A New Balance

Warning: political rant ahead.

Way hey! Scotland's not only got a female First Minister, but now we have a 50/50 gender balance in the Cabinet. Scotland just made history!

It was a shame we couldn't watch it live but the BBC was obliged to spend a great deal of time on the UKIP by-election results from last night. And I keep forgetting that we don't count, what with us being so far from London.

When I said this on FB, a friend said that my bias was showing through. Of course my bias showed - it was a post on my page. Better to notice that we are all biased or, better yet, to get rid of the negative connotations of the word bias and recognise that we are all positioned somewhere along a spectrum.

My friend pointed out that the BBC did a whole programme on Nicola Sturgeon becoming First Minister. I'm glad the BBC did a whole programmes worth. The story of the referendum doesn't end with Salmond stepping down just as the story of the Yes campaign wasn't all about Salmond either. I just wish the BBC would recognise its own bias.

The story continues. The story grows. There's a whole new politics up here. The story in Scotland certainly isn't about UKIP, despite the BBC's seemingly unending coverage. The SNP (of which I am not a member) has become the third largest party in UK politics. The Green Party had an MP long before UKIP did but all we get on our public broadcaster, for which we pay a fee, is UKIP.

I'm beginning to wonder if the BBC could actually give UKIP more coverage than it already does. I suspect the answer is No. When UKIP do well in next year's general election, you'll know who to thank.

It's enough to turn one into a mardy bum.