Good evening and welcome to Media Watch. The story at the centre of Scottish politics over the past week has undoubtedly been the continuing row over the decision of several SNP MPs to put themselves forward as potential candidates for the Holyrood election.
Double-jobbing drama
The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn – who was the first to say he planned to go for Holyrood – has been the talk of the steamie given it is well-known he has ambitions to become first minister at some stage, despite his insistence there will not be a leadership contest for some time.
And after dozens of stories on the matter from the Scottish press, SNP Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville decided to speak out over the issue, issuing a stern warning about negative briefing to the press from some SNP figures.
Flynn’s announcement sparked criticism from former minister and MSP Emma Roddick who was among those who called for him to rethink.
The former minister said: “Party members set this rule for good reasons. Rightly, Douglas Ross was criticised for holding two roles simultaneously. I hope Stephen Flynn rethinks.
“Can't imagine spending half my time in London and being a good MSP. Key that rules apply to everyone equally; men and women.”
The statement from Roddick (below) has been read as an acrostic, with the first letters of each sentence spelling the word “pri*k”.
The plot thickened when an unnamed SNP source then also pointed out Roddick herself had “double-jobbed” as she was both an MSP and a councillor from 2021 until resigning her local authority seat.
“Wee message to everyone who is briefing against folk today either on social media or to journos who are not friends to our party or our cause – stick your papers in if you want to and then get yer walking boots on and help out at a by-election,” she said.
“Voters are angry at Labour’s betrayal on the doors so take our positive message on @theSNP delivery to voters and leave yer ego to the side for the benefit of a cause much bigger than any of us.”
The drama did not stop there as the post was labelled "sanctimonious" by former SNP MP Joanna Cherry.
Sky News farmers’ protest blunder
In other media news, the production team at Sky News were left red-faced on Monday after appearing to suggest farmers would launch missiles at forthcoming protests in an awkward blunder.
Large demonstrations by farmers are expected in London on Tuesday as they fight to reverse “absolutely unacceptable” changes to inheritance tax.
When reporting on this though, Sky News paired it with a clip of missiles being launched into the sky – a clip that subsequently went viral online.
“A hell of a series of Clarkson's Farm on its way,” said one BlueSky user.
“I knew there must've been an ulterior motive for keeping as much fertiliser as they do,” said another.
