Tory backbencher ridicules call for Scottish BBC station
FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon needs to “calm down” following her demands that Scotland must get a dedicated BBC television channel, a Tory MP has said.
The comment made by backbencher Philip Davies is reminiscent of a remark made by David Cameron in 2011.
At a Question Time session at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, when the panel was discussing Scotland and the BBC, after a speech by Ms Sturgeon, Mr Davies said: “I think people are getting rather, sort of, overwhelmed by this, and Nicola Sturgeon needs to just calm down a second, and remember people in Scotland did actually vote...”
At this point, chairwoman Kirsty Wark, said that his “calm down” comment had “an echo of something that was said in the chamber”.
As the audience looked on and laughed, Mr Davies joked that maybe he should have said Ms Sturgeon – who was not at the event – should “steady on”. He took issue with having his choice of words highlighted, branding it “absolutely ridiculous”.
In 2011, Mr Cameron sparked outrage f rom Labour when he told the party’s Treasury spokeswoman Angela Eagle to “calm down, dear” during an exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Mr Davies said Ms Sturgeon “needs to remember” Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom.
He said the BBC is “more than capable” of providing the relevant news for all of the UK.
Ms Sturgeon demanded that Scotland must get a dedicated BBC television channel to counter the often “ill-informed” coverage of London-based journalists who have “totally failed” to cover constitutional change.
Labour MP Chris Bryant called BBC DirectorGeneral Lord Hall a “coward” and a top director “daft” at the Edinburgh International Television Festival and accused Tony Hall of not standing up to Culture Secretary John Whittingdale.