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Charlotte Street Partners (CSP)

CSP are the mainstream media of Scotland and BBC Scotland’s news and current affairs department is simply an arm of the lobbying industry in Scotland.

The late Angus Grossart was the chair of “Scotland International” and CSP. In the latter role he worked with managing partners and founders Andrew Wilson and Malcolm Robertson (son of former Labour Party, Scottish secretary Lord Robertson).

Adding to the list of lobbyists/journalists linked to CSP is one of Kris Deerin’s old chums Kevin Pringle a trustee of right wing ‘think tank’ “Reform Scotland”. Kevin also enjoys a cosy relationship with the BBC and Scotland’s top public relations specialists.

Many of Scotland’s political commentators engage in paid employment with lobbyists such as CSP.

Peter Duncan, Tom Harris and Andy McIver are at Message Matters and Moray Macdonald is at Weber Shandwick . Moray just needs to get the lift upstairs at Pacific Quay to do fit in a regular Saturday shift with his BBC friend.

Deerin, formerly of the Glasgow Herald is now at Reform Scotland, but with a side-line at The Spectator. There’s Alex Massie, Pringle and Andrew Wilson at The Times.

Then there was Sir Angus, still active in the House of Lords at Westminster and at the BBC with Two Rivers Media together with with Lord McConnell’s bestie pals, Kirsty Wark and Alan Clemens. Then there’s Lord McConnell of Lobbygate’s pal, Malcolm Robertson back at CSP!

People must be wondering why this scandal is not getting traction in mainstream media.

Dark money to the DUP from Richard Cook and the latest lobbying shenanigans at CSP are just a couple of scandals that illustrate just how much Scotland’s democracy and it’s media has been captured by corporate interests.

Lobbying journalists are now making the media programmes for public consumption about Scotland’s modern history and appearing as independent commentators.

George Orwell said, “Who controls the past controls the future”. If nothing is done, tomorrow’s Scotland belongs to Wilson and Pringle and Lord Duncan.

CSP is the most influential lobbying and PR firm in Scotland.

Lobbying is the apotheosis of the art of politics- insiders doing deals behind closed doors-while we, the electorate, well, we’re on the wrong side of the door because inside, Andrew Wilson, former MSP, Times journalist and member of the Scottish government’s Growth Commission is doing deals accompanied by Kevin Pringle, former SNP communications chief and Times journalist. Both busily monetising their political contacts and their political expertise to the benefit of the clients who are paying Wilson and Pringle for the access to the power and influence they offer. Ask about their client list, that’s for Kevin and Andrew to know, not for the Scottish people to find out.” (John Cawley)