Media Watch - The Indy News That Panicked The Press

The three First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland met in Cardiff this week, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding explicitly stating that "Westminster's time is coming to an end". They declared that no UK Government has the right to "block democracy" or deny referendums on self-determination.

The news went around the world - international headlines focused on the unity of the leaders and their determination to return to EU membership. 

• Euronews reported: “Party leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland say future belongs back in EU”. 

• El Pais in Spain reported: “A united front of leaders from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to call for independence from the United Kingdom”; 

• France 24, and the journal Libération told France that: “Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders defend their "right to self-determination" and see a future in the EU”; 

• The Washington Post reported on “The Celtic Independence Push”; 

• Die Zeit in Germany wrote that “Politicians from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are discussing independence”.

In contrast, the anglocentric UK media trotted out its tired old biased messaging - that anyone who wants to move on from the logjam is “trying to break up the Union” (The Mirror). The Scottish Daily Express branded the meeting “The Separatist Summit”. The Telegraph’s Alan Cochrane told readers that “Swinney puts the SNP beyond the pale by consorting with terrorists”. 

A discussion on Radio Four’s Westminster Hour featured journalists sitting in London criticising both the summit and the governments of the other three UK nations - without giving them a voice or a chance to reply. Seemingly, they were not aware of the irony.

Quick! Lock the doors

The Spectator published a lugubrious piece with a slumped Britannia weeping into her trident under the headline: “Is it too late to save the Union?”  Daisley has long been warning that Scottish independence is on the horizon. He wrote recently: “In my experience, there is no one more complacent over the future of the Union than the average Unionist. Try engaging them some time on long-term polling trends in Scottish identity and constitutional preference. It’s like trying to explain the concept of temperature to a frog in a gently simmering pot.

His answer? Daisley wants the UK Parliament to legislate to prevent Scotland leaving the UK permanently. The Mail Online posted a piece by Daisley headed: Bungling Burnham’s position on independence should be enshrined in law as ‘not now, not ever.’

Trump finds the live issue

It has been a busy week or two for the UK’s independence movements. On his visit to Ireland, Donald Trump drew headlines by saying he would welcome a united Ireland - and it might as well happen now. That was dismissed out of hand. But Trump would not have said it if it was not a live issue.  A referendum for Northern Ireland is coming. 

Burnham defended self-determination

Last week, when Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged in Westminster that Scotland should have ”exactly the same rights” as Northern Ireland to self-determination, some media outlets framed it as a “blunder”; others underplayed it as just another referendum refusal. 

The Telegraph called Burnham’s move a “blunder”: “Burnham’s blunder could open the door to another divisive vote. LBC had the headline: “Burnham accused of being 'dangerously naive' about the SNP's 'agitation' for Scottish independence” 

That was the first time a UK Prime Minister had conceded that Scotland should have the same rights as Northern Ireland to have an independence referendum; it was a historic shift. 

So viewers of STV and other mainstream media might have been puzzled to see it played down with headlines saying that: “Andy Burnham rules out second independence referendum without majority support”, or The Daily Record’s "PM rejects call for law on Scottish referendum conditions" - which has been pretty much the status quo for the last dozen years.

The Golden Ticket to IndyRef2?

The Daily Express saw it differently: “Fury as Andy Burnham hands SNP 'golden ticket' to Indyref2 and, dramatically, from The Scotsman “Indyref: Andy Burnham ‘pulling the pin on constitutional hand grenade’”

Daniel Sanderson in The Times reported “Burnham backtracks after saying referendum hinges on ‘public support’”. Spin doctors, he recounted, were trying desperately to roll back the remarks which “alarmed” Labour MPs. Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander put out a statement that a referendum is still “off limits”. 

Time to face the future

Westminster’s commentary relies on denial and dismissive headlines. But it is time to move on. Scotland has won many mandates over recent years that have been ignored. Democratic consent cannot be "off limits".  Sign our petition below.