Nearly 3000 people have signed a petition calling for the National Trust for Scotland to think twice about appointing a historian who said indyref2 was a "cancerous presence".
The Trust, Scotland's largest conservation charity, is facing a backlash for appointing Neil Oliver, who is well known for his vociferous and sometimes vitriolic pro-Union and anti-independence views.
The language in which he has expressed them has angered supporters of independence, many of whom are among the 360,000 members of the Trust which receives more than £1 million in funding from the public sector each year.
Oliver has been very critical 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”.
He added: "Vote SNP - they want to shoot the dog but it's OK: after it's dead you can still keep it in your bedroom and stroke it just like always. Maybe give it a new name. Call it Independence."
The petition, by Catherine Jamieson of Largs, states: "Neil Oliver has just been appointed President of the National Trust Scotland. I will cancel my membership, (if I have one). I am signing this petition in protest of this appointment.
"The National Trust Scotland is in charge of many of Scotland's treasures. We object to this man having this appointment as he does not have the Scottish people and Scotland's interests at heart."
To view the petition, click here.
Many independence supporters over the weekend vowed to cancel their subscription over the appointment of such a divisive figure.
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.”
Asked about the choice of Oliver by the Trust’s appointments committee, 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.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel