SCOTLAND in Union may be about to seek compensation from the Electoral Commission over the leak of the group’s secret list of donors.
The National has learned that the commission has formally apologised to Scotland in Union who have called in lawyers over the hugely embarrassing leak which showed that group was funded by friends of Prince Charles, Prince William, aristocrats, landowners, bankers and businessmen.
A spokesman for Scotland in Union, which is led by former Labour MP Pamela Nash, told The National: “The Electoral Commission has now written to us with an apology. We continue to consult our lawyers about next steps.”
The anti-independence group has been criticised for the secrecy over its donor list and particularly the fact that at least two individuals made donations through companies they own – one of them being a clan chief whose ancestor opposed the Act of Union in 1707.
By paying through their companies, the individuals concerned were able to make donations of £12,500 and £14,998 respectively. Because those donations were made outside “regulated periods” the donors do not need to be identified to the Electoral Commission by Scotland in Union.
Their spokesman added: “Only donations given specifically for election or referendum campaigns need to be declared.
“Not only do we not encourage this, we have never benefited from this type of donation. All our donations are in line with Electoral Commission guidelines.”
The commission confirmed that Scotland in Union had met the legal requirements and added: “The law also states that companies are permissible donors as long as they are registered at Companies House and carrying on business in the UK.
“With regards to questions about the owners of the companies and any donations that were made, you may want to consider contacting those companies directly.”
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