POLITICISING THE FIRST MINISTER’S DAILY BRIEFINGS

I highlighted concerns about the introduction by the BBC of party-political punditry to accompany the First Minister’s daily briefings. Opposition MSPs recently celebrated the scrapping of the First Minister’s daily briefings by the BBC, only for this decision to be reversed following a public backlash, as Covid cases rise and stricter regulations are reintroduced.

Accountability of decision making is important, and no one can deny the First Minister’s commitment to this, having delivered updates almost every day since the pandemic began in March. However, there is concern that the reducing the seriousness of this health pandemic to party political point-scoring could undermine important public health messages at a time when they are more important than ever.

You can watch my contribution below.