The Queen Intervened In Scottish Referendum, Eddie Mair Argued With Caller

19 September 2019, 20:00

"The Queen intervened in the Scottish referendum," insisted Eddie Mair in a heated debate with a caller who argued the monarch "can't be criticised."

“I think in criticising the Queen, that’s totally out of order. What she said was completely and utterly impartial and I don’t see how it can possibly be read as anything other than that,” said the caller Tom, who claimed he is "normally a big fan" of Eddie's.

This is after the revelation that David Cameron asked the Queen if she could “raise an eyebrow” at the prospect of Scottish independence in the 2016 referendum. The Queen later said people should “think carefully about the future.”

Eddie said that David Cameron believed these retrospective words “had a positive effect” on the result.

The Queen and David Cameron at their first meeting. Picture: PA

Tom went on to call Cameron “wrong” for criticising the Queen.

“So the Queen can’t be criticised?” asked Eddie.

“I’m not saying that the Queen is chosen by God with magic genes and immune to criticism. What I’m saying is what she did was totally impartial, so for this no she can’t be criticised.”

Eddie argued the Queen was directly responding to the request to raise an eyebrow by making any comment at all. “Even if you think this is the Queen expressing some impartial view, isn’t it cack-handed for a monarch days before a referendum to say anything at all?”

Tom responded: “Asking for everyone to think very carefully before a democratic vote isn’t coming down on one side or the other side. I think she’s totally impartial.”

Eddie called the Queen’s actions as “an intervention at a critical moment.”

“I think it’s disgraceful that he asked her to weigh in,” said Tom but insisted that she didn’t “do what Cameron asked her to do.”

Buckingham Palace has since said David Cameron's account of the events "have caused displeasure" to the Queen.