Scottish independence: Fringe comic airs views

Comedian Lee Nelson launches a hot air blimp promoting the Union in Edinburgh. Picture: Fraser Bremner

• Stand-up comedian Lee Nelson launches hot air blimp bearing an anti-independence slogan

•“Scottish Independence? You’ll Regret It When You’re Sober” was written on the blimp

Simon Brodkin, whose alter ego is the star of BBC3’s Lee Nelson’s Well Funny People, released a balloon bearing the words “Scottish Independence? You’ll Regret It When You’re Sober” in the city’s George Square, where he is performing his UK Unity show at the Assembly venue.

The stunt prompted fierce debate on Twitter, with some users attacking the comedian’s venture into Scottish politics.

Richie Patton wrote: “I don’t mind people poking fun at Scotland at the festival. All for it. Just make sure it’s actually funny. Lee Nelson is not funny”.

Paul McQuaid wrote: “We can officially class Lee Nelson as an airborne toxic event, right?”

Owen O’Donnell took a similarly hard view. He wrote: “‘You’ll regret it when you’re sober’ - Lee Nelson on Scottish independence. No one’s laughing, just like your godawful sketch show.”

And blogger Michael Gray wrote: “Lee Nelson stunt an example of highlighting Scottish flaws & predicting failure.”

However other Twitter users delighted in the outrage.

James Millar tweeted that “Lee Nelson is not funny. The reaction of po-faced nationalists to his balloon stunt is,”

But blogger Andrew Smith pinpointed the effect of the stunt, tweeting: “I’ve now heard of Lee Nelson when I hadn’t 10 mins ago. This is proof that promotional stunts work.”