BBC '˜discrediting SNP' over Charlottesville '˜nationalists'

Supporters of Scottish independence have accused the BBC of seeking to discredit the SNP by calling far-right demonstrators who provoked the Charlottesville unrest 'white nationalists.'

By The Newsroom Wednesday, 16th August 2017, 6:54 pm Updated Tuesday, 12th September 2017, 11:55 am

Supporters of Scottish independence have accused the BBC of seeking to discredit the SNP Picture: Robert Perry/PA Wire

James Cook, the BBC’s North America Correspondent, was forced to reject an “Orwellian” attempt to censor use of a widely-understood term.

Since the fatal rally, the BBC has been target of tweets such as “Can’t believe the BBC invented nazism to discredit the SNP.”

Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Sign up Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting...

Cook, a former BBC Scotland Correspondent who played a prominent role reporting the independence referendum, responded to the allegations on Twitter. “US readers may be startled to learn that some Scottish nationalists say our use of ‘white nationalist’ is designed to discredit the SNP,” he wrote.

Cook, a former BBC Scotland Correspondent who played a prominent role reporting the independence referendum, responded to the allegations on Twitter.

“US readers may be startled to learn that some Scottish nationalists say our use of ‘white nationalist’ is designed to discredit the SNP,” he wrote.

Cook wrote: “Should we stop using ‘white nationalists’ in US because a tiny number of folk are offended? No, that would be absurd and Orwellian.”

He conceded that “why we call Scottish nationalists ‘nationalists’ while labelling British nationalists ‘unionists’ is a fair question.”

“Both sides have happily used these terms to describe themselves for many years.”

The BBC reporter wrote: “I have never tried to compare the ‘yes’ movement to Nazis and I don’t know of any BBC colleague who has done so either.”

Supporters of Scottish independence have accused the BBC of seeking to discredit the SNP Picture: Robert Perry/PA Wire

He had not simply used the word “nationalist” in his Charlottesville comments.

“We’ve been discussing the phrase ‘white nationalist’. But I do prefer, on most occasions, white supremacists as a term.”

Cook has used “Nazis” and “fascists” to describe the groups who praised President Trump’s pugilistic press conference on Tuesday night.

“Is ‘nationalist’ an inherently damaging term?,” Cook asked.

Supporters of Scottish independence have accused the BBC of seeking to discredit the SNP Picture: Robert Perry/PA Wire

“I don’t think so. Is it useful? Not without context which we should try to spell out.”

SNP politicians entered the debate. Former MP John Nicolson said: “I suspect that were one to start from scratch one might have adopted another name. Scottish Democrats; “fellow Democrats” would work for me.”

SNP MP Peter Grant told Cook: “UK parties falsely equate nationalism with racism to discredit the SNP, then can’t accept that they are nationalists as well.”