Scottish independence: Union slogan ‘already taken’

THE campaign against Scottish independence has faced calls to scrap its use of the slogan “Better Together” after it emerged that it is already the name of an NHS Scotland programme.

Better Together is described as “Scotland’s Patient Experience Programme” on its official website that talks about trying to improve services based on individual experiences of hospital and other parts of the NHS.

The news came just days after it emerged that a limited company, Better Together Ltd, has been set up, with former chancellor Alistair Darling among the directors.

The SNP accused the anti-independence campaign of “hiding behind a phrase already in use” and of copying a name that supports NHS boards, staff and patients.

SNP MSP James Dornan said that the Better Together campaign, which is due to be launched next week, was “failing at the first hurdle”.

However, the pro-independence “Yes Scotland” campaign also ran into difficulties after it emerged that a company selling bed and breakfast and hotel breaks used a similar web domain.

Scottish Labour MSP Richard Baker claimed that the SNP’s criticism of the campaign was a “boomerang attack”.