ALEX Salmond has hit out at the BBC’s “venomous bias” against Scottish independence as he compared a new documentary on him and Nicola Sturgeon to a “soap opera”.
The new programme will explore the fractured relationship between the pair, with the series available on BBC iPlayer already.
In a lengthy thread on Twitter/X, Salmond said the documentary had “plumbed new depths” and that his advice was to “turn it off after the first episode”.
For any independence supporter to trust a single word the BBC, or associated organisation, say is one of the great mistakes in life. The BBC’s venomous and institutional bias against Scottish independence was demonstrated during the referendum and remains to this day (1/8)
— Alex Salmond (@AlexSalmond) September 10, 2024
He commented: "For any independence supporter to trust a single word the BBC, or associated organisation, say is one of the great mistakes in life.
“The BBC’s venomous and institutional bias against Scottish independence was demonstrated during the referendum and remains to this day.
“And so when I was invited to take part in a ‘blue chip’ history of the rise of the SNP by Firecrest Films for the BBC, I should have smelled a rat immediately, instead of believing the assurances that they willingly gave, that they were intent on making serious programming.”
He added that the first episode “offered some hope” but that a desire to portray the relationship between him and Sturgeon as a “psycho drama” meant that major figures including Winnie Ewing and Jim Sillars failed to be mentioned.
The thread continued: “The second episode plumbed new depths even for the BBC – soap opera history.
“In this parody, half-built ferries, bottle schemes, self-ID law, male rapists in female prisons and blue tents outside houses do not rate even a sole mention in explaining the decline of the party.
“Instead, a collection of SNP loyalists (and Liz Lloyd) who are the same people jointly and severely liable for the party’s recent reverses, are paraded. The case for reality is left to the redoubtable Kenny MacAskill.”
The documentary also features comments from John Swinney, who expressed his doubt over Nicola Sturgeon’s post-Brexit indyref strategy.
Salmond finished his thread by saying: "In a programme which was supposed to be about the history of the rise of the SNP, a party defined by towering figures like Winnie Ewing and Neil MacCormick, Humza Yousaf [below] confirms himself as an unfortunate footnote.
"In his quest for relevance, he is reduced to smears. I am comfortable with my contribution as first minister to advancing Scotland’s interests and the cause of independence.
"I doubt Humza can say the same, nor that it will be said of him."
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "The series provides an in-depth look at the recent history of the SNP from 1987 to 2023 and includes a broad range of contributors who share their insights."
