THE BBC has been accused of “short-changing” Scots after it covered a slew of protests across the UK and Ireland over the weekend – but ignored the pro-independence demonstration in Edinburgh.
Protesters took to the streets across the every nation of the United Kingdom over the weekend to demand change after the Tory government plunged the UK into a financial crisis by announcing sweeping tax cuts for the rich funded by increased borrowing.
Covering the demonstrations, the BBC described “a day of action across the UK”.
Across a batch of articles, the broadcaster reported on a pro-independence march held in Cardiff and organised by All Under One Banner Cymru (shown below).
It further reported from Dublin on an event calling for a united Ireland, and from the Tory conference in Birmingham as protesters outside made their voices heard.
The broadcaster also covered demonstrations from organisations such as Extinction Rebellion and the Enough is Enough campaign, saying: “People attended rallies in cities including Birmingham, Glasgow and Belfast.”
However, missing from its widespread coverage of the weekend’s protests was any mention of the All Under One Banner (AUOB) event held in Edinburgh.
The Scottish independence march saw as many as 7000 people take to the streets in the largest event of its kind since the Covid pandemic hit.
AUOB national committee member Neil Mackay, who organised the Edinburgh demo, told The National that the BBC’s omission proved it was a “British state propaganda channel”.
Mackay went on: “There is no question over why the BBC failed to report the massively successful and well attended All Under One Banner demonstration, where at least 7000 people took to the streets for independence in these most pressing, significant times.
“That the powers behind the BBC chose not to report the demonstration shows that Westminster is quaking, as the ground below it is shaking. Scottish independence is imminent, and everyone knows it.”
“Scotland is also at the frontier of cancellations of the TV licence,” he added. “Why should we pay them to deliberately not report on our national demonstrations?”
Alba MP Neale Hanvey (above) said the BBC’s “failure” to cover the Scottish independence demonstration called into “question their impartiality as a supposed public service broadcaster”.
He went on: “Scottish licence fee payers continue to be short-changed by a BBC failing in their fundamental duty as a public service broadcaster. It is not just supporters of independence who are entitled to be aggrieved but anyone who values impartial journalism and democracy.
“Whether this is an editorial decision to suppress coverage of a pro-independence march and rally or simply a lack of weekend resources is unclear, but either way it is wholly unacceptable. It stands in stark contrast to the wall-to-wall coverage of the monarchy as an institution which the BBC appear to think is above scrutiny or balanced discussion on any of their channels.
“I am calling on the Scottish Government’s Culture Secretary and the BBC board member for Scotland to raise this matter directly and urgently with BBC senior management and to demand assurances that balanced coverage of pro-independence events such as this are fairly reported.
“Scotland's democratic expression must not be seen to be suppressed by the BBC going forward. If they are, the case for full devolution of broadcasting becomes irrefutable.”
The BBC also reported on another pro-independence march in Wales in July, but it has not covered an equivalent event in Scotland since a rally in Inverness in January 2020.
The BBC has been approached for comment.
