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THREAD 1-9
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Tonight, Sunday 10th, 2021 the top news story on BBC Scotland online is an attack on Scottish remote schooling and features comments from a group called '50-50 in school'.
The group was presented as an ordinary 'parents group'.
But was it?
1/
Tonight, Sunday 10th, 2021 the top news story on BBC Scotland online is an attack on Scottish remote schooling and features comments from a group called '50-50 in school'.
The group was presented as an ordinary 'parents group'.
But was it?
2/
The group came to our attention in June last year when they appeared on BBC Scotland news attacking the Scottish Govt. The group spokesperson - and co-founder - was a Sarah Chisnall, who was presented as a 'Mother of two and public affairs professional'.
The group came to our attention in June last year when they appeared on BBC Scotland news attacking the Scottish Govt. The group spokesperson - and co-founder - was a Sarah Chisnall, who was presented as a 'Mother of two and public affairs professional'.
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We quickly established that there was a bit more to this 'mother of two' than the BBC was mentioning.
Sarah Chisnall was also a member of the Labour party who only months earlier had tweeted her delight at Keir Starmer becoming the new Labour leader.
And there was more ...
We quickly established that there was a bit more to this 'mother of two' than the BBC was mentioning.
Sarah Chisnall was also a member of the Labour party who only months earlier had tweeted her delight at Keir Starmer becoming the new Labour leader.
And there was more ...
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A quick glance at Ms Chisnall's social media activity revealed someone steeped in politics and more than willing to to attack the SNP.
One of her most vociferous attacks followed a particularly nasty newspaper smear that targeted then SNP MP Michelle Thomson.
A quick glance at Ms Chisnall's social media activity revealed someone steeped in politics and more than willing to to attack the SNP.
One of her most vociferous attacks followed a particularly nasty newspaper smear that targeted then SNP MP Michelle Thomson.
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Sarah Chisnall tweeted or retweeted about the Michelle Thomson story over sixty times. This apparent obsession with Michelle Thomson may be explained by the fact that the Thomson had only months earlier unseated Ms Chisnall's husband in the 2015 general election.
Sarah Chisnall tweeted or retweeted about the Michelle Thomson story over sixty times. This apparent obsession with Michelle Thomson may be explained by the fact that the Thomson had only months earlier unseated Ms Chisnall's husband in the 2015 general election.
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Here we had someone with clear political allegiances, and obvious motive to undermine the SNP, who had co-founded a group [50-50 in school] that attacked the Scottish Govt. BBC Scotland had handed her a platform without mentioning her political background.
But there's more.
![6/Here we had someone with clear political allegiances, and obvious motive to undermine the SNP, who had co-founded a group [50-50 in school] that attacked the Scottish Govt. BBC Scotland had handed her a platform without mentioning her political background.But there's more.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EraDMfpXMAI92bz.png "6/Here we had someone with clear political allegiances, and obvious motive to undermine the SNP, who had co-founded a group [50-50 in school] that attacked the Scottish Govt. BBC Scotland had handed her a platform without mentioning her political background.But there's more.")
Here we had someone with clear political allegiances, and obvious motive to undermine the SNP, who had co-founded a group [50-50 in school] that attacked the Scottish Govt. BBC Scotland had handed her a platform without mentioning her political background.
But there's more.
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The group spokesperson in BBC Scotland's most recent article is Janis McCulloch. Janis McCulloch also has strong links to the Scottish Labour party having been Head of the Parliamentary Office for former Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson.
The group spokesperson in BBC Scotland's most recent article is Janis McCulloch. Janis McCulloch also has strong links to the Scottish Labour party having been Head of the Parliamentary Office for former Labour MSP Dr Richard Simpson.
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Ms McCulloch was also a No voter in the 2014 Indyref as the tweet below indicates. BT is shorthand for Better Together, the pro-Union campaign group.
Ms McCulloch was also a No voter in the 2014 Indyref as the tweet below indicates. BT is shorthand for Better Together, the pro-Union campaign group.
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'50-50 in schools' may well be a genuine parents group set up with the sole intention of helping children obtain quality home learning during a pandemic. BBC Scotland though has concealed facts about two key figures that may lead folk to call the group's motives into question.
'50-50 in schools' may well be a genuine parents group set up with the sole intention of helping children obtain quality home learning during a pandemic. BBC Scotland though has concealed facts about two key figures that may lead folk to call the group's motives into question.
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