SNP & Brian Souter: Back Of The Bus Politics

“Brian Souter is one of the outstanding entrepreneurs of his generation with a passionate belief in Scotland. This offer to match every small donation the SNP receives up to £500,000 will power our fundraising for this campaign, and double the impact of every penny put toward re-electing an SNP Government.”
Alex Salmond, SNP leader.

“The last time the SNP accepted his [Mr Souter’s] millions, they scrapped plans to help bus passengers at the expense of companies like his. The SNP must now explain why they dropped their bus policy days after getting this donation in 2007, and what they have promised now.”
John Park, Labour MSP.

“The message this sends out is that the SNP is for sale to the highest bidder, and it is no surprise that the same day they unveiled this donation they’re also on the record opposing equal marriage. Last time he gave them this much money, a long-standing commitment to improve bus services mysteriously disappeared from the SNP manifesto. I wonder what he wants this time.”
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP.

All quoted in The Times.

In 2000 Brian Souter, multi-millionaire founder and owner of the Stagecoach bus company, spent £1 million bankrolling Keep The Clause, a campaign to stop the repeal of Section 28 in Scotland.
He lost - there's an interesting retrospective on the Keep The Clause campaign from Scotland On Sunday here.
Last June, Stagecoach announced annual profits had dropped - to £130 million.