BBC Scotland yesterday defended itself from accusations of political bias made by the Labour Party. Colin Smyth, the party’s Scottish general secretary, expressed concerns over the corporation’s political coverage in a submission to the Scottish Broadcasting Commission, set up to examine the future of broadcasting in Scotland.

The party also called for BBC Scotland reporters to be given guidance on how to report politics neutrally. Mr Smyth objected to references to the “London government” and called for more consistency in reporting.

He wrote: “There is, too frequently, a disparity in both the tone and terminology of differing political institutions. For example references to the ‘London government’ are clearly designed to elicit a certain reaction and should be avoided by journalists.”

Pete Wishart, the SNP’s broadcasting spokesman, said: “This is nothing more than a paranoid rant.”

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We recognise the importance of accurate and impartial language.”

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