Brian Souter: Follow The Money

"FIRST Minister Alex Salmond is at the centre of a row over the SNP Government nominating the party’s biggest donor for a knighthood.
"Government officials recommended an honour for controversial bus tycoon Brian Souter weeks before he poured £500,000 into SNP coffers. However, a spokesman for Salmond last night insisted there was no ministerial involvement in the nomination process."

The Scottish Herald.
Hardly surprising - but how shameful the SNP is backing this bigot.
There's talk of the Scottish parliament introducing full gay marriage - "Two-thirds of Scots support gay marraige" - what will Mr Souter be telling the SNP about that?

Update: Bill Walker, an SNP MSP, has started coming out with homophobic crap in the gay marriage debate.
Maybe it's his way of saying "thank you"?

Sir Brian Souter: For Services To Homophobia

Should anyone be surprised when someone who's done some really shitty things gets a big-up in the Honours List?
Of course not - it's kinda what they're there for.
They celebrate an empire for one thing.
But still, giving Brian Souter a knighthood FFS?
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.
So who fixed it for Mr Souter to get a gong this time round?
Could it be connected to his recent £500,000 donation to the Scottish National Party?
Do tell us Alex Salmond, do tell...

Here's the hilarious official statement sent out by Brian Souter's PR people.

Quote Of The Day: Alex Salmond

“I’ve never asked Brian.”

Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, when asked by the Sunday Herald if homophobic cunt Brian Souter would approve of Salmond's (half-hearted) support for gay marriage.
Brian Souter, the multi-millionaire owner of the Stagecoach group, is currently bankrolling the SNP to the tune of £500,000.
Salmond told the Herald;
"I am [in favour].
“I’m very much against imposing it on any religion. But... if a denomination is prepared to accept gay marriage then I’m in favour of it, yes.
“My personal feeling would be to tend towards it. But we’ll put it out to consultation.”

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.