A LABOUR peer is demanding that the BBC axe Nicola Sturgeon’s coronavirus briefings during the Holyrood election campaign.

Lord Foulkes, who has lobbied for months to see the First Minister taken off air, claims the public health broadcasts will contravene impartiality rules.

The Cumnock Baron has made a personal appeal in a letter to the BBC director general.

He argues if Sturgeon were to broadcast during the election period it would be “totally against both BBC and OfCom rules on impartiality”.

The letter, reported by the Herald, reads: “I urge you to now intervene personally and immediately to make it clear this is not going to continue.”

The peer added on Twitter: “Leave briefing to health professionals.”

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon slams Scottish Labour peer over Covid briefings complaint

During election season, known as purdah, Holyrood is dissolved as campaigning gets under way, with restrictions placed on civil servants and the use of public resources.

Recess at Holyrood will begin on March 25, six weeks ahead of the May 6 ballot, with no regular parliamentary business expected in between.

The First Minister has insisted that “what the BBC broadcasts is not a matter for me, it’s a matter for the BBC”.

She said: "At a time like this, I’m not going to stop doing my job because it is really important as we steer the country through this pandemic.”

The SNP leader added: “I am not going to stop doing my job for as long as I’m in this job that I'm doing.

“How people report that and how people take account of the election campaign, I’m sure will become clearer as we go on. We’re not there yet.

“We’re in this pandemic, we’re undertaking a massive logistical exercise with the vaccination programme – that will continue to be what I focus on.”

The National: Nicola Sturgeon is answering for her Government’s policies, successes and failures in the briefings

Foulkes’s latest intervention follows a series of attempts to force the BBC to cut the First Minister’s briefings.

In September, he claimed credit for the corporation’s announcement that it would only broadcast the briefings if they believe they have “editorial merit”.

In response, Foulkes tweeted: “Good to see @BBCScotland have taken account of representations from @jackiebmsp and me,” he tweeted.

“All important information on the pandemic will still be broadcast but now no party propaganda,” the Lord added.

READ MORE: Labour lord claims he made BBC take Nicola Sturgeon Covid briefings off air

The BBC soon U-turned, prompting further calls from the Labour peer for the press conferences to be taken off the air.

In December, he said Ofcom should insist on BBC Scotland changing the TV coverage to remove the First Minister in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood elections.

The First Minister hit back, saying she would continue with the briefings and that Foulkes never wanted her to hold them.

"I will do the briefings," she said.

"I think I have a really important responsibility as First Minister to communicate public health information to the public. Whether they are broadcast live is not a matter for me that is a matter for broadcasters.

She added: "George Foulkes has never wanted these briefings to happen which I think is regrettable because it suggests that political considerations are more important than the vital imperative of communicating directly to the public in a public health emergency, but that's for him to answer for not for me."

Professor Jason Leitch, Scotland’s national clinical director, has also supported the decision to broadcast the briefings, stating public health information is “crucial during a pandemic”.

He added: “You could argue it’s crucial even when we’re not in a pandemic. Particularly just now, I do think people do need to know what the rules are, how to follow them and the progress of the pandemic.”