NOTHING else encapsulates the political and cultural divergence that exists between supporters of Scottish independence and backers of the Union than the issue of the Scottish Six.

This is not to say that a nightly, one-hour news programme produced and edited by BBC Scotland is the most important matter being disputed along the constitutional divide; it’s not. Indeed, on its own it’s probably not even remotely so. You can, though, perceive important indicators of the character of the Yes and No movements in each side’s attitude to the prospect of a Scottish Six and in their response to the news that the BBC in London are expected finally to jettison the project.

Much larger issues such as Europe, health, education and the economy will always portray the doctrinal differences between left and right; nationalist and Unionist. The 20-year debate about the desirability of Scotland having its own nightly news programme, though, has permitted us to glimpse the core of each side’s nature. And in this it probably tells us more about the No side and what motivates many of their tribunes in the press and in the parties of the Union themselves.

In normal circumstances a Scottish supporter of the Union ought not to have any problems with the prospect of BBC Scotland producing a nightly news programme. What could be more natural than a desire to see news affecting the lives of people living in Scotland find an appropriate niche alongside UK and international news? In the midst of the ongoing constitutional debate, however, Unionists have contrived a position where they must be steadfastly opposed to this. It has become emblematic of how they regard Scotland’s role on a larger stage. Essentially, they don’t think the country should have one. And in those few areas where it does, it is only permitted to do so if this is in accordance with the wishes of England.

In contriving their opposition to a Scottish Six, Unionists have also contrived an assortment of reasons to justify it. These begin at “unlikely” and descend down through the scale of dubiety to “you’re having a laugh”. We’ve been treated to a few over the past couple of days since our sister paper, the Sunday Herald, first revealed that Tony Hall, the Baron of Birkenhead, will don the black cap tomorrow in passing sentence on the Scottish Six.

The main reason cited by Unionists is that a one-hour news programme produced in Scotland would quickly fall prey to the ruthless SNP spin machine. Naturally, there is no evidence for this. In fact such that exists would suggest that the SNP spin machine has been found badly wanting if the experience of the first referendum on Scottish independence is anything to go by. Not only did every daily newspaper in Scotland back the Union, but the BBC in London took every opportunity to lean towards the Union.

This is quickly followed by a disdainful dismissal of BBC talent in Scotland. There are more than 250 experienced Scottish journalists working for BBC Scotland, among them several whose abilities and achievements are exceptional and recognised as being so by their fellows in the industry throughout the UK. I’ll provide you with one small but hugely significant example. The investigative reporting of Mark Daly, Samantha Poling and Shelley Jofre over the past few years has been of the highest calibre.

During the referendum campaign itself, the breadth and excellence of the reporting was top class until London started to show an alarmed interest and sent up several lamentably ill-informed A-listers. The persistent Unionist claim that the talent simply doesn’t exist in BBC Scotland to handle a programme of this magnitude is insulting to our intelligence and deeply disrespectful to the journalists and editors who work for the BBC in Scotland.

Unionists also claim there simply isn’t enough news occurring in Scotland that is of sufficient importance to occupy slots nearer the top of the programme. I’ve met these people on countless occasions at the BBC over the past three years talking about the myriad constitutional issues and Scotland’s relationship with Europe. Beyond that, the future of the NHS in Scotland and the need to address the widening attainment gap in Scottish schools are issues on which the First Minister of Scotland has staked her political reputation. Apparently, though, none of these is deemed to be of crucial importance to the Unionist commentariat, who are nonetheless happy to trouser their fees for discussing them in suitably serious tones.

Very few of those who have mocked the idea of a Scottish Six have actually worked at the sharp end of an editorial operation where it is vital to give appropriate weight to Scottish, UK and international stories. The executive teams of the Daily Mail and The Times of London must grapple with these every day. Each evening they must decide whether a good Scottish story outweighs a good UK or international tale. On most occasions they make the right call, which will often be to opt for the non-Scottish story. Essentially these two successful publications operate printed versions of the Scottish Six. No-one who knows this industry would seriously question the ability of these Scottish operations to make these nightly judgments. Yet many question the ability of the BBC in Scotland to make similar judgments.

One prominent Unionist commentator could scarce forfend to cheer that the Scottish Six was being buried. At a time when printed newspapers are encountering life-changing challenges, the scrapping of an increase in jobs and funding for indigenous journalism inexplicably was something that made this chap gleeful … and not only him.

Much of the opposition to a Scottish Six is simply posturing. I simply refuse to accept that many of those who seem resolutely opposed to the Scottish Six seriously believe what they are saying. If they do, they are speaking from a position of wilful ignorance.

Essentially they are saying that the BBC operation north of the Border is too wee and lacking in talent to be allowed to make decisions for itself. And even if this wasn’t so, there’s simply not enough taking place in Scotland that they think is interesting. What a dismal attitude; what pitiful arrogance. We’d better get used to it though, for this message will once more define the Unionist side in the second referendum on Scottish independence.