Theme: Society & Culture | Content Type: Journal article

Navigating the Scottish Political Landscape: An Analysis of BBC Scotland in the Independence Era

Andrew Liddle

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Marshall

| 1 min read

This essay examines the complex relationship between the BBC and Scotland's evolving political landscape, shedding light on the challenges faced by the broadcaster since the inception of devolution in 1999 and particularly the 2014 independence referendum. The study contends that the BBC, in its attempts to address accusations of inherent bias and to adapt to Scotland's unique political identity, may have overreacted. Examining the shift from regional opt-outs to the establishment of the dedicated BBC Scotland channel in 2019, the essay argues that this strategic pivot may now be increasingly redundant amid the diminishing likelihood of a second independence referendum. This change challenges the channel's relevancy and poses commercial concerns for Scotland's production industry. Highlighting the risk of restricted appeal, this essay suggests that the declining relevance of the independence debate necessitates a re-evaluation of the BBC's approach in Scotland. The analysis underscores the need for adapting to the still evolving Scottish political landscape and argues for strategic measures to ensure the continued relevance of the BBC in Scotland.

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    Andrew Liddle

    Andrew Liddle is a Scottish journalist and political commentator. He is the author of two books on Scottish history and politics, the award-winning Cheers, Mr. Churchill! Winston in Scotland and Ruth Davidson and the Resurgence of the Scottish Tories.

    Articles by Andrew Liddle
Volume 96, Issue 3

Latest Journal Issue

Volume 96, Issue 3

This issue features a collection titled 'The Intellectual and Political Legacy of David Marquand', who died in April 2024, edited by Colin Crouch, Ben Jackson and Peter Sloman. In this collection, authors including Jean Seaton, Will Hutton and Hilary Wainwright consider Marquand's legacy as a great progressive thinker, his biography of Ramsay MacDonald, Labour's first prime minister, and the role of socialism for Marquand. Other articles include a commentary by Deborah Mabbett titled 'Welfare reform by numbers'; Jeremy Gilbert and Alex Williams on 'The Vices of Values: Matthew Goodwin and the Politics of Motivation'; Helen McCarthy on 'Why the WASPI has no Sting: Gender, Generation and Pension Inequalities'; and Sam Taylor Hill, Tariq Modood and John Denham on 'Multicultural Nationalism: Saving the White Working Class from Blue Labour?' A selection of book reviews feature Edmund Fawcett's review of 'Nationalism: A World History' by Eric Storm and Samuel Cohn's review of 'Controlling Contagion: Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to Covid' by Sheilagh Ogilvie.

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