LIBDEM MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton has complained to TV regulator Ofcom about the SNP’s latest party political broadcast.
Cole-Hamilton says the party have engaged in Trumpian like politics.
An SNP insider told The National Cole-Hamilton was "a man who gives numpties a bad name”.
The new party political broadcast came out last night, and features a character who bears a slight physical resemblance to the Herald columnist and unofficial Alex Salmond biographer David Torrance.
🤷 What has the SNP ever done for us?
— The SNP (@theSNP) January 18, 2018
Watch our latest party political broadcast to find out and share it with your friends, family and followers.
Read more about the SNP’s record over the last 10 years: https://t.co/ee4BAqdeYh pic.twitter.com/vhTU8cnEap
Set in a house party, and based on a scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, it features a man called Davey who can't stop banging on about the failings of the SNP government to other guests.
“Mind, Davey’s banging on about politics again,” says the host to a pair of newly arrived guest.
As they head towards the fridge, the bespectacled, bearded hipster moves towards them: “That SNP have been in government for ten years, that’s a decade,” he shouts. “A decade! And I ask you what have the SNP government ever done for us.”
Partygoers respond by talking about key SNP policies such free tuition, climate targets, baby boxes and the scrapping of prescription fees.
It’s all capped off with an appearance from Nicola Sturgeon, who tells the man: “Well let’s not forget we're using Scotland's budget to protect vital frontline service and shield the most vulnerable families from Westminster cuts”.
A shocked and humiliated Davey then gets sprayed in the face by a fizzed-up can of lager.
Twitter users were quick to point out the character's resemblance to Torrance.
Torrance tweeted when the video was released: "Here's the new SNP PPB, still claiming credit for the Borders Railway, Free Personal Care and free pensioner bus passes as, um, SNP achievements in government..."
But now Cole-Hamilton claims the mini movie is comparable to President Trump’s attacks on the media.
As well as complaining to Ofcom, the Lib Dem MSP has tabled a motion at the Scottish Parliament condemning the film, he tweeted: “It’s a worrying development when a governing party use Trumpian tactics to ridicule prominent journalists who rightly scrutinise both their achievements in office, and their lack thereof, and challenge the case for independence.”
Cole-Hamilton’s parliamentary motion says: “The broadcast appeared to lampoon prominent Scottish journalist and commentator David Torrance in a scene depicting a party where he invited guests to list achievements of the SNP in 10 years of government.
“The achievements claimed on behalf of the SNP government in the broadcast included, among other policies not instigated by the current SNP Government, the introduction of free personal care for the elderly.. this policy was brought in before the SNP took office, in 2002.”
The motion adds: “For a governing party to appear to mock a journalist, using a free broadcast on public service television, in such a way, thereby inviting its supporters to do so, represents a dangerous challenge to freedom of the press.
“It is inappropriate and wilfully misleading for a government to claim credit for the achievements of others to bolster its record after 10 years of office.”
Torrance told the Herald : “I find it hard to believe an established political party like the SNP would be so insecure and puerile as to depict a political commentator in one of its broadcasts.
“Besides, the real David Torrance would have pointed out that they were claiming credit - not for the first time - for policies that had nothing to do with their decade in government.”
An SNP spokesman said the Lib Dems were devoting time to conspiracy theories: “As the party broadcast demonstrates, the SNP have worked hard to deliver for the people of Scotland – meanwhile the few remaining Lib Dems devote their time to conspiracies theories such as this.”
The film's producers, Green Room Films, have been asked to comment.
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