Public Account

For other uses, see Public account.

James Cox, Donald MacCormick and Andrew Neil

Public Account was a weekly political programme first transmitted on 6 January 1975 by BBC Television in Scotland. It was the sister programme to BBC Scotland's Current Account which covered general current affairs issues rather than politics.

Public Account was transmitted mainly on BBC1 Scotland on Mondays after 22.45. It was designed to reflect the increased interest in politics in Scotland with the discovery of oil in the North Sea and the rise of the fortunes of the Scottish National Party. It covered politics up to the first Devolution Referendum held by the Callaghan Labour government. The last programme was shown on 3 July 1978.

Ground-breaking in its approach to Scottish and British politics, it was presented by Donald MacCormick later of BBC2 Newsnight, James Cox later of R4 The World This Weekend, and Andrew Neil later Editor of The Sunday Times and currently presenter of BBC2 The Daily Politics.

Tom Ross was the producer and Matthew Spicer was the editor. ^[1]

Context and Significance

In the 1970s, Scotland experienced significant political changes. The discovery of oil in the North Sea brought economic opportunities, leading to increased interest in political matters. During this time, the Scottish National Party (SNP) gained popularity, advocating for Scotland's independence.

The BBC's program "Public Account" covered these developments, providing in-depth analysis leading up to the first Devolution Referendum in 1979, which addressed Scotland's potential self-governance.​

Presenters and Production Team

Public Account had a team of presenters who later became very successful in journalism and broadcasting.

• Donald MacCormick: after working on the show, became a well-known presenter on BBC2’s Newsnight, where he asked politicians tough questions.
• James Cox, another presenter, went on to work as a political editor for BBC Scotland and later hosted a radio show called The World This Weekend. He was famous for his insightful analysis during significant political events, he passed away in 2024 at the age of 82.
• Andrew Neil, who also worked on Public Account, later became the editor of a major newspaper, The Sunday Times, and now hosts political shows like BBC2’s The Daily Politics.

Behind the scenes, producer Tom Ross and editor Matthew Spicer played important roles in deciding what topics the show covered and how the stories were told.

Legacy and Impact

"Public Account" was a groundbreaking political TV show in Scotland during the 1970s. It covered important political events, helping people understand what was happening in Scotland and the UK.

The show set a high standard for future political programs. Many of its presenters, like Donald MacCormick, James Cox, and Andrew Neil, went on to have influential careers in journalism. This highlights how "Public Account" played a key role in shaping political broadcasting in Scotland.

Notes

1. Inside BBC Scotland by Alastair Hetherington p. 48 (Whitewater Press),

References

• "TV & Radio Bits - Telly Years - May 1977" . Retrieved 8 December 2007.^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}
• Inside BBC Scotland by Alastair Hetherington p. 48 (Whitewater Press)