Scotland in Union

Scotland in Union (SIU) is a pro-UK campaign, which launched in March 2015 to help keep Scotland within the UK. Its supporters include prominent unionists, members of pro-UK political parties, and people with no party affiliation. It is Scotland's largest and most active pro-UK campaign, with 32,000 signed up supporters.

Scotland in Union (SIU)
TypePro UK/Unionist/pressure group
HeadquartersGlasgow
Location
  • 272 Bath Street
Membership
32,000 (2020)
CEO
Pamela Nash
Websitescotlandinunion.co.uk

History

Scotland in Union launched in March 2015, with the aim of promoting Scotland's place in the UK. The group was created in the wake of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, in which 55 per cent of the electorate voted against the proposal that Scotland should become an independent country.[1] People who had supported Better Together in the 2014 referendum set up Scotland in Union as a response to the continued, high-profile push for independence by Scottish nationalists after the referendum result.

Initially, the organisation was led by its founder Alastair Cameron, a former Army captain.[1] In January 2017, Scottish Labour's former Justice spokesperson Graeme Pearson was announced as Chief Executive.[2] In August 2017, former Labour MP Pamela Nash took over the role.[3]

Campaigns

Scotland in Union (SIU) has campaigned via grassroots activities such as leafleting and street stalls, online presence, polling, and use of conventional media.

Online, SIU maintains a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed and an Instagram account.

SIU's first major campaign was to encourage tactical voting against the Scottish National Party during the 2015 general election.[4]

In 2016, SIU made their presence felt outside the SNP conference in Glasgow, unveiling a giant billboard near the venue urging Nicola Sturgeon to “change the record” on independence and rule out another vote.[5]

In 2017 in Aberdeen, again outside the SNP conference, SIU organised an advertising van with the message ‘Referendumb' that was unveiled to awaiting press as SNP members gathered for the conference.[6]

In March 2017 SIU launched #ProjectListen in Glasgow with the aim to "rally Scotland’s No voters who are angry that their 2014 vote to remain part of the UK is now being ignored."[7]

In December 2017, SIU launched a campaign and petition to save British Transport Police in Scotland and to scrap the planned merger with Police Scotland.[8]

In September 2018, SIU launched their 'Yawn' campaign. This was a campaign aimed at people who are 'tired' of the constant constitutional debate; "SNP politicians are still campaigning for an independence referendum that Scotland does not want. Tired of this?"[9]

In March 2019, SIU launched a new campaign and petition 'Save Our Pound'.[10] This was in response to a new policy adopted by the SNP to ditch the pound in an independent Scotland.[11]

In October 2019, SIU launched a new campaign highlighting 'Ten Reasons Why Scotland is Stronger in the UK'.[12]

In November 2019, SIU launched an online tactical voting guide for Scottish voters in the run up to the 2019 UK General Election. This guide suggested which party voters should vote for in their constituency if their priority was to stop the SNP.[13]

In December 2019, SIU launched an online petition urging the SNP Government to 'drop their demand' for another referendum on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom.[14]

SIU has paid for polling in Scotland on several occasions, with a particular focus on the question of whether people think Scotland should remain in the United Kingdom or leave the United Kingdom. The most recent result of this remain/ leave polling, carried out by Survation in September 2019, was: 59% remain in the UK; 41% leave the UK.[15]

In March 2020 SIU suspended all campaigning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: "All physical campaigning (e.g. leafletting, street stalls) is suspended until further notice. If you have leaflets from Scotland in Union to deliver, please refrain from doing so until we advise otherwise."[16]

During the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign group conducted their own Scotland in Union Care Calls: "Which involved calling up supporters to see how they were coping during the lockdown. If anyone needed assistance, we were able to alert or refer them to the appropriate local or national bodies. We were also able to help with delivering groceries, or picking up prescriptions, or even just a simple chat on the phone – it all makes a difference."[17]

