IT'S a day of British nationalists being caught out for spreading misinformation about the Scottish Government.
Naturally, this has resulted in fulsome apologies and as much publicity being given to the retractions as was given to the inaccurate allegations that were made. OK, now that I've stopped laughing hysterically, I can get on.
Last week, BBC Scotland reported that the Scottish Government had copied the decision of the British and American governments to pause funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which has been providing vital humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The decision to pause funding came the day after the International Court of Justice had ruled that it would consider South Africa's case accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
READ MORE: Western politicians spinning ICJ ruling exposes their intent
Western governments reacted quickly to pause funding when Israel alleged that 12 UNRWA staff members were involved in the 7 October Hamas attack.
This was despite the ruling of the ICJ that Israel must take immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
The very next day, Israel accused UNRWA of being a front organisation for Hamas, and the British and American governments immediately took the Israeli allegations - which some have alleged are based on evidence obtained under torture - at face value.
UNRWA has said that without funding, it cannot continue to support the Palestinian population beyond February.
UNRWA employs over 30,000 people in Gaza. Even if the Israeli allegations are entirely true, they involve only a tiny fraction of UNRWA staff acting outwith the parameters of the organisation's remit and are in no way representative of UNRWA'S vitally important humanitarian activities in Gaza or the West Bank.
On Sunday Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said "famine was imminent" in Gaza and that this catastrophe was now "inevitable."
Speaking of the decision of the America, British and several other governments to suspend funding he said: "This collectively punishes over 2.2 million Palestinians."
There is a very marked difference between the alacrity of the Western response to the Israeli government's allegations about UNRWA, and the unwillingness to make any response - or even to issue the mildest criticism - of the far-right Netanyahu government when presented with, well, substantiated evidence from multiple sources of war crimes being committed.
READ MORE: BBC responds after Humza Yousaf says UNRWA article incorrect
Just last week, Labour leader Keir Starmer repeatedly refused to say that the Israeli army shooting dead an unarmed Palestinian man standing with his hands up under a white flag was a war crime. The incident was filmed by an ITV camera man and broadcast to millions.
BBC Scotland was very quick to publish a story incorrectly asserting that the Scottish Government had jumped on the anti-UNRWA bandwagon and had also paused funding to the aid organisation.
First Minister Humza Yousaf quickly issued a rebuttal pointing out that the £750,000 which the Scottish Government has already sent to the aid organisation was the limit of what it was able to give and that given the financial constraints on the Scottish budget, it has no plans at this stage to provide further funding.
READ MORE: Fact check: Did Humza Yousaf pause UNRWA aid payments over Hamas claims?
This is completely unrelated to the recent Israeli allegations against a small number of UNRWA staff. In a statement the Scottish Government said: "We are deeply concerned by allegations that several UNRWA staff were involved in the abhorrent Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7.
"We note the statement by the UNRWA commissioner general, of the immediate action already taken by UNRWA to dismiss these employees and to launch a full investigation. Also the assurance by UNRWA that any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution."
Following the First Minister's statement, BBC Scotland quietly altered the news story on its website. There was no public statement that BBC Scotland had got it wrong, far less any apology.
BBC Scotland was also accused this weekend of broadcasting a misleading report on STUC general secretary Roz Foyer's appearance before the Covid inquiry.
In the segment which was broadcast, Roz Foyer is heard to blame many of the difficulties experienced by NHS Scotland staff on spending cuts and short staffing. Omitted from the BBC report was the rest of her statement in which she squarely put the blame for this on the Conservative government and shortcomings of Scotland's funding limits.
READ MORE: Tory claims about Scottish taxes demolished by Westminster fact check
BBC Scotland has been accused of selectively reporting witness statements to the inquiry to edit out criticism of the British Government and to give the misleading impression that the SNP and the Scottish Government are to blame.
In another example of British nationalist liar liar pants on fire, the Conservative leader of the Commons Penny "we are famileee" Mordaunt has been urged to correct the parliamentary record after wrongly telling MPs that people in England pay less tax than people in Scotland.
In fact an analysis, authored by a senior clerk in the economic policy and statistics division of the House of Commons Library, said that in the current financial year, 52% of Scots paid less in tax than they would have done if they lived in England.
Last Thursday, Mordaunt was confronted about her "hugely inaccurate" comments. However the Commons Leader continued to insist that her comments were "completely true and factual". Evidence be damned.
Who needs facts when you have the unshakeable conviction in your own prejudices that is conferred upon you by British nationalism?
Mordaunt has been challenged on her untrue assertion by SNP MP Patricia Gibson who said: "Independent analysis shows the majority of people in Scotland pay less tax than they would in England – while the highest earners pay a bit more to support our NHS and public services."
Don't expect a Labour MP to challenge British nationalist lies about Scotland.
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