Dear All
The UK election is hardly up and running,
and in the midst of the ‘quiet war’ so far, the SNP have managed to find time
to threaten the SKY broadcaster with legal action if SNP isn’t allowed to be
part of the pre-election debates.
The threatened legal action over what the
SNP terms as Sky failing to meet their “statutory obligations as a broadcaster”
is nonsense. This legal action if it appear will probably be funded by a
crowdfunder, the SNP loves begging others for their cash. In part, the SNP want
Nicola Sturgeon to front a debate despite the fact she isn’t standing as an MP
to attempt to crowd out the opposition parties from as many seats as possible.
Interestingly, it seems that Boris Johnson
has given himself a mission to save as many Conservative MPs as possible in
Scotland. How that pans out is anyone’s guess but the polling at this stage
doesn’t look great. What Boris Johnson needs is his Scottish MPs having
something to sell to the voters which Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP cannot
deliver no matter how many seats they get!
Something for something and it better be
good!
In this election, the contest is a two
horse race, but Sky has unveiled plans for a hustings programme with Boris
Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson on November 28, no Nicola Sturgeon.
Nicola Sturgeon nor the SNP can ever form a government, but in their minds,
they think they can be Kingmakers for Jeremy Corbyn. Nicola Sturgeon pulls the
strings and if the Labour is a minority government, they dance to her tune.
That ain’t gonna happen because they are
too many moving parts which the SNP can’t control, especially in parts of
England where the Brexit Party may take seats or to be more realistic, take
votes away from remainer MPs. He will be especially keen to unseat those in
Labour areas.
Nigel Farage is certainly not going to be
doing any deals with the Labour Party.
So, do the SNP have a case?
The SNP’s business convener
Kirsten Oswald kicked out as an MP cites sections 5 and 6 of the Ofcom code
which states that Sky are bound to ensure that “an appropriately wide range of
significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme”. If
you take that to its logical conclusion then the Brexit Party who have 600
candidates would also have to be included.
Oswald added:
“If this fundamental issue of democracy is
not resolved to our satisfaction, we reserve the right to test the matter in
the courts.”
If I was Sky, I would say ‘on you go’,
citing at the present moment that currently, the SNP have no MPs, and will not
be forming a government nor will any member be Prime Minister. Although the
right to complain is there, that doesn’t mean the SNP have a case. The SNP
criteria would effectively mean that all regional parties would have to be
represented which would be nonsense!
I think the SNP doesn’t want to go to
court, which is why we seem to get Nicola Sturgeon saying about the row:
“I don’t want to personalise it, but I
think all broadcasters really need to consider whether they’re reflecting politics as
it is or as they’d like it to be. If I may say for Sky in particular who, to
its great credit has been arguing for these decisions to be taken away from
politicians, and arguing for an independent debates commission, something the
SNP has supported, to take a decision on a debate that defies democracy. I
think is particularly regrettable and I think the broadcasters have to take a
long hard look at themselves, but to other party leaders, particularly to
Corbyn and Johnson, what are you scared of in terms of having a real debate?”
Furthermore, it is a bit rich for the SNP
to be talking about democracy as if they are some sort of gatekeepers of that
bastion, they aren’t. They didn’t respect the 2014 Scottish referendum and
neither did they respect the 2016 EU referendum.
Finally, my advice to broadcasters is ‘learn
to say the word, No’! When the SNP complain after that ask, what part of the
word No don’t you understand? The SNP know that their vote share is dropping
which is why they are panicking; many Scottish seats have very slim majorities.
Sturgeon sees this platform as a base to promote a purely Scottish perspective
which would be an advantage over other parties who promote an UK national
outlook.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow
University
Great blog as always George. Welcome back??
ReplyDeleteHi George. Can you see the SNP losing any seats in Scotland?
ReplyDeleteDear Anon
ReplyDeleteIn 2017, I did Paul Sweeney's campaign, which overturned the biggest SNP maj in Glasgow, in an election anything can happen, last election there was very close results, in the two and a half years since then, it will have depended on how much work the opposition have done to rebuild trust in communities.
Based on polling, the trend would suggest the SNP would do well, but that is because of a weak opposition, weak on policy and weak on activity. You cannot sit about and expect the people to just vote for you, you have to fight for every vote, and fight hard. Prof Curtice reckons the SNP could get 48/50 seats.
We will know more in the coming weeks as parties lay out their manifestos, but at the moment, you wouldn't want to put a bet on the SNP losing seats, only gaining. This is despite of their vote share still dropping. The problem is a weak opposition who cannot lead or construct a proper narrative which people can buy into.
My new article today is about how Labour need to change on Brexit.
George
George