Outsider’s view

Published on 17/08/2012 00:00

In the wake of Ian Davidson MP’s trenchant criticisms of BBC Scotland’s alleged partiality towards the SNP, Ewan ­Crawford manages to absolve both the SNP and Pacific Quay of any blame (Perspective, 14 August).

This set me thinking of the BBC Today programme in September 2009 on which I was interviewed about a book I had written about the SNP.

It was Ewan Crawford against whom I squared off and I learnt later from a gopher inside the programme that the SNP had tried its darndest to kill the ­interview by refusing to put anyone up against me.

I think John Boothman’s news and current affairs and the SNP are already enjoying a far smoother relationship than BBC Scotland ever had with hapless Scottish Labour: they enjoy a similar cynical and manipulative stance towards how best to ­manipulate the great British public.

If Ewan Crawford thinks I am as much at sea as he assumes Ian Davidson is, then I would make this recommendation to him: please ask John Boothman to put up more Scots like me against his crowd when discussing such subjects as Britishness and Scottishness. Scots who live in or have lived in England or overseas are hardly ever lured on to BBC Scotland about such things unless, of course, they are Sir Sean Connery.

Tom Gallagher

Emeritus Professor of Politics

University of Bradford

Bradford