South Scotland MSP Craig Hoy appeared on GB News and believed the Scottish independence debate was fueling vitriol in Scottish politics, culminating in the account from BBC journalist Sarah Smith and her experiences with abuse. Mr Hoy said he noticed a change when independence was first brought up in 2014 and believed something had changed from there. He added the threat of a new referendum, one he says makes “no sense to the Scottish people”, may cause further “bitterness” in Scotland as he slammed Nicola Sturgeon’s latest conquest.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Hoy discussed online abuse and its role in Sarah Smith’s life and believed the Scottish Independence campaign had a huge part to play.
The former BBC Scotland editor spoke out about her abuse during her coverage of the 2014 independence referendum and became a high-profile journalist in Scotland.
Mr Hoy remarked: “I think, Michael [Portillo], you did a very good documentary with Alex Salmond back in 2011, excellent documentary. I’m not going to curry favour with my interview here.
“But politics in Scotland were very, very different, you could agree to disagree, it was agreeable to disagree.
“Something changed in Scotland at that referendum, and it has only got worse since and I think now that the drumbeat of another independence has beaten in Holyrood, we can only expect to see more bitterness and more rancour entering into our political discourse.
“And that’s why I think the First Minister has to unequivocally call it out, stamp it out and ensure that she makes a firm stand.”
Later in the interview, host Michael Portillo asked whether Ms Smith received abuse because she is the daughter of former Labour leader John Smith who backed unionism in Scotland.
Mr Hoy added: “So I think that some on the ultra-nationalist side, but certainly when I looked at her output and her reporting, she was fair, she was impartial she was a very, very good journalist.
The journalist claimed she was the victim of misogyny by the public and recalled how one person shouted to her: “What f****** lies are you going to be telling on TV tonight you f****** lying bitch?”
Ms Sturgeon spoke out to support Ms Smith and said: “Some of it comes from people who profess to be on my side of the political debate and I condemn that unreservedly.
“I have no truck with anybody and actually don’t consider myself to have much, if anything, in common with anybody who would hurl abuse at Sarah Smith or any other journalist.
“Nobody should put up with that abuse, no journalist whatever their gender should put up with abuse for doing their job.
