The BBC has apologised for the "rude and dismissive" tone of Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark during an interview with the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond.

Wark, a close friend and holiday companion of former Scottish Labour First Minister Jack McConnell provoked widespread criticism for her conduct during the interview on Thursday 7 June.

The BBC received 120 formal complaints and the Newsnight website, along with the sites of major Scottish newspapers, was flooded with criticism.

The interview was on the subject of Tony Blair's deal with Libya over prisoner exchanges, from which the Scottish Executive was excluded. Wark introduced Salmond by claiming he had "picked a fight" with Blair.

Wark's attitude demonstrated a refusal to recognise Blair's disregard for the Scottish Executive when he and Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi agreed on prisoner transfers.

Mr Salmond is concerned that the deal will lead to the removal of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, from Scotland.

Wark's tone from the outset was aggressive and led to questioning of her impartiality and her dislike of the SNP and its leader.

Her alleged Labour 'cronyism' has been the subject of contention since the "Villagate" scandal erupted in 2005, in which it emerged she had holidayed with Jack McConnell. The BBC subsequently dropped Wark as the anchor of its General Election coverage.

Newsnight editor, Peter Barron, wrote in a blog the day after the interview: "The encounter was indeed tense and at times tetchy - Mr Salmond is always a robust and challenging interviewee".

However, the First Minister remained calm, if slightly bemused, throughout the interview as he was forced to explain his position in the face of confused and seemingly ill-researched questioning.

Wark accused Salmond of "playing politics" and "risking the sensitivities of the families of the Lockerbie victims". She abruptly ended the interview, cutting the First Minister off mid-sentence.

"As the programme producer tried to wind up the interview because of time pressure we cut off Mr Salmond in a way that came across as rude and dismissive. We have apologised for that" said Newsnight Editor, Peter Barron.

Alex Salmond's spokesman said that the First Minister accepted the BBC's apology.

The BBC centred its apology around the abrupt end to the interview, failing to acknowledge that many viewers' main criticism was the way that the interviewer's political views led to an aggressive, confused and unprofessional farce.

Time constraints and combative interviews are expected. However, a systematic assault on an interviewee through clear political bias should have no place on the BBC's flagship news and current affairs programme.

(This report compiled for Celtic News by Celia Moffatt)

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

10/06/07

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