UNIONIST attempts to politicise the Queen’s death were “deeply disappointing and disrespectful”, it has been claimed.
Figures within the SNP have hit out at media coverage of the Queen’s death and the events following which they say have exposed “rampant hypocrisy” within the Unionist camp.
The sovereign’s death nominally put politics on hold for more than a week as almost all political campaigning and activities were officially paused as a mark of respect.
But reports quoting figures “close to” senior Unionist figures such as Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and former prime minister Gordon Brown said they were furious at the BBC for veteran correspondent Alan Little pointing out King Charles took over a nation divided by the constitutional question in one of his reports on the Queen’s funeral.
One SNP figure asked whether Jack would be similarly furious about a comment piece by Scotland Office official Tom Harris in the Daily Mail last week, in which the former Labour MP claimed the Queen’s death was “a setback” for the party.
They also queried what Brown’s reaction was to comments made by Labour peer Lord Robertson on Newsnight on September 12, in which he said the new King was determined to see the independence movement fail.
Another SNP source said: “The passing of Her Majesty the Queen has been a profound and historic moment for people across our country and around the world. The politicisation around events over the past 10 days is quite frankly hypocritical, deeply disappointing and disrespectful, and people will have seen that for themselves."
It comes after the BBC was criticised for their wall-to-wall coverage of the pomp and ceremony following the Queen’s death.
Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie called for “space” to debate the monarchy following the accession of Charles to the throne and said it should not be the case that republicans are unable to make their views heard even during a sensitive time.
The Scotland Office declined to comment.
Brown’s Unionist think tank Our Scottish Future was also approached for comment.
