BBC Scotland editor James Cook has been called a “traitor” and “scum” by Scottish troops in the Tory leadership contest.
The Scottish Conservatives blamed “a mob of extremist Nationalists” and linked it directly to the SNP in government.
“Unfortunately, this is the consequence of 15 years of the SNP fueling division and turning Scots against Scots,” Tory MSP Craig Hoy said.
About 300 protesters gathered opposite the Perth Concert Hall, many carrying Yes banners, and some chanting “Tory scum” and throwing eggs at party members as they arrived.
Slashing journalists is never acceptable. Their job is vital to our democracy and is to report and vet, not to advocate any point of view. @BBCJamesCook is a high quality journalist and totally professional – the behavior he was subjected to last night was disgraceful
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 17, 2022
A large banner was hung on the fence by the ultra-nationalist Siol Nan Gaidheal, or Seed of the Gaels group, which is outlawed within the SNP.
Video taken by protesters and posted on social media shows Mr Cook being questioned loudly by an unseen man and woman in the crowd about his independence petition.
The man said to Cook contemptuously, “We saw the size of your report.”
After Mr Cook said the man called him scum, he shouted: “We’re paying you. You are a traitor. Tell the truth.”
The woman then questioned Mr. Cook about the 1689 claim of right and asked him how long he had been in Scotland.
He said he had been in Scotland all his life and added that the question was rude and he would not ask her.
“Will you mention Claim of Right and other Scottish independence parties and other grassroots groups coming out for independence?” asked the woman.
After Mr Cook said he would be more than happy to do so, the man shouted: “You’re a liar!”
Mr Cook then said he was unable to have a civil discussion about it because the man called him a “traitor and scum”.
This is absolutely horrible.
It’s remarkable how calm and polite the ever-professional James Cook is, even when a man calls him “scum” and “traitor” when he’s trying to do his job.
pic.twitter.com/fg6MEm1Eed
— Kirsty Strickland (@KirstyStricklan) August 17, 2022
The BBC has long been criticized by some Yes supporters for a pro-Union bias, and the 2014 referendum campaign saw protests outside the BBC offices on Pacific Quay in Glasgow.
The video was posted – then deleted – by a Twitter account called @faraheit17 belonging to a woman called Farah Hamid, a retired teacher and director of Glasgow Citizens Advice, who says she is a member of Alex Salmond’s Alba party.
Identifying herself as the woman heard in the clip (not the man saying traitor and scum), she wrote: “As you can see I was being very polite and asking what questions #JamesCook could answer, unfortunately he wasn’t!”
As you can see I was very polite and asked what questions #JamesCook could answer, unfortunately he wasn’t!
— FARAH HAMID 🏴🁧🏢🁳🏴🁧🁢🁳#FREEDOM (@faraheit17) August 17, 2022
Alba said the man was an unknown “ejit” who shouted over Ms Hamit.
The party also called for “some proportionality”, noting there were no arrests and saying the Tories were “lucky not to be kicked out of Perth” given their behavior in power and treatment of Scotland.
In response to the incident in Perth, the Prime Minister defended Mr Cook and his petition.
She wrote on Twitter: “Attacking journalists is never acceptable. Their job is vital to our democracy and is to report and vet, not to advocate any point of view.
“@BBCBJamesCook is a journalist of the highest quality and a consummate professional – the behavior he was subjected to last night was disgraceful.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford added on Twitter: “Shocked and ashamed to see @BBCBJamesCook treated this way. It’s not OK. James is a first class, decent and rightly respected journalist. He acted with great dignity and hang on here. It’s not the Scotland I want.”
SNP press officer Erik Geddes also tweeted: “So angry at people verbally abusing James Cook in Perth tonight. No journalist deserves this kind of ugly crap on the job. James is a brilliant journalist and an extremely decent guy. Stupids”.
SNP MSP Karen Adam said the incident reinforced the SNP’s plan for a code of conduct for the next independence campaign “to make sure we don’t tarnish the movement”.
She tweeted: “James remained professional. How different would the interaction be if people used his example to discuss their views with him?”
SNP MP David Linden added: “These idiots don’t speak for me or my party. We condemn their behavior completely and unreservedly. If any of them are found to be a member of @theSNP then they should be expelled right away. It’s that simple.”
Councilor Thomas Kerr, leader of the Tory opposition on SNP-run Glasgow City Council, asked Ms Sturgeon why she did not also condemn the “abuse, spitting and egg-throwing of pensioners, teenagers and party activists” which were also observed outside the pursuers.
“What happened to James Cook was infuriating but like the whole behavior of the @ScotTories mob it was also submitted. “This half-hearted condemnation is not good enough.”
Other social media users suggested the SNP had turned a blind eye to the bad behavior of Yes supporters for years and praised Mr Cook for his composure and civility over the incident.
In a post last night, Tory MP Andrew Bowie said: “Eggs are being thrown, pensioners are being spat on. Good old ‘Tory scum’ banner out… Glad to see @NicolaSturgeon’s political and gleeful nationalism in action on Perth tonight.”
Eh… but hurling abuse (and worse) at people simply because they dare to have a different political view is OK in Scotland in 2022? Will you announce it soon Prime Minister?
— Andrew Bowie MP (@AndrewBowie_MP) August 17, 2022
In a statement issued this morning, BBC Scotland said: “Yesterday afternoon one of our journalists was verbally abused by protesters while covering the Conservative Leadership rallies in Perth.
“James Cook is an excellent reporter and showed professionalism throughout the incident.
“It is never acceptable for journalists to be mistreated of any nature while doing their job.”
Alba General Secretary Chris McElheny said: “It appears that there was a perfectly civilized conversation that had taken place which was ruined by an unknown man shouting at her.
“However, there has to be some analogy in that this was a protest of hundreds of people without a single arrest.
“Instead of focusing their attention on uttering an eejit, our politicians should face the real issue that Sunak and Truss represent a party that stands by and allows millions of Scots to have thousands of pounds of energy bills against them while we live in a country that produces enough renewable electricity to power every home in Scotland and we are self-sufficient in oil and gas.
“The Tory Party have cut universal credit for 500,000 Scots, overseen the deaths of hundreds of thousands of citizens while awarding billions of pounds worth of contracts to their cronies and completely wrecking the economy thanks to their Brexit nonsense.
“They’re lucky they weren’t kicked out of Perth.”
Scottish Tory party chairman Craig Hoey said: “The abuse and intimidation directed at both journalists and party members at yesterday’s protests in Perth was completely unacceptable.
“Of course, everyone has the right to protest peacefully and have their voice heard against politicians they disagree with – that’s the essence of democracy – but, not for the first time, a mob of extreme Nationalists has crossed the line.
“It’s a shame that journalists are doing their job and ordinary party members, some of them elderly, have had to run a gauntlet of hate just to get into the venue, including being pelted with eggs and spat at.
“Unfortunately, this is the consequence of 15 years of the SNP deepening division and turning Scotland against Scotland.”
