GLASGOW, June 25 (RIA Novosti), Mark Hirst – The anti-Scottish independence campaign, known as Better Together, has an “underlying contempt” for the status of the First Minister of Scotland, a former Head of News and Current Affairs at Scottish Television, (STV), has told RIA Novosti.
Alan Smart, a former senior executive at the channel and former Head of Broadcasting at the Scottish Parliament, told RIA Novosti, “The arrogance of the Better Together side is astonishing.”
“Not only are they refusing to allow [UK Prime Minister] David Cameron to debate with the Scottish First Minister they are also trying to dictate exactly when his substitute Alistair Darling [a former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer] will debate,” Smart said.
Smart spoke to RIA Novosti after it emerged the first planned television head-to-head debate of the campaign, to be broadcast by STV, may not now go ahead after Better Together insisted it should be held on the 16 July.
First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond issued a statement saying he was happy to debate Darling after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games had finished, but this was rejected by Better Together who accused STV of rolling over to demands by the First Minister.
Last September Better Together rejected Salmond’s call to debate the issue of Scottish independence with the UK Prime Minister adding, “David Cameron does not have a vote in this referendum. Alistair Darling does. He is ready to debate Alex Salmond any time and any place.”
RIA Novosti asked Better Together why they were now insisting on the 16 July date for the debate, but the organization declined to comment.
Smart, who previously held senior positions within the pro-UK Labour Party added, “There is a metropolitan arrogance with Better Together. It’s an underlying contempt that betrays the fact they have a lot of people from London parachuted up to Scotland who think we live in some Hicksville.”
“I distinctly remember Lord McConnell [the former Labour First Minister of Scotland] saying there should be a truce in the run up and during the Commonwealth Games to ensure they didn’t become politicized,” Smart told RIA Novosti.
“It would therefore seem dumb for Better Together to insist on having the first set piece debate just before the Games start,” Smart added.
