A LOCAL historian has torn into BBC Scotland’s documentary of Glasgow, saying the programme shows the broadcaster views the city as a “backwater of drunks and stereotypes”.
The BBC’s Disclosure documentary, which aired on Monday evening, aimed to delve into claims that Scotland’s largest city had become “a 'no-go zone' because of crime, homelessness and antisocial behaviour”.
The claims have come from figures such as Reform UK MSP Thomas Kerr, who has repeatedly called Glasgow “lawless”, and anti-immigration podcaster Craig Houston, who was featured in the BBC programme.
Police, victims of crime, and the organiser of a vigilante street gang calling themselves “Scots Active” were all interviewed by the journalists behind the documentary, which asked: “Has disorder in the city become worse, or is tension simply being stoked online by those who trace every problem back to immigration?”
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However, the show has faced fierce criticism since it aired on Monday evening, with a prominent local historian, who runs the Past Glasgow social media accounts, blasting the show for being “clickbait,” “voyeuristic” and “judgmental” – but framed as “investigative journalism”.
In a lengthy post on Twitter/X the historian first pointed out that the rendition of “I Belong to Glasgow”, which is famously sung from the perspective of a drunk man, immediately sets the narrative for the programme.
“You might think that's trivial, but it sets the tone, and betrays exactly how the BBC sees this city: a backwater of drunks and stereotypes,” the post said.
“The voiceover from Myles Bonnar immediately sets the expectation, as he ponders what lies in store for visitors to the city arriving at Glasgow Central. Myles can't wait to show us.
“Our intrepid reporter can barely conceal his glee when he realises he's ended up in the middle of the disorder caused by the pound shop patriots in their balaclavas. They happily deliver him the first 10 minutes of his film.”
They added that the show went on to spend most of the rest of its running time in a 400-metre square area of the city, in what they described as the city centre’s “crime hotspot” around St Enoch Square.
“For a film that purports to be shedding light on a city-wide phenomenon, we see the same locations over and over again,” the post continued.
“There are scenes of violence. Of drug-dealing and drug consumption. Problems that Glasgow has grown far too used to. Curiously though, Myles and co are forced to compile a ‘best of’ reel from social media clips. An anticipated Friday night of carnage bears little fruit.
“The issues raised are real. The five-year increase in sexual assaults and violent crime can't be allowed to continue. But this sort of wafer-thin safari into crime in Glasgow is the kind of thing you could make in a dozen other UK cities. Crime rates back that up.”
The post from Past Glasgow then goes on to say that Glasgow is an “easy target” and that when you watch documentaries like BBC Disclosure you know “where it's going from minute one”.
They added: “The only redeeming element was showing those in the balaclavas up for the halfwits they are.”
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The post concludes that there is a film to be made about Glasgow, but Disclosure's “televisual click bait isn't it”.
Past Glasgow has not been alone in questioning the documentary’s reporting, with Conter editor David Jamieson saying: “Just watched a BBC news special report on a ‘no go zone’ in Glasgow that I walk … one might even say ‘go’ … through every day.”
Meanwhile, Ika Ferrer Gotic – who formerly worked with CNN but is now with Newsmax Balkans TV – said: “If I hadn’t spent real time in Glasgow; walking those streets at 3am feeling safer than in most European cities; I might have swallowed the latest BBC framing wholesale.
“But I have been there. I’ve seen the city at night, felt its pulse, and known its people. So when pieces like this reduce Glasgow to drugs, violence and racism, it lands as something more than journalism. It feels like a selective, recurring campaign that shows little regard for the community it claims to examine.”
Ferrer Gotic’s post was shared by Alison Thewliss, the SNP MSP for Glasgow Central and the Scottish Government’s Community Care Minister.
Reform’s deputy leader in Scotland, Kerr, welcomed the BBC documentary, saying he was “glad to see the mainstream media finally wake up”.
He said: “Drug use, violent assault and public disorder is the stark reality facing Glaswegians when they walk through their city centre.”
Adding: “This lawlessness, illegal migration, and anarchy must end.”
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Last month, he shared a video which said that the 2025-26 Scottish crime statistics showed Glasgow had “recorded the highest crime rate in the country, with 1431 crimes for every 10,000 people”, around 70% higher than the real number.
Glasgow had a rate of 849 crimes for every 10,000 people in 2025-26, which was also not the highest rate in Scotland.
However, Glasgow is home to around 90% of Scotland’s asylum seekers, making it a target for anti-immigration campaigners.
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