Well, since I'm in the mood for such things, I sent in a complaint on this evening's Question Time. I thought I might as well be consistent!
"During last week's edition of Question Time, Nicola Sturgeon was reminded by David Dimbleby that the programme was for a UK audience. This week University funding in England was discussed at length and it was not made clear that the discussion had no relevance to Scotland, where tuition fees have been abolished.
Later in the programme, there was a discussion on the politics of the USA. While this may have been topical, it certainly would not have been directly relevant to the daily lives of the UK audience. It seems entirely nonsensical to deny debate on Scottish issues, where this is at present a constituent part of the United Kingdom, but then debate at length the implications of the midterm elections in another nation some distance from our shores.
I look forward to your explanation for pursuing these issues in your 'UK-wide' programme."
"During last week's edition of Question Time, Nicola Sturgeon was reminded by David Dimbleby that the programme was for a UK audience. This week University funding in England was discussed at length and it was not made clear that the discussion had no relevance to Scotland, where tuition fees have been abolished.
Later in the programme, there was a discussion on the politics of the USA. While this may have been topical, it certainly would not have been directly relevant to the daily lives of the UK audience. It seems entirely nonsensical to deny debate on Scottish issues, where this is at present a constituent part of the United Kingdom, but then debate at length the implications of the midterm elections in another nation some distance from our shores.
I look forward to your explanation for pursuing these issues in your 'UK-wide' programme."
7 comments:
You could have also nailed them on discussing Sheffield Forge Masters and English student funding.
Anyway, nearly time to be on my bike.
Let us know if you get a response - the BBC's semi-automated responses are usually pretty dire and laughable, but this is one situation where I really cannot see how they can present any kind of defence. It is, quite simply, hypocricy.
Unless they come away with some rubbish about how the situation in England will probably have an impact on Scottish fees too. But of course, that wouldn't stand up either, since Scottish independence would most certainly have an impact on England (if only for the sudden shortfall in their budget if we successfully took control of our oilfields!)
Well done Ms Bellgrove.
I'd be interested to know what they say.
I suspect that they take the view that the English position is the UK position, given it is 90% of the population.
I'll be interested to hear the response.
Alison
Full marks for being consistent, but I doubt if you will get any better response.
I still have an issue with the lack of an official response from the SNP towards last weeks QT in particular, and the general bias of the BBC in general.
While reposes from the general public can be useful, they will never carry the weight of an official SNP government response.
This raises the important question, just what are the SNP government afraid of?
Why are we not taking the fight to the BBC, do they think that the bias can get any worse than it is at present?
Remember if you turn the other cheek, it just means you get hit on both sides of the face.
Tris
Just saw your post.
It does not matter that England are 90% of the UK. The name of the organization is the BBC. We pay the same license fee and should be entitled to equal treatment.
Just imagine for a moment that the EU decided that there should be a EU wide public service broadcaster to replace all the present state broadcasters. Do you think that England would put up with being told that some things could not be debated as this is for EU wide audiences? I think not, I am sure the UK government would fight for equal representation at all times. The big question is why does the Scottish government not fight for Scotland on this issue?
Dubbieside: I wasn't for a minute condoning the answer. I merely suggested that that is what they will suppose, using the size/proportion of the English polulation.
I am furious about this, and the fact that we have to sit through the 6 o'clock news every day listening to English news; that most of the Radio 4 output is about England and that they frequently don't bother to explain that it IS only England.
On the BBC UK website is a link to this -
MSPs set to pass Alcohol Bill without minimum pricing
BBC Scotland
10 Nov 2010
"Nation shall speak unto Nation" - unless it's Scotland trying to speak to the rest of Britian or trying to speak to the rest of the world without interference from London first.
Question Time is a favourite platform for British nationalists to denounce and denegrate Scotland and its culture. An infamous example being the third/fourth rate British historian David Starkey who bad-mouthed one of the most amazing poets and songsters ever born, Rabbie Burns. The Bard's crime was he was Scottish.
The BBC has ruled the rest of the UK aren't allowed to listen to the views of Scots. So much for British democracy and freedom of expression.
The BBC, with it's usual British nanny-state thinking, is claiming it knows what is good for the the UK. However, the rest of the UK might actually have something to learn from the Scottish experience in the same way Scotland-only politics has lessons to learn from the rest of the UK.
The General Election Party Leader's debate was also an illustration of the excuses used to justify excluding any voice other than those that support the British Establshment.
Maybe the BBC will extend its exlusion zone to include it's non-stop promotion of American mainstream politics and policies here in the UK. The BBC seems to think the UK has much to learn from the US but seemingly nothing to learn from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland self-government.
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