I WRITE with concerns about the BBC and their apparent disregard for balance and fairness with their political output. I used to look forward to Question Time, however I can’t bring myself to watch this show recently. Under Robin Day there was slick stewardship and in fairness you could argue David Dimbleby did his best for many a long year. The Scottish Debate Night show is a shining example of political and courteous discussion.

However the new QT and Beeb output is concerning. Nigel Farage, the seeming messiah for the misguided, gets his 33rd outing on Question Time, even though he really is an outlet for dissent and disinformation and inciting hate and division.

I read with disgust today that Heidi Allen, leader of Change UK, a group of principled MPS, had her slot pulled on Friday night’s satire show, Have I Got News For You. Why? Apparently this would be inappropriate in the run-up to forthcoming elections and breach rules. What?? Is it any surprise that apparently more than 800,000 people cancelled their TV licence in the last 12 months?

I’m sure many people are concerned that Farage gets an unbelievable amount of publicity as he’s outspoken and no doubt controversial, therefore ramps up BBC viewer numbers. Scratch beneath his bluff and bluster and it’s apparent he’s a snake oil salesman.

Then we have the TV coverage of spring conferences. The SNP had a paltry 90-minute highlights yet the Conservative party had virtually two days of continuous broadcast. The First Minister addressing more than 2,000 people in the hall in Edinburgh is not worthy of a live broadcast because snooker is on the BBC channels and apparently more important. People can draw their own conclusions but Scots are being managed, manipulated and controlled. This is not right in this day and age. We have a Scottish Parliament that works, and works well in terms of democracy.

Like many Scots I’m concerned that our voice is stifled and ignored by the mainstream media who don’t have a perception of how Scots feel about our sovereign parliament and our people’s views being ignored. My advice in the upcoming EU elections is to get out and vote. Protest at the Westminster machine in meltdown, vote for parties who do have Scotland’s best interests at heart. I’m sick fed up of being told you can’t do this or that by Westminster. Give Scotland’s Parliament a chance, believe in our people, and create a future with more hope than the one we have on offer. I’m voting SNP and hope many do to protest against the Westminster machine.

Ken Reid
Banchory

A RATHER heated BBC Question Time this week with well over three-quarters of the programme being taken up with Brexit once again. But once again no Scottish voice on the panel.

The other quarter of the programme was mainly taken up with the rather fragile position of the PM staying in office, again associated with Brexit. The PM’s own party are telling her on a daily basis that the time has come for the removal company to make its way down Downing Street, yet opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing his utmost to keep Mrs May in Downing Street, despite his calls for a General Election.

Meanwhile, Scotland is suffering with uncertainty and continued exclusion from the negotiation table. Scotland has to send a clear message to Downing Street and the other 26 nations of the EU from our Euro elections: Scotland matters, we have a voice that must be heard, not a voice speaking for Scotland from Downing Street which is totally misrepresenting Scotland’s interests. For Scotland to vote for any of the Unionist parties, it will be more of the same, so we have an opportunity on May 23 to give Scotland a voice in Europe by voting SNP.

Catriona C Clark
Banknock, Falkirk