Alex Salmond savages 'dead wood press' and becomes latest politician to attack BBC
2 min read
Alex Salmond has hit out at the "deadwood press" over its reporting of the Scottish economy - and become the latest senior politician to accuse the BBC of bias.
In an extraordinary attack, the former SNP leader - who lost his seat at the general election - accused the "mainstream media" of wanting Scotland to enter recession so it could attack his party.
His comments, in an article for the pro-independence newspaper, The National, came just a day after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox accused the BBC of failing to report Brexit positively.
And Commons leader Andrea Leadsom also used an interview on the BBC to call on broadcasters to be "patriotic" when reporting on Brexit.
Mr Salmond suggested the media had been disappointed by official figures earlier this week showing the Scottish economy performing better than expected. They followed a report by the Fraser of Allander Institute which said Scotland was on the brink of recession.
The former First Minister said: "Whatever the embarrassment for the Fraser Institute, it is as of nothing compared to the abject humiliation of unionist politicians, the mainstream media and the BBC. They have all been holed amidships."
He added: "The prospect of a Scottish recession would have been dreadful news for the country. However our friends in the deadwood press wallow in bad news – especially if they can lay the blame at the door of the Scottish Government.
"In all of this misreporting the BBC was greatly to blame, with the Sunday Politics Scotland taking top billing.
"After days of talking up the 'crisis', its ending was reported only as the SECOND item on (BBC Scotland's) flagship show Reporting Scotland. If you foolishly talk something up for days then you have to put your hands up when your story goes down in flames. Or at least you would realise your duty to do so if you abided by the normal standards of a public broadcaster."
It is not the first time Mr Salmond has gone to war with the BBC.
During the independence referendum campaign, he clashed with the corporation's then political editor, Nick Robinson, and has since claimed BBC "bias" was to blame for the 'Yes' defeat.
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