jaw-jaw

The SNP are lining up to give Lord Patten a kicking when he visits Edinburgh this week. What they say they want is an acknowledgement that BBC Chief Political Advisor Ric Bailey was just wrong when he ruled that Alex Salmond shouldn't feature on tv and radio "panels" ahead of the Scotland v England Rugby match. What they really want is more control over the shaping of the tv debate ahead of the independence referendum.

Joan McAlpine, in today's Scotsman, adds her voice that of Scotsman editor John McLellan and former BBC Governor Jeremy Peat in demanding a so-called "Scottish Six" - a tv bulletin of world, UK and Scottish news, written and presented in Scotland.  And Joan is also unhappy that our Ric, along with the BBC's head of UK News, Gary Rogers, are on a BBC "high-level, senior group [formed] to discuss and plan the coverage of the referendum”, along with BBC Scotland Head of News and Current Affairs John Boothman.  Joan deems him "a controversial figure because of his past links to the Labour Party".

Poor old Ric. His reaction was probably an ancient twinge. The BBC is always uncomfortable about party leaders appearing on "patsy" programmes. In 2005, Tony Blair made it past the advisors and onto the sofa of Football Focus, proclaiming, dodgily, undying support for Newcastle United as a child. Alex Salmond, in his First Minister web page, doesn't list rugby union in his interests - he claims to be a fan of Heart of Midlothian and Scotland (round ball).