BBC Scotland is reporting this today as:
Green minister Lorna Slater criticised for using private ferry
The report leads off with an extended set of 12 statements from the Tories and Labour before the locals in the form of a representative of the Community Trust getting a 4 statement edited word in and, only at the end of quite a long report, does the Scottish Government spokesperson explain why it was a sensible thing to do.
The BBC Scotland section on the Community Trust statement is:
Steve Robertson from the island’s community trust described the row as “a storm in a teacup” but confirmed that the CalMac ferry service did not meet the island’s needs.
He said: “Lorna Slater is coming over to do a very important meeting to try and move things forward for the community.
“It makes people feel disappointed that that’s the story when for us a taxi charter boat is a normal part of island life. We have to use these to make the island anything like sustainable.
“She can take the ferry service if she wants to have the meeting on the ferry and fit in with the very narrow options to spend time on Rum.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65570607
The fuller Community Trust statement, shedding light on the whole ‘non-issue’, is in the Oban Times:
The Isle of Rum Community Trust development officer, Steve Robertson, told the BBC this was “a storm in a teacup”.
“Lorna Slater is coming over to do a very important meeting to try and move things forward for the community.
“It makes people feel disappointed that that’s the story when for us a taxi charter boat is a normal part of island life. We have to use these to make the island anything like sustainable.
“She can take the ferry service if she wants to have the meeting on the ferry and fit in with the very narrow options to spend time on Rum.”
The Isle of Rum Commuity Trust added on Twitter: “Sometimes charter boats have to get used because the ferry timetable can’t accommodate everyone’s needs, no matter how much we would like it too.
“A good example of this is the school boat which brings the Eigg, Muck and Rum island teens home for the weekend. School times and ferry times don’t work together.
“Further, what do want a ferry service for? Ourselves, as islanders? Tourists? Or visiting officials? Lorna Slater came and gave her time to listen to the islanders and their issues.
“The fact that she came on a charter boat is pretty much a non issue when Highland Council, NatureScot, Mowi, even CalMac use them too. It’s not much different to using a taxi rather than the bus when the bus timetable doesn’t work for you.”
https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2023/05/12/a-rum-do-island-trust-defends-ministers-ferry-hire/?fbclid=IwAR1yPQMSJ4J3eebkzEQaIjUNXRRQssJMe4NOebBkobF1L3u9CewO4MueflU
Remind me. Which is the party that helps small businesses?
BBC bias?
4.3.3 There may be occasions when the omission of views or other material could jeopardise impartiality. There is no view on any subject which must be excluded as a matter of principle, but we should make reasoned decisions, applying consistent editorial judgement, about whether to include or omit perspectives.
https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality/guidelines/
Why were the Community Council’s comments edited down?
Talking-up Scotland 
We all know what BBC,STV do and it is never favorable to the SNP,not always a fan of Alistair Campbell but this time I am seeing him call out the BBC in the interview with Victoria Derby and the Brexit Phillips about time someone should do the same to our so called journalists and GM shower just like the above story about Lorna Slater.
Call them out I say.
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Interestingly John, on a subject you previously covered, this is gaining traction on the “impartial” perspective from Plantation Quay…
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Excellent.
It took its time, but BBC Scotland now being new out further afield for their appalling and biased reporting.
If only they had a Charter to try and adhere to! 🙂
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Ooops that should read “now being found out”.
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Excellent
Shared
John
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I was just about to post this myself, Bob, when I saw you’d beaten me to it!
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I commented on Maximilian’s piece, plugging the Prof’s TUS Site, hope he follows it up some more.
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Yes the media coverage of Ms Slater’s trip by Unionist media sources has been appalling – far from the best attainable truth of the matter.
But is it just me that’s read equally awful and sometimes worse personal attacks on Ms Slater over this trip from individuals who profess to be part of the movement for Scottish independence? Some re-tweeting a Sun article for xxxx’s sake!
I’ve even read an SNP MP disparaging her over this particular incident.
Once the social media opponents of the Yes movement were fairly well defined – they were Unionists, some of them extreme in their views. Now the supposed Yes ‘movement’ internally displays attempted character assassinations daily directed at other Indy supporters.
The message of seeking to heal divisions given out at the AUOB rally in Glasgow didn’t last long. Disparagement seems to have become habitual for some prominent on Twitter. Way beyond constructive criticism imho!
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Green schemes are not fully supported. Apposition to the AWPR, the expansion at the airport for international flights. Instead they f Heathrow. Anywhere but Heathrow, subsidised slots by the UK Gov. Putting up the cost and time for Scottish travellers. A waste of monies. New China flight from Edinburgh. Salmon and whisky exported to China. Increased trade. Direct flights. Not supported by the Greens. GRA nonsense. Totally out of proportion. Ban on fishing. Green scheme damaging the isles and Scottish exports, Not supporting Oil & Gas but importing it. Another mjnority Green scheme. Damaging the Scottish economy. Green opposition to Queensferry Crossing. Traffic chaos before. Less conductivity. Leading to tail backs, congestion and longer journeys. Wasting time and monies. Electric cars increasing, Savng fuel and energy. A need for more electric fuelling stops for safer, quicker journeys.
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here is my rather cheeky and highly imaginative suggestion for a ‘best case scenario’ solution to these ferry problems.- the people of a Scottish Island commission a ferry from a Scottish yard (possibly Ferguson but there could be other conteners) according to proven worldwide designs suggested by Professor Alf Baird (Maritime Engineer) and Stuart Ballantyne (Naval Architect) for, lets say, three catamaran ferries, which are cheaper to build and run than the current proposals, and being faster, can do more sailings which could be organised so that crews do not have to spend nights away from their home ports, so no need for crew berths overnight. The ferries are duly delivered, current estimate for three 100 car catamaran ferries around £60 million (see recent article A Ferry Post Script’, 21 May on the Grouse Beater website).
The islanders ask the Scottish Government to reimburse the cost as recompense for the diastrous effects on tourism and supplies to the island.
The Scilly islands council learn of this initiative and how successful it is, so fed up with the delay and the old-fashioned lift on/lift off bosts that have been foisted on them by a cheapskate UK government they commission their own boat (s) of the same design, sending the bill to the UK Government levelling up fund as it has not yet delivered the promised ferry/ies) or only of the lift on/ lift off variety which should be obsolete except in extreme circumstances.
Result all islanders happy with tourism and commerce prospering, crews happy at no overnights away from home, plus environmental and cost benefits.
Why is this not seen as possible?
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