Broadcasters pressed on CBI membership

Pro-independence campaigners are putting pressure on broadcasters in Scotland to resign or suspend their membership of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a business group which has registered with the Electoral Commission as an opponent of Scottish independence.

The BBC and ITV are both members of the group, though STV, which operates ITV licenses in northern and central Scotland, ended its 10-year membership earlier this week, saying that, as “a public service broadcaster with a duty of impartiality”, it had “no choice but to resign our membership”.

ITV has controversially said it will retain its membership of the group, despite a spokesperson assuring The Targe: “We remain entirely impartial on the debate over Scottish independence and our coverage of the issue will, as always, be completely fair and balanced.”

ITV Border is provided in the England-Scotland border region instead of STV.

The BBC has yet to comment on its membership, but campaigners are urging the broadcaster to follow in STV’s footsteps.

According to the Sunday Post, an insider in the Better Together campaigner described STV’s resignation as “ridiculous nonsense”, and suggested STV “are worried a little too much about their relationship with the SNP”.

But the pro-independence group Business for Scotland was “pleased to hear the news that STV has responded to the pressure we have been exerting” and now believes the BBC, as another impartial broadcaster, must also leave the group.

The CBI’s registration as a non-party participant in the referendum enables it to spend £150,000 on its own pro-Union campaign during the regulated campaign period between 30 May and 18 September, as well as giving it access to the electoral register and the right for its representatives to attend polling stations and vote counts.

It has said the decision to register with the Electoral Commission was made “independently and in our own right” in order to avoid legal issues when hosting events in Scotland during the referendum campaign period.