Scottish independence: ‘No’ groups outspent ‘Yes’

CAMPAIGN groups opposed to Scottish independence spent more than £1 million in the final weeks of the referendum campaign - more than double the cash spent by groups backing a Yes vote.

Parties backing the Union heavily outspent those supporting independence. Picture: Malcolm McCurrach

The Let’s Stay Together celebrity campaign, backed by Simon Cowell and Davina McCall spent £133,832.

Other No backers included The No Borders Campaign which shelled out £147,510 and the Working for Scotland group shelled out £118,303, while the Orange Lodge was another big donor, spending £47,072 in the last 16 weeks of the campaign.

On the Yes side, Business for Scotland spent £143,027 trying to woo industry towards independence, while the left wing 1001 campaign spent £72,055 and comedy club impresario Tommy Sheppard, now an SNP candidate in Edinburgh, for the general election, shelled out £35,094.

A number of groups including Labour for Independence and the Scottish Jacobite Party are now facing “enforcement action” after failing to submit returns, the Electoral Commission said.

In total, campaigners for independence spent £399,405, while campaigners for a No outcome reported spending of £1,034,933

Groups which spent between £10,000 and £250,000 were required to submit spending returns to the Commission by 18 December 2015.

Reported spending by campaigners

Groups backing Yes

1001 Campaign: £72,055

Business for Scotland: £143,027

Christians for Independence: £29,248

Generation Yes: £14,065

Mr Tommy Sheppard: £35,094

National Collective: £54,849

Scottish Green Party: £13,734

Scottish Socialist Party: £12,728

Women for Independence: £24,605

Groups backing No

Better With Scotland: £47,042

Communication Workers Union (CWU): £20,437

Cumbria Broadband Rural and Community Projects Limited: £65,921

GMB: £43,835

Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland: £47,072

Let’s Stay Together: £133,832

Liberal Democrats: £187,585

Mr Angus MacDonald: £110,644

No Borders Campaign: £147,510

The Scottish Research Society: £82,202

Union of Shop, Distributive & Allied Workers (USDAW): £30,550

WFS2014 (Working for Scotland): £118,303

Total ‘Yes’: £399,405

Total ‘No’: £1,034,933

Total overall: £1,434,338