Scottish independence referendum donors revealed

A FORMER Royal Bank of Scotland chairman, a North-East-based fisherman and a vice-president of English Premier League giants Chelsea donated a total of £130,000 to Yes and No groups, the latest figures on referendum campaign finance showed.

Picture: JP

Sir George Mathewson, who served as the Royal Bank chairman, gifted £20,000 to the official pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign, in the fourth and final reporting period for donations between 22 August and 5 September.

There was also a £100,000 donation to Yes Scotland from William Tait snr – who owns the Klondyke Fishing Company in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Chelsea vice-president Joe Hemani donated £10,000 to the anti-independence Let’s Stay Together campaign, which produced a film starring Torchwood star John Barrowman.

The overall figure for donations going back to December 2013 showed campaigners for independence have received £1,822,120 while those on the pro-union side have banked £2,742,723.

In total £4,564,843 in donations was received by some 33 non-political party registered campaigns between 18 December, 2013 and 5 September, 2014, the figures on campaign finance published by the Electoral Commission yesterday showed.

Euromillions winners Christine and Colin Weir made the biggest gifts to Yes Scotland, with two £500,000 donations. Better Together’s biggest donation was £1 million from Harry Potter author JK Rowling during the four periods.

Better Together also received £600,000 from hotel and distillery tycoon Donald Houston – the owner of the Ardnamurchan Estate.

Yes Scotland donors also included the pro-independence band The Proclaimers, who gave £10,000 to the campaign.

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