Independence: Yes camp chastises SNP over using logo

THE pro-independence campaign chairman has rebuked the SNP after it paid for and published hundreds of thousands of campaign newspapers using the Yes Scotland name and logo even though it was a party-only publication.

Picture: Jane Barlow

It uses the Yes slogan at the top of each of the eight pages of the publication and sets out reasons why Scots should vote for independence.

The only mention of the SNP is at the bottom of page seven, where there is a tiny printed reference saying the newspaper was “promoted by Peter Murrell (SNP chief executive) on behalf of the Scottish National Party”.

Scotland on Sunday has learned that the SNP by-passed Yes Scotland’s ruling body, which includes members of the Green Party and Scottish Socialists Party (SSP) when it decided to publish the party’s paper using the Yes campaign logo.

Yes Scotland chairman Dennis Canavan accepted that Scots handed the newspaper may have been misled into thinking it was publicity from the official pro-independence campaign rather than that from the SNP.

He said: “In this case, people may have got the impression that the leaflet was produced by Yes Scotland, but it certainly was not.”

An SNP spokesman said: “This newspaper is an SNP publication, and indicates that we are working extremely hard for a Yes vote next September.”