THE BBC have been blasted after lining up three guests to slag off the SNP’s flagship food price cap policy – giving only the First Minister himself the chance to champion it.
BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme on Wednesday morning gave business leaders and an opposition politician the chance to tear into the policy, while host Laura Maciver asked what some critics have suggested was “the most crass question ever asked by a BBC presenter”.
Listeners were treated to the thoughts of business representatives on the policy, who were resolutely against the idea.
Michelle Ferguson, director of the Confederation of British Industry Scotland, was dead against food price caps, as was David Thomson, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation Scotland, who noted he was “really concerned” about the proposals.
You might be shocked to find out that acting Scottish Labour leader Jackie Baillie had her reservations, and alleged that the Government’s own lawyers thought the policy was “not deliverable”.
It was left to Swinney to defend the price cap plan.
Maciver asked the First Minister: “Who likes this idea, apart from you and people who are obviously interested in solving poverty, in making food more affordable to people?
"Who else likes this policy and why are you pursuing it, given all the opposition that you have been hearing about it for months?”
The BBC’s critics took particular issue with that question, with the social media account MSM Monitor asking: “Is this the most crass question ever asked by a BBC presenter?”
The account went on to accuse BBC Scotland of having “launched an all-out attack on the SNP plan to cap the cost of essential items”.
Is this the most crass question ever asked by a BBC presenter? Laura Maciver on the essential food price cap to John Swinney. "Who likes this idea apart from you and people who are obviously interested in solving poverty and making food more affordable?" pic.twitter.com/ymCoYlg6tq
— MSM Monitor (@msm_monitor) September 2, 2026
They added: “Only those groups opposed to the policy were allowed on the programme. No supportive voices. It's the Deposit Return Scheme and Hate Crime Bill all over again.”
Another user said: “More evidence that [BBC Scotland News] is the voice of the British establishment, big business, the rich and grifting royals.
"If you are struggling for cash, why not cancel the BBC's TV tax.”
Someone else shared the clip, asking: “Where's the balance?”
In his defence of the policy, in the face of what the BBC presenter described as “overwhelming” opposition, Swinney pointed to how the BBC itself had conducted interviews with members of the public earlier in the week and the three people they spoke to liked it.
Swinney began to say that this was “precisely” why the Scottish Government was pursuing it – i.e. that people wanted it – before he was interrupted to answer about the legal advice minsters had received on whether it was lawful.
Safe to say the BBC has already made its mind up …
