Indyref 9

[IrnBruTheNoo]

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grandtheftmanual, many thanks. Russian TV?

Actually I don't think that was BBC bias. I think it was sloppy editing.
I could point out equally poor editorial standards recently that favoured the Yes campaign.
Sad to say the BBC are not what they were, but it's incompetence not conspiracy.

Aljazeera News are also much better to watch for news all around the world, just like RT.

BBC does cherry pick stories more than these previous two I've mentioned. You really get your eyes opened.

Thanks to you both.

Look, I get it if you are anti-establishment that RT taking a pop at the BBC or the British government is satisfying. But RT is more state controlled than the BBC and by a government with a worse track record on civil liberties.

I think the BBC try to be unbiased, but are walking a tight line where they are heavily criticised by either side on a contentious issue and they aren't always getting it right and can be defensive.

The yes side are convinced that they are biased against them but as a no voter I have been very frustrated over the last two years of how the SNP/Yes have been able to dominate the agenda by making everything about independence. I don't think the Scottish government has been adequately held to account for its policies and decisions over the past two years. I'm worried about how state-biased the media in an independent Scotland would be expected to be given that the SNP seems to think they shouldn't be challenged on the detail of independence - even when they get away with repeating their assertions and the interviewer then going on to the next thing anyway.

TroelsNextCampaignManager well said.

"incompetence not conspiracy."

I disagree. Why did they not edit out Nick Robinson's answers at times then??? To suit their own agenda, that's why.

The BBC is getting picked up more and more on their biased reporting when it comes to recent events especially regarding the referendum.

Does George Galloway represent the will of the No campaign

He is part of it. Kind of difficult to dismiss him as a selfish Tory toff so as far as I'm concerned he's useful.

Some really decent journalists work for both RT and AlJazeera, but when their reporting conflicts with the people whose money and influence are behind both organisations, the story cherry-picking only goes one way, Irn, don't kid yourself otherwise.

The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/12/guardian-view-scottish-independence has now come out as pro union]]

Their conclusion

"In Britain, in Europe and even in the world as a whole, we are indeed better together not better apart. Nationalism is not the answer to social injustice. For that fundamental reason, we urge Scots to vote no to independence next week. But voting no cannot be a vote against change, and there is now at last the real hope that it can be a vote for reform and decentralisation in Britain. The Scots have laid down a challenge to everyone in these islands, and even to Europe too. Better together, yes. But we must all, together, be part of a better future."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/12/guardian-view-scottish-independence

I do like this quote from Channel 4's Stuart Cosgrove on The Drum website:

“Let’s just take the BP example; we are being told that BP are moving to London. Really? What exactly are they going to do given the £200m they’ve recently invested in offshore drilling technology – where are they going to be drilling? Hemel Hempstead? Of course they’re not.”

Sums up the last few days idiotic scaremongering stories to a T.

Gosh. I have to apologise to The Guardian. Thank goodness.

haha, The Guardian releasing such a statement won't make me change my view on voting Yes, I'm afraid. I'm still voting Yes next Thursday.

What did BP actually say?

www.thedrum.com/news/2014/09/12/balance-failure-bbc-scottish-independence-referendum-coverage-wrong-and-not

Here's the link SC

Sums up the last few days idiotic scaremongering stories to a T.

But if course you don't think that threatening businesses that do want to move scaremongering though?

BP head office is in London. From what I know having an office in Aberdeen is convenient but not essential. Offshore workers fly to a lot of the rigs so don't need to live close to Aberdeen. The back room functions could in theory be done anywhere.

Yes, but do you have a link to the BP statement? this is the only one I can find

Where BP don't mention moving to London. Can you link to where it was actually reported that they said that?

I think Cosgrove was actually being tongue in cheek about it, SC. What he meant was that there was no danger of BP moving south, that they're staying put and hence no need for the story in the first place.

rt.com/news/187164-catalonia-independence-rally-biggest/

Spirits are high in Catalonia anyway! Nice to see. Hope they become independent, the feeling seems to be in the air.

Sorry guys, just realised it's another RT story (I don't work for them, honest!).

In fact I think with a few exceptions most oil companies operating in a North Sea have their head offices in London or abroad, the offices there are by and large regional ones where staff focus purely on North Sea

May be different for the service companies but they rely on operators for their business so if you hound them out you effectively hound out the service companies too.

I think the BBC down here seems pretty balanced. That's why I find it hard to decide how I'd vote if I were a Scot. Not having a vote, perhaps I should not bother to think it through.

As an Englishwoman I profoundly hope that Scotland will vote NO.

On an emotional level that's because my earliest remembered holidays (always the most exciting) were in Scotland, because my grandfather is buried between a Scot and a Welshman (Parachute Regiment) in a WW2 graveyard abroad and I just want us all to be looking out for each other.

On a historical level I just think that the UK is greater than the sum of its parts. I don't think any of us would be as comparatively well-off (and stable) without the Union. We have pooled our resources to our common advantage. We sometimes forget that in 1707 England was a hive of revolting religious intolerance while impoverished Scotland was beset with feudal warfare. Within decades GB had become the first industrial nation and led the world with scientific discovery.

On an economic level I believe that we have punched above our weight. I happen to think that Scotland is a successful country but that its economic success is predicated on being part of the Union.

But still I care about Scotland's sense of identity. I care about democracy.

I actually think what BP could do is move more of its back office functions down if it wanted, you know, if some big cheese from the SNP started trying to play Mr Big shot. I don't know what the figures are but I imagine the tax revenue coming from those employed in oil up in Aberdeen is pretty damn high!