George Galloway has lashed out at BBC Scotland which he claims is "heavily seeded with nationalists" after an interview with journalist Laura Maciver on Good Morning Scotland.
The lead candidate of the pro-union party All for Unity spent most of the interview dodging questions on whether he believed Vladimir Putin's Russia was behind the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury in 2018.
He also claimed that businesses had left Dumfries and Galloway as a result of talk over a second independence referendum, but failed to cite any examples when repeatedly asked - calling the question "silly".
It follows an interview with Alba Party leader Alex Salmond on Wednesday morning, in which he was also quizzed about the Salisbury poisonings.
READ MORE: Salmond labelled 'Putin apologist' for downplaying Russia's actions
Mr Skripal, a former Russian spy turned double agent for MI6, and his 33-year-old daughter were left seriously ill after coming into contact with the deadly nerve agent Novichok.
Speaking on Good Morning Scotland on Wednesday, Mr Salmond refused to say three times whether Russia was behind the Salisbury poisonings - as he was grilled about his programme on Kremlin-backed television.
Both Galloway and Salmond work for RT, formerly Russia Today.
Presenter and journalist Laura Maciver asked the former Labour MP George Galloway if he believed Russia interfered in the 2014 independence referendum or in either of the last two US presidential elections.
He replied: "Well it's very odd that the thesis is that the Russians want to break-up Britain, and they want to encourage separatism when they employ me as one of the main hammers of nationalist and separatism.
"It's a very odd charge, unless the allegation is that Putin is so canny a gambler he's got money on Alex Salmond and me, he's betting on separatism and union - it's all very silly."
He added: "I have never been interfered with by the Russians, and I'm not sure I can safely say that for the people presenting programmes on the BBC."
Two days in a row @BBCScotlandNews have turned interviews with me into Russia-baiting hunt-the-Putin. The state-backed BBC calling other people state-backed. While thousands of Scottish pensioners were Man-slaughtered in the Care Homes...
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) April 9, 2021
Following the interview, and a similarly uncomfortable grilling on BBC's The Nine last night, Galloway posted on Twitter accusing BBC Scotland of being a "festival against Britain".
He said: "BBC Scotland is heavily seeded with Scottish Nationalists.
"They hate the Crown but they live well on its half-crown. Their counterparts elsewhere in the corporation ooze euromania and identity-politics liberalism.
READ MORE: George Galloway to launch legal action after being 'excluded' from BBC and STV leader debate
"Together they are quite a Festival against Britain.
"Two days in a row @BBCScotlandNews have turned interviews with me into Russia-baiting hunt-the-Putin.
"The state-backed BBC calling other people state-backed. While thousands of Scottish pensioners were Man-slaughtered in the Care Homes..."
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