Partial coverage

DESPERATE stuff indeed! The assorted pro-Union correspondence (Letters, 31 March) expose the unsubstantiated fears and relentless scaremongering of those who have yet to accept that politics in the UK are undergoing fundamental change, whether Scotland becomes independent or not.

None of those reacting to views of BBC bias made reference to the West of Scotland University report backing such a conclusion but instead resorted to subjective opinions of the BBC’s past supposed impartiality.

A straightforward question for those persons to contemplate – if it is not stretching democratic legitimacy for the Conservatives, as well as Labour and the Liberal Democrats, to have significantly more BBC General Election exposure in Scotland (via “British” as well as “Scottish” stories) than the SNP, is it politically balanced for SNP spokespersons to be persistently interrupted while Labour representatives in particular are generally accommodated with more time overall to repeat their party slogans during Scottish current affairs programmes?

With regard to the irrational assertion that internal SNP discipline, a necessary defence against the unrelenting London-controlled media onslaught, is an attempt to “suppress democracy” in Scotland, the absence of accompanying support for SNP proposals to introduce proportional representation and abolish the House of Lords should be enlightening to those seeking an objective perspective.

Of course, those spreading such devious propaganda are content to have the mass media, almost without exception, ignoring the views of nearly half of the voting electorate in this “democratic idyll” that is the United Kingdom.

Stan Grodynski

Longniddry, East Lothian

LIBERAL Democrat peer Lord (David) Steel says that the criticism of Nick Robinson during the referendum campaign was for “having the temerity to raise difficult questions” but this is
not so.

The reason the BBC’s political editor came in for criticism was because he was economical with the truth.

At a televised press conference given by Alex Salmond Mr Robinson asked him a question which he answered and those who were there, and video of the conference, fully verify this. When the BBC news broadcast the question it did not show the answer but instead cut to Mr Robinson in the studio who said “he did not answer”. The resulting hoo-ha sparked protests outside BBC Scotland’s Glasgow headquarters.

The BBC presentation of Mr Robinson’s version of events, in my opinion, amounted to a ­blatant attempt to discredit Mr Salmond and the SNP and is ­totally unacceptable.

Brad King

St Leonard’s Street 

Edinburgh