BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty and SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford clashed in a heated interview regarding funding and the handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
Speaking on the early morning BBC show, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said he felt the financial support from Boris Johnson's government had not gone far enough to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland.
However, the host hit back, cutting off Blackford stating that Scotland “wouldn’t get anything” if it wasn’t part of the UK.
The UK Government announced £100 million to “transform” Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles – with £50m coming from Holyrood and Westminster.
Questioning Blackford on the deal, the BBC host said: "There’s a joint UK Scottish Government deal being announced which will see the Isles, Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles receive a £100 million cash boost."
“So that takes total investment in Scottish growth deals to more than £3.2 [billion]. This is a joint Scottish UK Government deal, is this an example of why the Union should remain?”
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Responding Blackford said: “No, we have worked collectively to get that investment into our local communities.
“When you look at what the UK government is doing, they’re providing £1.5 [billion], we’re actually going over and above that.
“We’ve just announced £50 million for the Islands, the UK Government is doing 40 so I’d say to the UK Government to match our ambition.”
Blackford then referenced the Falkirk deal, with the Scottish Government putting in the majority of the funding needed for the £90m project.
Munchetty then interrupted the MP saying: “Excuse me for interrupting, this joint deal, particularly for the Islands, is 50/50.”
“Yes,” Blackford said. “But I have given you an example of another one this week where the UK Government hasn’t matched the Scottish Government.
“The furlough scheme is not going to be fit for all our people”
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 23, 2020
Ian Blackford, SNP leader in Westminster, tells #BBCBreakfast the furlough scheme should remain in place, particularly in #Scotland where the economy relies a lot on tourism. https://t.co/qvWSzHDRad pic.twitter.com/5vxyWG6AAr
The BBC host interjected, once again however as she quipped: “You wouldn’t get anything if you weren’t part of the union though, would you?”
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Clearly taken aback by the comment Blackford responded saying: “Ah well, you know. I think people might want to reflect on a comment such as that.
"That kind of flies into the rhetoric we get from the Tories that we are too wee, too poor, and too stupid.
"If you look at the economic success of Ireland, of Denmark, of Norway, I think we would do pretty well as an independent country.
.@Ianblackford_MP: "When you look at the economic success of Ireland, Denmark and Norway... I think we would actually do pretty well as an independent country if we had control to grow our economy to deliver fairness... we could look forward with a degree of confidence" pic.twitter.com/5TlNTcgy6V
— Erik Geddes (@erikgeddes) July 23, 2020
"If we had control and the ability, we would be able to grow our country and to take account of the climate challenge we face."
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The interview soon had many on social media discussing the clash with one user writing: "Naga Munchetty on @BBCBreakfast expecting us to go cap in hand to our WM masters. This is a shortened clip, but the whole interview just showed the contempt that the BBC has for our nation. Well done @Ianblackford_MP, even though you were taken by surprise by the extreme tone."
Naga Munchetty on @BBCBreakfast expecting us to go cap in hand to our WM masters.This is a shortened clip, but the whole interview just showed the contempt that the BBC has for our nation. Well done @Ianblackford_MP , even though you were taken by surprise by the extreme tone. pic.twitter.com/nnk77adZmQ
— Judy Young (@JudyProudfoot) July 23, 2020
Another added: "That is really appalling. The ‘standards’ at the BBC have never been lower and this ignorant, ill-informed and banal question just confirms this. Being incompetent must be a prerequisite at BBC News."
However, others shared their support for the BBC host with one social media user writing: As far as I can see she has done that with politicians of all persuasions - it's her job, get over it.
In a separate interview, Ian Blackford said he did not think Boris Johnson's message about Scotland's dependence on the Union during coronavirus would be well received during his visit.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "I think he's going to find that this message is going to go down particularly badly in Scotland.
"Is he really saying that any other small nation in Europe and any other part of the world doesn't have the capability to deal with the Covid crisis?
"I think the days of telling Scotland that we are either too wee, too poor or too stupid really is over.
"I think what we've demonstrated over the past two months in the areas of devolved responsibility and of public health is that the leadership that has been shown by our First Minister (Nicola Sturgeon) is in sharp contrast with the bluster we have seen from Boris Johnson."
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