(91)  The Scots, the English and racial discrimination (3)

On 11 December 2000 an Extra Division of the Court of Session affirmed in Souster v BBC 2000 GWD 40-1490 2001 SLT 265 that, although there was only one British nationality, Scots, English, Welsh and Irish people did have distinct “national origins” and that therefore the Race Relations Act 1976 could apply if a person suffered discrimination on the grounds of such origins.  Souster, an Englishman, claimed that he was not re-appointed as the presenter of BBC Scotland’s Rugby Special programme because of his origins and that the job went instead to a Scot, Jill Douglas from Hawick.  Souster’s claim will now be heard by an employment tribunal.