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Reuters
Steve Bannon left his position at the White House in the midst of power struggle reports
Nicola Sturgeon retired from a conference in Edinburgh next month because former Trump strategist Steve Bannon was also scheduled to speak.
The prime minister was to take part in the three-day event News Xchange, jointly organized by the BBC and on November 13th.
However, she said giving Mr. Bannon a platform might "legitimize or normalize racist views of the far right".
Steve Bannon was one of Donald Trump's most trusted collaborators until August 2017.
He left the US government after losing his seat on the National Security Council after claiming a power struggle between President Trump's top team.
"Balanced judgments"
Since he left the White House, Mr. Bannon has continued to champion right-wing political causes, although his appearance in the events is controversial.
In September, he was expelled from the New Yorker Festival after a violent reaction from actor Jim Carrey, producer Judd Apatow and presenter Jimmy Fallon.
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Reuters
Nicola Sturgeon said that the inclusion of Steve Bannon in the event was likely to normalize the views of the far right.
Nicola Sturgeon was scheduled to be presented by BBC Scotland editor Sarah Smith at the opening night of the conference on 13 November.
Steve Bannon is expected to attend a session the next morning, which should also be moderated by Sarah Smith at the Edinburgh International Conference Center.
"Influential character"
In a tweet, Ms. Sturgeon said she regretted the position taken by the BBC.
She said: "I passionately believe in freedom of expression but as @ScotGovFM, I have to make balanced judgments – and I will not participate in any process that might legitimize or normalize racist views of the world. far right, others in this position. "
She also attacked Mr. Bannon's description of the event as "a powerful and influential personality … promoting an anti-elite movement".
She added: "This kind of language to describe the opinions that many would describe as fascist seems to me to run the risk of normalization."
The event should be moderated by Sarah Smith, editor-in-chief of BBC Scotland
In a statement, the BBC said Steve Bannon had been invited on behalf of the "News Xchange" committee of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
They added, "Good journalism in a world of false information and misinformation is more vital than ever.
"Journalism is about asking tough questions and understanding what's going on in the world and why.
"A conference designed to analyze the big problems that affect this world is not an endorsement of anyone or anything, it's a function of what journalism is."
The organizers of the event, the EBU, said Bannon was a "key influencer" in the rise of populism.
"We also consider that our journalistic responsibility is to share and consider a range of relevant points of view in a balanced debate," they added.
