Sturgeon’s aide ‘bullied’ the BBC on Bannon visit
NICOLA Sturgeon’s chief of staff has been accused of a ‘bullying attack’ on BBC bosses over a controversial US political figure’s appearance at a media event.
Liz Lloyd is at the centre of a row after emails between her and BBC executives were revealed – in which she claimed she was ‘personally let down’.
She launched a scathing attack after former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon was invited to the News Xchange conference, which the corporation co-hosted, in Edinburgh earlier this month.
In her emails, Miss Lloyd accused the BBC of inviting Mr Bannon to create a ‘buzz’.
The First Minister was due to speak at the event, but pulled out after hearing the controversial former aide was also speaking.
Miss Sturgeon said she could not appear in the same line-up as Mr Bannon as she believed it risked ‘legitimising or normalising far-Right, racist views’.
A series of emails between Miss Lloyd and a senior BBC executive has now been revealed.
A message sent to the corporation and forwarded to Scottish Government special advisers by Miss Lloyd said the Government believed giving Mr Bannon a platform ‘provides an opportunity to amplify the alt-Right and fake news messages’.
She added: ‘It is quite unbelievable, but regrettably not surprising, the BBC considers this an appropriate approach to take.’
Despite the BBC responding to the emails by claiming it had not invited Mr Bannon, and it was co-organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that had done so, Miss Lloyd responded by accusing it of trying to create a ‘buzz’ by inviting the controversial Mr Bannon.
She wrote: ‘I appreciate that inviting someone like that to the conference provides a certain shock value and no doubt a buzz that you would wish to generate.’
But the BBC replied: ‘Shock factor is not something that factors into our agenda setting.’
But Miss Lloyd continued the attack, writing: ‘As you know, when we originally discussed this, I agreed it was an excellent opportunity. And it is with regret that we are now having to forego it. I have to say I feel personally let down by the position we’ve been put in.’
In the same email, she hit out at the ‘intolerable position’ the First Minister had been placed in by having to pull out of the conference and the ‘naivety of the Bannon invitation’.
Last night, a Scottish Tory spokesman said: ‘How ironic that in attacking the BBC for inviting Mr Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon, Nicola Sturgeon’s aide displays all the hallmarks of Mr Trump’s own bullying attacks on a free media.
‘How telling that Nicola Sturgeon’s team can’t see the double standards. It is disgraceful that taxpayers are having to pay for this kind of heavy-handed attack from the First Minister’s shadowy spin team. Nicola Sturgeon needs to get a grip.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘It is for the BBC and EBU to determine who they invite and for the First Minister to decide what she attends.
‘The First Minister is a passionate supporter of free speech, but declined the invitation to speak at the News Xchange conference as she was not prepared to appear at an event where she could be considered to be legitimising or normalising far-Right, racist opinions.’