BROADCASTERS remained under continuing pressure from political parties last night as campaigning intensified in the European elections.

The BBC was accused by the Scottish National Party of “pathetic and craven” behaviour by postponing until after the election a documentary on the Scottish fishing industry.

Scottish TV, meanwhile, was threatened with legal action by the Scottish Socialist Party unless it agreed to broadcast uncut an SSP election broadcast which accuses Tony Blair of lying over Iraq.

The BBC rejected the SNP allegations, and Scottish TV insisted no final decision had been made about the SSP broadcast, which was due to be screened today.

The SNP attack on the BBC was led by the party’s Westminster leader, Alex Salmond, who wrote to Ken MacQuarrie, BBC Scotland controller, demanding a full explanation of why the fishing documentary, Gutted, originally scheduled to be shown on June 2, would not now be shown until June 16.

“There is no prohibition of material dealing with general political matters and issues during an election period,” Mr Salmond said. “I get the overwhelming feeling that this sorry episode is an example of the BBC running scared of the government in the aftermath of the Hutton report.”

But a BBC Scotland spokesman insisted: “There is absolutely no way we have been pressurised in this by anybody. It was our decision.”

The SSP attack on Scottish TV was led by Tommy Sheridan, who said his party had received legal advice that the broadcaster was guilty of “selective, arguably partial, political censorship”.

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