Today's Sunday Mail
EXCLUSIVE Proclaimer dumps Alexover business cash
By Brian Lironi, Political Editor
PROCLAIMERS star Charlie Reid has dumped the SNP in protest at their links to big business.
Charlie and twin Craig - at No 1 with Comic Relief single I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - were Alex Salmond's biggest celebrity backers after Sir Sean Connery.
The defection to the SSP is a crushing blow for the Nats just a month before the Holyrood election on May 3.
It will stun supporters and spark a new debate about the SNP's controversial funding from anti-gay campaigner and Stagecoach founder Brian Souter.
Charlie, 45, said he had already given the SSP a donation but brother Craig will continue to support Alex Salmond's party.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mail, Charlie, who first shot to fame with Letter From America, said: "I'm changing my allegiance from the SNP to the SSP.
"I still have a lot of respect for people like Alex Salmond, Kenny McAskill and Nicola Sturgeon and I think they will form the government after the election.
"But I think they are placing too much emphasis on courting big business.
"For that reason, I'll be voting for the SSP at the election.
"I think it's important to have a party in the parliament with left wing principles prepared to stand up to big business."
Charlie has already met SSP leader Colin Fox and sent a cheque to boost party coffers. The pair first met in February at a demo to campaign for better sports facilities for kids.
Charlie and Craig are hugely popular figures in SNP circles but Salmond has spent a lot of time and effort wooing big business.
He has received the backing of influential figures including former Royal Bank of Scotland chief Sir George Mathewson - and donations of £100,000 from Sir Tom Farmer and £500,000 from tycoon Souter.
But he has been criticized for taking the money from from Souter, who led the campaign against the repeal of anti-gay law Clause 28.
SSP leader Fox said: "I'm delighted Charlie has now chosen to give his public backing to us."
An SNP spokesman pointed out that they had just enlisted the support of singer Sandi Thom.
He added: "The SNP have growing support among Scotland's arts community, as we do across Scottish society."
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_headline=snp-no-more%26method=full%26objectid=18840090%26siteid=64736-name_page.html
Edinburgh May Day
Sat 5th May, 11.30am, East Market Street
About Me
- Colin Fox MSP
- I am the Scottish Socialist Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian region. I am also National Convenor of the SSP. I live in the Inch on the south side of Edinburgh with my partner Zillah and our two young children. A founder member of the SSP I have been an active socialist combatant for 25 years now.
for an independent socialist Scotland
Colin Fox and Rosie Kane with Tam Dean Burn as queen Lizzie at the declaration of Calton Hill
Contact Me
52 Clerk St, Edinburgh, EH8 9JB - Tel: 0131 668 4800 - Email: ssplothian@btconnect.com
Meeting Cindy Sheehan in 2006
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6 comments:
Well done to Charlie and twin Craig Well Done.
Colin wrote...
Salmond has spent a lot of time and effort wooing big business.
Colin, Salmond is owned by big business and NO mistake. I have some very bad news a lot will happen over the next 4yrs and we all will find that the SNP talk about Scottish independence but will be thinking unionism.They would not have waited 4yrs if this had not been the case.
Maybe my age? I`ve heard and very much like the Proclaimers but who is Sandi Thom?.
SNP No More...
New Labour/Tories/Lib Dems...
Please No More.
Taken from the BBC web site...
"Businessman Sir Tom Farmer has said he is backing the Scottish National Party in next month's Holyrood elections."
Well he would he`s just bought them so own`s them along with Souter. From now on they do as he say`s.
Who cares? The SSP will thankfully be eliminated in May. You were a party that promised so much but have expensively delivered so so little.
I don't imagine this will get published, ah well. I'm voting Green in May, voted SSP the last time around.
Anonymous
It's unfortunate that you feel this way- I'm happy to stand by our record - we made promises in 2003 and delivered on them. The SSP has presented more bills - pro rata - than any other party in the parliament. The Greens, incidently, have not presented one single bill in the past 8 years.
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