Saturday, December 19, 2009

Labour Party anger at SNP Government not supporting a bias unionist press, the Labour Party should pay for their own mouthpieces
















Dear All

The SNP Government has upset the opposition parties at Holyrood because they plan to take advertising away from newspapers.

With a corrupt media, I see no reason for the Scottish Government to prop these people up who are effectively in bed with the Labour Party.

Finance Secretary John Swinney wants local councils to use online advertising for public notices; this has an additional benefit as it will save money.

There is no real reason not to use Government and Council websites for these purposes.

The Labour Party are outraged; their media pals are going to be hit.

Pauline McNeill is Labour’s culture spokeswoman, said whineing the plans would take “vital revenue” away from the newspaper industry.

She added;

“The Scottish Government must rethink these proposals to avoid irreversibly damaging local papers which are important employers in communities across Scotland and a vital part of the media spectrum”.

What a load of mealy mouth crap.

McNeil further added;

“If the SNP is as committed to supporting the newspaper industry, as it says it is, then it must not go through with these damaging plans.”

Given that the Labour Party wasn’t standing up for other industries, why is it as soon as their ‘attack dogs’ and mouth pieces are in danger they find their voice?

Tim Blott, managing director of the Herald & Times Group or the Daily Labour Press release said;

“Many Scots will lose out if this legislation goes through”.

But not enough ordinary working class Scots though to make a difference.

Unhappy Tim added;

“I should add that the UK Government in its response last month to the Scottish Affairs Committee’s Report Crisis in the Scottish Press Industry stated its view ‘that there should not be a policy of publishing public notices only online. While notifying bodies have a duty to be efficient, they must also use appropriate means to reach their target audience, and should not adopt a policy of publishing online simply to save money’.”

Well, I would take a different view, that the Scottish Government should be putting money in the pockets of bias newspapers in bed with the Labour Party.

The Scottish MSM hasn’t demonstrated by any means fairness, as the Herald Group and Douglas Fraser aptly showed in the run up to the May 2007 elections.

My complaint is that the SNP Government should have addressed this matter long ago.

John Swinney using the economic argument insisted switching to online would provide “more cost effective public information”.

But the additional benefit is that public funds aren’t propping up a bias media.

The Government’s consultation on the proposals runs until ­February 12.

My view is, give them nothing, they can go to their Labour Party pals to bale them out.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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