THE Scotland Office has been accused of “Pravda-style” attempts to control the media by issuing a rare order blocking journalists from sharing information.
New details of Labour’s controversial Pride in Place scheme were given to the press under embargo on Thursday, with instructions the information was not to be shared at all before publication.
An embargo means that the media agree with sources to hold off on publishing until a specified time. However, they are usually free to share information privately with other sources to gain alternative perspectives for balanced reporting.
On Thursday, the Scotland Office told journalists that details of the Pride in Place scheme were not to be shared with “third parties” ahead of publication.
This is highly unusual and effectively prevents the Government from immediately facing fresh criticism over the specifics of the announcement.
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson told The National: “It's a sure-fire sign of how badly things are going for Labour when the Scotland Office resorts to Pravda-style attempts to control the media by stifling any alternative views.”
A Scottish Greens spokesperson added: “We've never heard of political parties or government departments using such an anti-democratic measure and would never try to do something like this ourselves.
“Other parties and third party organisations should be allowed to scrutinise and critique ideas regardless of who they come from and when.”
The National understands the Scotland Office imposed the “no approach to third parties” order because the local authorities themselves would only be told about the funding news after the embargo was lifted at one minute past midnight on Friday.
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This could raise further concerns from local government about the media learning of the plans before councils.
The Pride in Place funding sees the UK Government award funding directly to areas throughout Britain and is similar to Boris Johnson’s Levelling Up scheme.
Like the Tory scheme, it has been the subject of controversy because it effectively bypasses the devolved governments, who are responsible for funding councils.
Earlier this month, 11 Labour members of the Senedd, wrote a scathing letter to the Prime Minister accusing him of “rolling back the existing devolution settlement”.
They said the Pride in Place fund had caused “considerable unhappiness among Welsh Labour Senedd members” adding: “If this was being done by a Tory Government, we would be calling for a judicial review. This must never happen again.
“Wales needs and deserves to be treated as an equal part of the UK and the UK Government has a responsibility to act to deliver this equality.”
Pressure is growing on Labour to become more accountable to the press and Parliament.
In the Commons on Wednesday Speaker Lindsay Hoyle expressed his anger with ministers who have ignored correspondence from MPs.
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There is also growing criticism of Labour ministers who have dodged the press on trips to Scotland and Chancellor Rachel Reeves came under fire on a trip to Greenock earlier in the month when she snubbed a local campaign group.
Activists with the Campaign to Save Inchgreen Dry Dock group branded the Chancellor “very selfish” after ignoring them while posing for photographs with Inverclyde MP Martin McCluskey and council leader Stephen McCabe.
The Scotland Office was approached for comment.
The Pride in Place funding pot for Scotland, totalling £280 million, will be shared among 14 neighbourhoods.
These are:
- Aberdeen City – North Locality Priority Neighbourhood/Cummings Park, Heathryfold and Middlefield, Northfield, Mastrick
- City of Edinburgh – Bingham, Magdalene, The Christians and Niddrie
- Falkirk – The Forgotten Villages, Braes Villages and Hallglen
- Fife (two allocations) – West Fife Villages/Oakley Comrie and Blairhall, Valleyfield Culross and Torryburn, Kincardine, Saline and Gowkhall; Methil and Buckhaven
- Glasgow (two allocations) – Springburn and Sighthill; Castlemilk
- Highland – North, West and East Sutherland
- North Ayrshire – Three Towns (Ardrossan, Saltcoats, and Stevenston)
- North Lanarkshire – Forgewood, North Motherwell and town centre
- South Ayrshire – Northern Ayr and Town Centre Regeneration Corridor
- South Lanarkshire – Hamilton Town Centre
- Na h-Eileanan Siar – Stornoway and Lewis
- West Lothian – Fauldhouse, Whitburn and Blackburn
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