BBC UK yesterday has a report clearly meant to influence voters, with an analysis of the tax burden in Scotland and England, using two highly paid tax advisers and ignoring, until a wee bit at the very end for ‘balance’, every other factor, financial and other, in their lives.
It allows them to start with – Senior tax manager Scott McIver (above), who lives in Dumfries, pays more tax than his colleague working in a similar role in Carlisle
Why is this unfair and, in effect, mere propaganda and interference in democratic processes?
When you compare financial situations between places (like Scotland vs elsewhere in the UK), focusing only on one element—say, income tax—can distort the overall picture. What actually matters to people is net living standard, not just one cost or benefit.
- Free higher education tuition: This can mean tens of thousands saved over a lifetime, especially compared to student loan systems elsewhere.
- Free prescriptions: Small individually, but they add up—particularly for people with ongoing health needs.
- Free bus travel (young & older people): Reduces daily transport costs and can significantly affect disposable income.
- Lower average rent: Housing is usually the biggest expense, so even modest differences here can outweigh tax differences.
- Council tax differences: Another recurring cost that affects monthly budgets.
- Quality of life (e.g., lower crime): Harder to quantify, but still economically relevant (insurance, wellbeing, safety, etc.).
A comparison that ignores these while highlighting only, for example, higher income tax bands in Scotland is selective.
That selection is the consequence of an editorial agenda. Why did they not do a piece on that much larger group, middle earners, and see how their lives compare across the border? We know why?
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If tax was such a major factor for this ”Tax manager ” why hasn’t he moved the short distance across the border to the tax nirvana that is England ?
The last throw of the dice by the BBC as they seek to influence the Scottish Election – by applying their usual ”impartial” reporting .
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More and more people know why thanks to you and others consistently, tirelessly presenting a different picture, backed up by evidence and not underpinned by resentment of SNP achievements. Already we are seeing the unionist media take aim at the Greens and Plaid Cymru, and even UK labour are getting a taste of what it means to stand up against a hostile press.
In some ways we are lucky as we have been building up alternative media sources since pre 2014, setting a good example for the Greens & PC to follow. I like the fact Wales is now regularly invited on to Broadcasting Scotland’s Full Breakfast show, I like that senior Scottish politicians are open to working with Sinn Fein, I like that the UK Greens appear more pragmatic than the public face of the Scottish Green party, though both Ross Greer & Gillian McKay have come across well in recent debates.
It is sad the BBC have failed to live up to its obligations of impartiality and fairness. A good shake up is needed for the BBC to give us an unbiased account of the state of the union and to be open to the changes taking place despite their unionist leanings.
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