ANOTHER incident of BBC bias in sport occurred on Saturday night’s broadcast from the European Games diving in Edinburgh.

The corporation really needs to tackle the seemingly endemic bias of their English commentators, who repeated their mistake from the swimming by again focusing exclusively on English competitors during the diving events.

In the women’s 3m board event they were concentrating so much on the points needed by Alicia Blagg to beat the Russian and take first place for GB that they apparently didn’t even bother to do the same calculation for any other diver and consequently completely missed the possibility of another Team GB diver overtaking the Russian, let alone taking first place as Grace Reid from Scotland did in her final dive.

John Jamieson
South Queensferry

AS members of the SSP Highland branch (two of whom are members of the SSP Executive Committee), we wish to take issue with the letter published on Saturday from the SSP chair regarding the resignation of the party’s national secretary.

It is regrettable that a decision was taken to issue such a letter publicly rather than deal with this within party structures, and therefore as a branch we feel it also necessary to make our position public.

There are many inaccuracies in the statement, from minor issues such as stating Connor Beaton resigned “dramatically in a fit of pique” (he calmly made a statement and left the Executive Committee meeting) to major concerns. The letter states: “the SSP rejects each and every one of the allegations”.

This is completely untrue – at no time has the party considered the, in some cases very serious, allegations raised by Mr Beaton, therefore they have been neither refuted nor proven at this stage. To state otherwise is simply a lie.

To state the allegations were not raised “because he knew the party as a whole did not agree with him” has no basis in truth. The Executive Committee has yet to agree a statement in response to Mr Beaton’s open letter, therefore to make such a statement does not reflect the views within the party.

We cannot stand by whilst the membership is misled in this way.

SSP Highland Branch Members: Louis McIntosh; Marie Macpherson; Calum Murray; Feargus Murray (EC member); Martin Sutherland; Suzanne Wright (EC member)

THANKS to The National and the Wee Ginger Dug for visiting the Islay Show on Thursday. The weather was great, the cakes on the neighbouring SNP stall were delicious and the crowds of both visitors and locals were supportive. There was lots of interest in what Michael Russell MSP, Joanne Cherry MSP and the Wee Ginger Dug had to say about current events, particularly Brexit.

What struck me most powerfully was the expressions of support for an independent Scotland from a range of individuals from diverse backgrounds and places of birth. Where you are born is not under your control, but where you choose to live is a definite choice.

Ann Humphreys
Islay

I RECEIVED a copy of The Trussell Trust’s annual report for 2017-2018 today. It records that during the period April 2017 to March 2018 their nationwide foodbanks handed out 1,332,952 three-day emergency food supplies.

From the information given by the people who use these facilities, 41.47% said that it was because of benefit issues, either delays or changes to them. If the DWP had rectified these long-running issues, over half a million three-day emergency food supplies would not have been required. A very large number of families would have felt better about their lives.

Is there anything in the European Convention on Human Rights that can be used against the DWP in this matter?

George McKnight
West Calder

ON a recent holiday to the lovely seaside village of Cullen on the Moray coast we visited Cullen Old Kirk (c.1236). I bought the little guide book of the Kirk, and reading through it I came across a very interesting piece about the marble memorial on the wall erected in honour of James Ogilvy (1664-1730), 4th Earl of Findlater and 1st Earl of Seafield, who was the most powerful member of that family ever.

He was an extremely wealthy lawyer and politician in Edinburgh who rose to the pre-eminent position of Chancellor of Scotland. He was reportedly gifted with eloquence and suavity, had a “soft tongue” and was nicknamed “the hyena”. He was largely responsible for the Treaty of Union 1707 and it was believed he was one of those who accepted bribes from the English Government.

Within a very short time, however, it was apparent that Scottish traders were not to share equal advantages as their English counterparts, and Seafield tried to undo the Union. He failed narrowly and there is evidence that he might have succeeded had not promised votes been withheld at a vital meeting.

Such a parcel o rogues comes to mind here.

J McDonald
Dunvegan, Isle of Skye