BBC News Coverage of Salmond’s Return

Hilariously infantile media coverage by Tim Stanley of the Telegraph and Petrie Hosken, personalised, vindictive and puerile …

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  1. I heard this claptrap and don’t wish to listen again.Three petty and pretty useless people! they started venting their ignorance straight away,always a sign of an incompetent and jealous person.I really don’t think me making a comment on them is a worthwhile use of my time I could sit outside in the cold and the rain,much more useful.

  2. Brian says:

    I saw this. It probably won’t do any good, but I’ve put a complaint to the BBC in writing.
    And it wasn’t just the ignorant, uninformed comments from these two unknowns, it was the fact that the tame, docile BBC host did not challenge them, on anything, and indeed seemed to think it was all such fun. Sickening.

  3. Truly extraordinary. So utterly devoid of understanding of Scottish politics and culture, and what arrogance- but we’re used to it, eh?

  4. Ferdia says:

    So it’s about his personal power…when he’s just relinquished power? What are they smoking down there?

  5. gonzalo1 says:

    What a totally biased and unbalanced article by the BBC using these two halfwits as informed opinion. They are making mistake after mistake: he didn’t lose an election, it was a referendum, don’t they know the difference?
    I notice that the most spiteful comments come from those with the plummy accents. Does a public school education come with absolute contempt towards those who challenge the British establishment? Onwards and upwards, Eck.

  6. Dan Huil says:

    Scotland and England are truly two very different countries. It’s only a matter of time…

  7. jimnarlene says:

    BBC at it’s best, sadly.

  8. Bill Gardner says:

    This laughable “news comment” item vividly explains why we want to leave the idiot elite who run the Establishment media mafia and the Tory and Labour politicians they serve.

    He should think twice about going to Glasgow of all places! As the banter he will get will be just reward !

    Bill G@ NB

  9. Is it really ignorance? or is it a deliberately constructed prolonged campaign by the unionist parties and the establishment using their BBC propaganda machine, at every turn now, it’s attack after attack on SNP as a party and the individuals within that party, make no mistakes the unionists BT campaign has evolved into the “SNP BAD” campaign. Got to ask yourself why would they want to attack and smear the SNP at every turn? Can only conclude that the SNP are a real and credible threat to WM and the Establishment, if they silence the SNP then Scotland and her people have no voice in WM and no future in the union as equal partners, Tories and Libdems would be very happy to see so called Scottish Labour as the dominant party in Scotland, as that means a party controlled by unionist UK Labour is in charge of Scottish affairs, i’m not overstating this, but this upcoming general election is the fight of our life’s, the fight for Scotland’s future, the fight against continued WM pillaging of our nation, in many ways this is a more important fight than the indy-ref, lose this one and Scotland will once again slip into the dark abyss and be dominated for years to come by politicians who’s only concern is themselves and their WM establishment unionist agenda’s, every single one of us has to stand up, fight back, and campaign to get as many SNP MP’s to WM as we possibly can.

    1. Darien says:

      “Is it really ignorance?” I suspect it is.

      “this upcoming general election is the fight of our life’s, the fight for Scotland’s future”

      You may be right. But even with 50+ SNP MP’s, the combined votes of red and blue tories would prevail at Westminster. SNP bloc would however be justified in declaring an independent Scotland based on securing a majority of seats in Scotland; that was always the general view taken by unionist leaders such as Jim callaghan and Maggie Thatcher and should be no different today. The alternative is for 50+ SNP MP’s to turn up at Westminster and be treated like a bunch of useless stooges for the next 5 years.

      Independence from the British State is never given, it has to be taken.

    2. stevie g says:

      Drawdeadaved, your comment is perhaps the most profound thing I have seen. Its very worrying for the future of scotland.

