP of trying to impose ‘political control’ on the BBC. An SNP amendment to the UK Government’s draft Royal Charter said Westminster and the BBC should ‘deliver maximum devolution of broadcasting and, specifically for Scotland, the Six O’Clock News option recommended by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’.
UK Culture Minister Matt Hancock told MPs: ‘It is vital the BBC is editorially independent so politicians cannot interfere with editorial matters. A vote for the amendment is a vote for political control of the BBC. The SNP may want political control of the BBC but we say no.’
Last month, we revealed the UK Government had moved to kill off the prospect of a Scottish Six by including a line in the new charter saying the BBC must ‘contribute to the social cohesion and well-being of the United Kingdom’.
Although the BBC has the power to make editorial decisions, including the introduction of a Scottish Six in place of the national Six O’Clock News, it must always act within the terms of its charter.
MPs last night rejected the SNP’s amendment, by 270 votes to 53.
During the debate, SNP culture spokesman John Nicolson, a former BBC Breakfast presenter, said it was ‘not delivering for Scotland’ and claimed staff had told him they wanted greater control over programming north of the Border.
He added: ‘I believe in the concept of a separate Scottish Six, but at that point politicians should stand back and allow the BBC to decide the form of that programme and the content of the programme.
‘For a significant period it’s been clear the BBC is not delivering for Scotland in the way it should.
‘There lies a problem at the heart of BBC Scotland. Without a fairer share of the licence fee, without greater control over its own budget, without the authority to make commissioning decisions, BBC Scotland too often relies on the decisions of executives in London. Meaningful editorial and financial control must be transferred north of the Border.’
Mr Nicolson disputed the view that the BBC should ‘bring the nation together’, saying: ‘I think the job of the BBC is to report without fear or favour and to provide the best possible news for viewers rather than acting as a cheerleader for one constitutional settlement or another.’
Nationalist MP Deidre Brock, said BBC Scotland must be free of ‘the dead hand of Broadcasting House’. She even appeared to attempt to influence staff appointments by urging it to ‘clear out the dead wood’.
Alex Salmond was hugely critical of the BBC during the independence referendum, even claiming that pro-Union bias by the broadcaster was a ‘significant factor’ in deciding the result.
During yesterday’s debate, Tory MP Alberto Costa said an hourlong Scottish news bulletin would ‘chip away at a great institution’.
The South Leicestershire MP claimed the SNP’s amendment was the latest ‘tool’ adopted by a party ‘hell-bent on destroying the sovereign United Kingdom’. He said: ‘All the amendment wants to do is drive a wedge between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.’
Scottish Labour Westminster spokesman Ian Murray said the SNP was ‘pushing the Government to make a decision on the Scottish Six, rather than leaving it in the hands of the BBC’.
The MP added: ‘I am glad John Nicolson accepts there should be no political inter-ference in the BBC’s editorial process. What I can’t understand is why he tabled an amendment that directly contradicts this by calling on the UK Government to intervene to secure a Scottish Six.’