HAMISH Morrison’s article in The National on Friday regarding the BBC’s response to complaints over the commentators joking about how “John Knox cleared out Catholics” during the journey of the cortege from Balmoral to Edinburgh shows once again the BBC’s contempt regarding complaints from Scotland.
The BBC is not and never has been impartial as the government not only decides on BBC funding, its ministers appoint about half of the BBC’s board, and they in turn oversee selection of the remaining members including senior BBC staff. Consequentially, irrespective of the its objectives of accuracy, impartiality and fairness, the BBC could well be institutionally biased in the UK Government’s favour.
READ MORE: BBC apologises after 'John Knox cleared Catholics out of Scotland' gaffe sparked laughter
Don’t be too hard on the miscreants who made the offensive remarks, they are only following the trend set by the BBC: allowing Unionists, from the Prime Minister down, to denigrate Scotland and the Scots at every opportunity – unchallenged by BBC interviewers even when the UK’s own government-published data contradicts every word that they say.
Looking at the most common Unionist myths, according to the recently departed Prime Minister Scotland is governed by the “Scottish Nationalist Party”, which is failing in every area under its responsibility – especially education and health – surviving only through handouts from the benevolent UK Government. As well as being wrong, as the “handouts” are a partial refund of Scottish taxes collected by HMRC, this is also deliberately insulting everyone who supports the Scottish National Party.
Compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the rest of the idyllic UK, the Scots are apparently poorly educated, existing on a diet of deep-fried Mars bars, haggis, chips and alcohol, thereby suffering from more illnesses that overstretch their medical facilities.
READ MORE: BBC slammed over John Knox 'cleared Catholics out of Scotland' comment
Perhaps it comes as a surprise to many that Scotland has one of the most highly educated workforces in Europe and that five of Scotland’s 15 universities are in the list of the top 20 of the UK’s 132 universities along with 15 from England’s 117 universities.
Using comparable information, Scottish hospitals have had consistently better Accident and Emergency outcomes over a number of years and NHS Scotland has vaccinated the highest percentage of the population with first, second and third doses of Covid vaccine than any other country in the UK.
Perhaps we should be asking why did the BBC let down Scotland by assigning a team who had virtually no background information to fill a six-hour broadcast and did not even appear to be able to calculate the approximate location of the cortege from a map and a timetable, to set the scene in the very first event of the series that will culminate in the service in Westminster Abbey?
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
IN The National’s recent report about Chris McEleny’s complaint to the BBC anent the “cleared out Catholics” remark (Sep 16), the BBC’s reply to him referred to “Scottish Presbyterian John Knox.”
In fact, ex-Catholic priest turned reformed Calvinist John Knox was not a Presbyterian. Knox died in 1572 and it was not until the return to Scotland of Andrew Melville in 1574 that Presbyterian ideology was first espoused.
Also, the inference that Scotland became Presbyterian in 1560 “due to the influence of figures like Knox” is inaccurate. It was not until the passing of acts in 1690 that Presbyterianism finally became the state religion of Scotland.
Linda Horsburgh
Dundee
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