    3. Frank M says:

      It really is time for people who have not grasped the notion yet that we are nowhere near being equal partners in a corrupt union. No wonder they panic. They need Scotland’s resources, but are not interested in Scotland’s people. They will try every trick in the book to spread muck about the SNP. There are a sizeable number of people up here who are either in collusion (see me – I’m alright Jock) and others who are easily deluded, cannot think for themselves or are scared to.
      The SNP have fought hard for Scottish people, with little thanks from some and with little control over resources. They have the only party leaders who have increased their popularity after terms in office, while that of all the others is on the decline. The Greens have grasped the notion of an unequal partnership (we are NOT better together) and ably work in tandem with the SNP Government. We want a MORE equal Scotland than the one we have got. As a nation, we can ensure that that will happen, but we need the power and the resources to control our own affairs and allow our economy to grow.
      This will not mean everyone will be exactly equal. It means that nobody is prevented from access to work or to a living wage and the differentials between richer and poorer can thus decrease. People can still strive to do better if they wish, but EVERYONE should be entitled to contribute to society. People will regain the dignity they are deprived of. Instead of benefits, they will be able to stand up tall, knowing they are contributing. The subtle change in terminology from ‘Social Security’ to ‘Benefits’ by Westminster and Unionists has encouraged some members of society to look down their noses at those who are locked into dependency. There but for the grace of God……….
      It has also also been clearly pointed out by both economists and business people in Scotland, that we are an extremely wealthy country in terms of resources. People just need to actually read what these people say, instead of relying on the MSM telling them what to think. Spin has clouded the minds of many people. It has also been stated internationally that we could easily stand on our own feet and govern our own country and that we would be among the top 5 richest nations. We are being held back by an old boys network and a British illusion of superiority based on a class system which is truly outdated.

    4. Dr Ew says:

      For many it is ignorance, but it is a wilful ignorance born of complacency, arrogance and narrow worldview. Correspondents who pride themselves in being able to interpret, say, subtle shadings in a comment from Xi Jinping dismiss Alex Salmond / Nicola Sturgeon / the SNP with an airy wave, and feel quite secure and justified when letting personal invective seep through every utterance on the subject. Indeed, resentment at even having to devote time to reporting the rumblings in the North has the air of a tedious chore.

      The late night newspaper previews on BBC and Sky offer particularly fertile ground for febrile fulminating like that of the Labourite git above, as the format provides a platform for the personal opinion of the guests and is therefore deniable as the view of the broadcaster. Time and again we are treated to the ill-informed, partisan frothings from the metrocentric clique – former GMTV newsreader Penny Smith used her appearance days before the referendum to compare Scotland “to a child who keeps throwing tantrums to get what it wants,” adding that, similarly, “we” should not give in to such behaviour – breathtaking complacency, metropolitan arrogance and wilful ignorance encapsulated in one staggering sentence. And the BBC presenter didn’t even cough.

  10. MBC says:

    Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.

  11. Les Wilson says:

    This type of interview was rampant during the referendum, the BBC are the title holders but Sky, STV, Ch4 etc were all party to it. Seems nothing has changed, ignorance rules the Union.

  12. Simon Barrow says:

    Apparently they hadn’t noticed that Westminster SNP MPs don’t vote on English-only issues. Vitriol and ignorance is an ugly combination, normally seen in UKIP… who, come to think of it, appear to be Broadcasting House favourites. Sad.

  13. cynicalHighlander says:

    Will Alex change his name to Guy Fawkes? Bur seriously do we expect anything else from the BBC who are nothing but the state propaganda tool ever since they were set up.

  14. Roddy Martin says:

    And showing a complete ignorance of Scotland’s new political landscape.

    1. bellacaledonia says:

      Or their own …

  15. Ken MacColl says:

    I saw this too and considered registering a complaint but ,from past experience, find that the BBC is totally in denial of the possibility that they can at any time be fallible. This sort of ignorant comment was a feature of their reportage during the referendum campaign and I have no doubt that this form of biased reporting will intensify in the run up to the General Election for as long as the SNP threaten the status quo.
    I suppose it is to be understood that a London broadcaster and a failed Labour candidate who works for the Daily Telegraph will have their own agenda but newsreaders should at least have the basic information to challenge patently inaccurate statements. The other broadcast news channels are seldom better but the BBC is supposed to be answerable to all its subscribers and clearly is failing in its charter responsibilities.
    As I am now of an age that I can access this information without a licence I cannot even register my disgust by withholding the licence fee !