To coincide with the annual publication of the latest official Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland figures, known as GERS, SIU introduced a new method to break down the 'UK dividend' from which Scotland benefits,[18] for local communities across Scotland.[19] In addition, SIU's Chief Executive, Pamela Nash, wrote an article in the Scotsman to highlight the benefits to Scottish public spending which come from sharing across the UK.[20]

Events

Scotland in Union has held local political and social events across Scotland. At events across the country they have been joined and supported by politicians from across the main pro-UK parties including Anas Sarwar, Christine Jardine ,[21] David Mundell ,[22] Andrew Bowie, Mike Rumbles ,[23] Jackie Baillie ,[24] Murdo Fraser, Alistair Carmichael, Johann Lamont,[25] Ian Murray, Alex Cole-Hamilton[26] and Willie Rennie[27]

Funding

Scotland in Union is funded entirely by donations from supporters.[28]

Scotland in Union's latest accounts, published on Companies House for the year to 30 November 2019, showed a surplus of £122,550, up from £62,529 for the previous year.[29]

Criticisms and controversy

In 2016, Scottish National Party MP Natalie McGarry apologised and paid compensation to Scotland in Union founder, Alastair Cameron, for falsely accusing him of being a Holocaust denier, a case of mistaken identity. Cameron announced that the compensation money would be distributed to three charities: mental health charity Combat Stress, genocide awareness charity Aegis Trust and children's charity Lumos.[30]

In December 2017, Scotland in Union reported to the police and to the Information Commissioner that they had suffered a data theft.[31] Subsequent to this incident, the Electoral Commission carried out an investigation of SIU's donations. Following the investigation, the Electoral Commission said it was “satisfied” that Scotland in Union had complied with its requirements.[32]

See also

References
  1. Johnson, Simon (March 6, 2015). "Unionists can hold back the SNP 'if they act together'" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  2. "Ex-Labour MSP takes on Scotland In Union role". HeraldScotland.
  3. "Pamela Nash to lead pro-UK Scotland in the Union campaign group". www.scotsman.com.
  4. reporter, Libby Brooks Scotland (March 5, 2015). "Scottish tactical voting campaigns launch over SNP landslide fears" – via www.theguardian.com.
  5. "Scottish independence rally planned outside SNP conference". The I.
  6. "'Referendumb' billboard unveiled by their activists as the SNP gathered for their party conference in Aberdeen". Daily Record.
  7. "Chief Executive of Scotland in Union will launch projectlisten". Facebook.
  8. "Save BTP". Scotland in Union.
  9. "Yawn campaign". Twitter.
  10. "Save Our Pound". Scotland in Union.
  11. "Keep the Pound". Scotland in union.
  12. "Ten reasons why scotland is stronger in the UK". Scotland in Union.
  13. "pro union tactical voting guide launched to thwart snp 5053534". The Scotsman.
  14. "drop indyref2". Scotland in Union.
  15. "Scottish Independence: Poll - majority of Scots will vote "remain in the UK"". Scotsman.
  16. "Statement on Covid-19". Scotland in Union.
  17. "Scotland in Union COVID-19 care calls". Scotland in Union.
  18. "UK dividend of £1,941 for every person in Scotland". GOV.UK.
  19. "UK Dividend". Scotland in Union.
  20. "Latest GERS figures will show simple truth". The Scotsman.
  21. "Scotland in Union's Glasgow Burns Supper 2020". Scotland in Union.
  22. "Scotland in Union's London Burns Supper 2020". ScotlandinUnion.
  23. "Scotland in Union's Westhill Meeting". ScotlandinUnion.
  24. "Helensburgh Scotland in Union". ScotlandinUnion.
  25. "burns night". ScotlandinUnion.
  26. "burns supper 2019". ScotlandinUnion.
  27. "Scotland in Union Twitter". Twitter.
  28. "DONATE | Scotland in Union". scotland-in-union.
  29. "Scotland in Union filing history". Companies House.
  30. "MP Natalie McGarry apologises over 'holocaust denier' tweet". BBC.
  31. "Police probe security breach at Scotland in Union campaign". HeraldScotland.
  32. "Unionist campaign cleared after probe into donations". HeraldScotland.
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