English media make Scotland a nation of lab rats in Brigadoon
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Version 0 of 1. Let's be fair. None of us is locked into a harness on a bench, being made unwillingly acquainted with tobacco products. Nobody is dropping assorted poisons on to our pupils. Our skin is not being subjected to newfangled cosmetic preparations in order to observe whether we come out in plooks (Scots parlance for the common spot). But as yet another brace of TV documentaries is screened featuring intrepid Englishmen trawling Scotland and prodding its inhabitants in search of referendum data, it becomes difficult not to feel like a lab rat – a common enough species about whose neurological functions more information is apparently necessary, to understand why it might want to alter the boundaries of its natural habitat. Admittedly, these psephological scientists are not all happy amateurs blundering about the land like Japanese tourists in search of Brigadoon – though Jacob Rees-Mogg, making a guest appearance for Channel 4 News, gave a pretty good impersonation. Maybe he still cherished fond memories of the time he ventured north as a parliamentary candidate for Central Fife in a large Merc driven by a former nanny. That didn't play well either. To be fair, he contrived to halve the already minimalist Tory vote, so his journey wasn't entirely in vain. We've also had Janet Street-Porter hiking up and down the land, wondering aloud, in a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger, godmotherish sort of way, why anyone would want to uncouple themself from the loveliness of the union. But this week's batch were several cuts above these contributions. Robert Peston, self-confessed Scotophile, was almost wholly preoccupied with the numbers game. Given that a post-poll economy still registers as a crucial issue among undecided voters, and that matters economic are now his BBC day job, that was hardly surprising. And many Scots' verdicts on social media the morning after the night before were at pains to suggest he made a rather more evenhanded fist of it than some of his management colleagues in BBC Scotland's own news and current affairs department. Their Glasgow premises have been subject to picketing from pro-independence viewers and listeners alleging serial bias towards the other camp. Certainly nobody could mistake BBC Scotland for a nationalist cheerleader on current form. Just a pity that the odd segment of Peston's programme fell victim to the current obsession with TV gimmickry. Really Robert, did you have to wander about Paisley clutching a £500 bribe in readies to ask the population if they would vote No were a similar sum to materialise in their bank account? Screened immediately before on Monday night was Channel Four Dispatches, covering much of the same territory with Anthony Barnett, though he dotted back and forth to London to check his bearings. And, in fairness, to knock on the door of the London PR agency working as an arm of the No Campaign. Its clients also include England and Bahrain should you be wondering why Vote No Borders is registered in the English rather than the Scottish capital. Barnett was also at pains to examine charges on both side of the referendum debate that the campaigns were getting down and dirty, citing examples of Twitter trolls in full foul-mouthed flight. And, 'tis true, that you don't need to look long for evidence online of behaviour unbecoming gentle men and women. Alcohol may well be a factor. My worries are rather more pragmatic. Being chronologically gifted I can remember previous junctures when Scots voters were considered sexy enough for prime time telly. The fascination and the occasional flattery rarely outlived polling day. If Scotland votes no, my wee laboratory will slide effortlessly from the radar screens of producers and programme makers. Still and all – the Visit Scotland archive played a blinder this week. Swooping shots of hills and glens, majestic bridges and brooding castles on both the latest efforts. Some of it even sunkissed. For these small mercies many thanks. Ruth Wishart is a board member of Creative Scotland |