  16. Nick Sedgwick says:

    Upon hearing this news item at the top of the bill on a BBC radio news bulletin at 2.30AM, I immediately sniffed a rat and suspected that the old propaganda machine was, yet again, being ramped up….

  17. SquirrelTowers says:

    A group of people commenting on something they know absolutely nothing about, politics in Scotland. Why review a paper really only sold in Scotland? Do they normally even cover the Scottish sunday papers? If not, why today and surely they should at least have someone on the panel who at least has some understanding of the political scene up here. Good god that Telegraph bloke called the referendum an election!! We are paying for this….sigh

  18. Amy says:

    Ah, Petrie Hosken – what you get when you ask for a female Jeremy Kyle. She is utterly repellent and spews out vitriolic rubbish whenever she’s given media time…

  19. Fay Kennedy. says:

    This crew are a distinct advantage to the independence campaign and the general election next year.

  20. Jake Gittes says:

    Difficult to quite know how to react after seeing this. We have seen Salmond abused by the state broadcaster ( mainly through the London HQ News 24 outlet ) so often we have become inured to it. The bias just happens like this, time and time again, the interviewer just lets it happen, does not give a shit about how this might appear to a very significant component of the Scottish population. Hard to imagine, Natalie Bennett, Leanne Wood, Nick Clegg being dealt with in such savagely contemptuous terms. Salmond is up there near the top of the BBC’s lexicon of hate and we all know why.

    Guys the only thing to do, is what I have done since September 19th – Go Licence Free. Phone them up say that you have decided to neither watch nor record live TV using any device. Use your TV for catch up – that is legal. Knowing I have not paid them a penny for nearly 3 months soothes my fury at this. We should all try it.

  21. ivor says:

    i cancelled my tv licence,sent a letter ‘ deny implied right of access’ now they cant come within 100 ft of my property ,look it up on yt.

  22. Alison M H Grant says:

    lets hope that more arrogrant English get lots of air play .

  23. Clive B Scott says:

    Unfortunately ignorant twits like this pair will always get unfettered and unchallenged access to the Britnat propaganda channel of the BBC. I started the BBC licence fee cancellation process before the 18th September and wrote a personal note to Ken McQuarry, BBC Scotland controller giving my reasons – basically contemptible political bias. I obtained a refund of the portion of the fee that ran through to May. I would urge all supporters of an independent Scotland to cancel the TV licence and write to Ken McQuarry in Glasgow advising accordingly. If the 95,000 SNP members represent 47,500 households that would knock £6.9m from their budget. Think what this money could achieve in the new media platforms that have sprung up pre and post Indyref1.

  24. Alexis Brown says:

    Well what can you say to this , 1- Don’t think Nicola Sturgen will be up-set re Alex Salmond standing in the Gordon Area as a Candidate in the General Election, In fact I think she will be behind him all the way.
    2-With the diabolic attitude from Mr Tim Stanley is it any wonder that Scotland (although we did loose this time) still look forward to the day that we will have Independence. He spouts that Alex Salmond is a threat to HIS Country (Maybe that shows you why us Scots have a dream of one day being apart from the rest of Britain in which we have endured this attitude for many a year.
    2b-He seams to be up- set Re the front pages of certain Newspapers depicting Alex Salmond Eating HIS COUNTRY/PARLIAMENT, well I think this is down to the press photographers and not personally Alex Salmond re this problem. Could it be the case that Scotland has now embraced her voice and is now standing up to be counted that the said gentleman is no longer a happy chappie “, English votes for English people” yes you may be right, again you now know what Scotland had to endure for so long.
    3-As for the B B C /Media Reports, We up here in Scotland no longer expect the true facts to be reported, only what london wants the rest of Britain to see/hear. Maybe some day the above said company’s will stage a complete and hounest programme that details the truth re Scotland .
    3b- Going back to the issue of Alex Salmond only standing in the next General Election because he is so self important, Only the Scottish voters in the Gordon Area Of Scotland can determine the out come of this. (Unless we have a multitude of postal votes being opened up early/threatening phone calls to the elderly) and so on.

  25. Bothy Basher says:

    Of course it’s biased and unprofessional reporting on Scottish issues. When was it ever any different?

    1. Alexis Brown says:

      Sorry , in the above I have a spelling error (honest not hounest).

      1. Bothy Basher says:

        And ‘loose’ and ‘london’!

        ”Fair fa’ your hounest sonsie face”

  26. arthur thomson says:

    I avoided watching this when it came up on WOS because it’s the sort of thing that winds me up. However, I am going to be odd man out here and say that I am glad they broadcast it. It is so obviously out of touch and blatantly biased that someone will find it the last straw and move towards the pro independence cause. It was on a par with the ‘eat your cereal’ advert. We need lots of this in the months ahead – at this level of sheer stupidity – to make the ‘proud Scots but’ aware of the cretins with whom they have aligned themselves. The soulless majority who sat on their backsides and then went out (or conveniently posted) their no vote in the Referendum need to be drawn out of their cosy corner to disassociate themselves from this rubbish. If they choose not to then it tells us a little more about who the people are who oppose us.

  27. macart763 says:

    Yeah, clocked this at the time. The ignorance, lack of empathy and arrogance on display is pretty grim, but then what else can you expect from these people. Their world and focus is so narrow its close to political and societal tunnel vision. They have no clue as to what’s happening and no imagination to foresee what’s about to happen.

    The shock’ll do them good. 😉

  28. Abulhaq says:

    Kate&Wills currently huckstering for BritState in the US says all you need to know about this foetid banana kingdom.

  29. Mark Coburn says:

    Why is it that I feel the need to have a wash after having watched this? Ooooh the slime!

  30. Dave says:

    Pair of patronising pricks!

  31. John Sharp says:

    I agree very much with the comments made earlier by Dr Ew. If a Scotland-related issue comes up in the Press Comment section, it’s about 10-1 that the pundits will be ones that will give us a pro-union slant on it, with plenty of personal invective, but shamelessly deficient in respect of evidence or careful analysis.

    The BBC moderator usually goes along happily with their line, but on the odd occasion that there is a guest who is taking a more sympathetic view of an independence / SNP issue, the moderator will challenge with counterarguments. I noticed that Pete Wishart MP tweeted a complaint about this item and Kevin Schofield, the Sun’s chief political correspondent, answered “Man responsible for making laws reveals he doesn’t know difference between reporting and opinion”. I’m sure that we all understand Press Comment is opinion, but the point is about diversity of opinion. (That the BBC can’t seem to keep pro-union bias out of its reporting is an other issue.) When the BBC News channel, over a long period, delivers to us, integrated with its news coverage, opinion which is relentlessly biased in one direction, and refuses to recognise that this is a problem, then the BBC is in breach of its own editorial values and charter.

  32. paulkshortt says:

    Pathetic, patronising & above all, predictable. Why would any self respecting Scot want to stand side by side with such arrogant vermin. They really are up their own arses this lot. Laughable!

    WHEN we have our independence, we should hunt these sort of people across our fields for sport!

    You can stick your tv license up your arse!!!

    Saor Alba Gu Brath!

  33. BBC as guilty as Westminster and the crown.
    No more ilegal wars and oppression of other countries.
    But with immediate affect all three of you keep your hands off all the children on these shores and beyond.
    Three vile disgusting establishments that work hand in hand to screw over the people on these shores and have been together or separately for centuries.
    You are a blight on humanity and your place in history will go down as the darkest epoch in mankind’s story of betterment.

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