THE SNP's depute leader has hit out at the BBC and Andrew Neil over claims made about Scottish education during the 2017 General Election.
Ofcom has now ruled that Neil's claim, made during an episode of Sunday Politics in which former first minister Alex Salmond was being interviewed, that "one in five Scots pupils leave primary school "functionally illiterate" was "misleading".
READ MORE: BBC and Andrew Neil slammed for misleading claim in Salmond interview
After the episode was broadcast, a primary school teacher challenged the statistic, which prompted the BBC to provide a source from 2009, then apologise for "incorrect statistics", then cite a 2014 Scottish Government study.
However the complainant escalated the complaint, prompting the BBC to backtrack once more and apologise for a statistic which was "not accurate".
Brown has now spoken out over the 18-page ruling.
READ MORE: READ: Full Ofcom decision slamming BBC and Andrew Neil
He said: "It is unsurprising that a school teacher knows more about education in Scotland than Andrew Neil or the BBC do.
"Like Ofcom, I too am also 'deeply concerned' not only with the handling of this case but also about how the BBC network continues to struggle to get to grips with the realities of devolution.
"Twenty years on from the opening of the Scottish Parliament, eleven years on from the King Report and yet still the BBC network regularly falls short when it comes to reporting not just from Scotland but across the nations and regions. The corporation's London-centric view persists."
A BBC said spokesperson said: "The BBC has already upheld a complaint on this issue in 2017 and we will study Ofcom's findings."
Find out more about our 10,000 Steps campaign here.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel