THE National Trust for Scotland is bracing itself for yet another controversy when broadcaster Neil Oliver is appointed as president of Scotland’s largest conservation charity later today.
Just weeks after the row over the NTS’s trademarking of Glencoe, less than 12 months after a “restructuring” cost dozens of jobs and a few years after the Trust almost collapsed entirely – a man called “divisive” by senior SNP members will take the helm at the Trust’s AGM in Dundee’s Caird Hall.
READ MORE: BBC presenter Neil Oliver sparks outrage with vitriolic attack on Salmond and the SNP
Oliver is well known for his pro-Union anti-independence views, and the language in which he has expressed them has angered supporters of independence, many of whom will be among the 360,000 members of the Trust which receives more than £1 million in funding from the public sector each year.
Oliver has expressed strong criticism of former and current First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, calling the former “yesterday’s man” and a “wrecking ball”, while hailing the prospect of a second independence referendum as “a cancerous presence” and a “hate fest”.
He said in a newspaper article “the SNP are in the dead dog business” and added “somewhere along the line something truly awful happened and the SNP became the only joke in town, and it was on us”.
SNP MSP James Dornan sat on the Holyrood committee that investigated the governance of the NTS in 2010. The organisation almost collapsed financially the previous year when it had to sell its Edinburgh headquarters and make 45 staff redundant.
Perhaps ironically, the man most responsible for saving the Trust was George Reid, the former SNP MP and MSP and presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament. He wrote the Fit For Purpose report that successfully restructured the Trust after approval by the SNP Government and the Holyrood Parliament.
Dornan said: “I was surprised to hear that a divisive figure such as Neil Oliver has been given such as prestigious position of president.
“Of course, NTS has the right to select whoever it wishes but someone with a track record of criticising around half of Scotland’s population seems a strange choice to try to then unite them behind such an important organisation.”
Another senior SNP source said: “I would not be surprised if party members who are also Trust members make their feelings clear by resigning.
“No-one doubts Oliver’s talents, his love of Scottish history and archaeology, but the NTS has taken a great risk with a man of his pronounced and sometimes vitriolic pro-Union political views – for instance, how will he work with a Scottish Government committed to a second independence referendum?”
A qualified archaeologist and an author, Oliver is best known as a broadcaster, presenting programmes based on history and archaeology.
The star of BBC’s Coast series, he quit using Twitter when he was targeted for abuse by so-called cybernats.
National Trust for Scotland chairman Sir Moir Lockhead said: “Neil has championed Scotland and its heritage throughout his career, unearthing new insights into its stories, sharing our stunning scenery and fascinating audiences all over the world.
“We are very excited about the energy, enthusiasm and opportunities for more engagement that he will bring to our charity as we work to protect Scotland’s heritage, and share and celebrate all that we have to offer with more people.”
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Oliver said: “The National Trust for Scotland protects so much of what makes Scotland special. Over the years I have dug up some of its places, visited many more, and been completely inspired by it all. I can’t wait to get more involved and I’ll be encouraging others to do the same.”
Asked about the choice of Oliver by the Trust’s appointments committee – the membership is expected to rubber stamp it today – the NTS said the role of president is ambassadorial and profile-raising.
A spokesperson said: “The National Trust for Scotland is an apolitical charity and has no interest in an individual’s political views. Its 360,000-plus members have all political views, and none.
“Neil Oliver has done a fantastic job in promoting the heritage, history and archaeology of Scotland and that clearly chimes with our objectives as a charity. And those are the skills we are interested in.
“As an independent charity, the Trust receives about three per cent of its funding from the public sector. We have a positive relationship with the Scottish Government and see no reason why that would change.”
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