Editing Brian Souter (section)

==Political activity==

===Section 28===

[[File:Section28-cropped.jpg|thumb|[[Section 28]] protester with a [[Stagecoach Manchester]] bus in July 2000]]

In 2000, the [[Scottish Government|Scottish Executive]] proposed the abolition of [[Section 28]] laws, which forbade [[local authorities]] from "intentionally promoting [[homosexuality]]". Souter was a prominent leader of the [[Keep the Clause campaign]], which sought to prevent its abolition. In Scotland, where [[Section 28]] was known as clause 2A, Souter spent £1 million on the first privately funded postal [[referendum]] across Scotland to gauge public opinion. A spokesman for Souter stated "He is not in this for personal glory. He is fighting this battle because he is a father and committed Christian."<ref name=BBC30May2000>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/768882.stm |title=SCOTLAND &#124; Poll supports S28 retention |work=BBC News |date=30 May 2000 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref>

3,970,712 ballot papers were posted out and 31.8% valid votes were returned, a turnout rate lower than any Scottish national election. 86.8% were in favour of keeping Clause 28, 13.2% in favour of repeal.<ref name=BBC30May2000/>

Souter pointed out that the number of people who voted to keep the clause exceeded the number of votes cast for any single political party in Scotland at any election over the preceding ten years,{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} although Scottish voters usually choose from four main parties, not two options. The campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.

Souter's campaign group approached the [[Electoral Reform Society]] to organise the ballot through its ballot services subsidiary. The society refused the request as it believed the poll "would not be a legitimate democratic exercise to ask people to give an opinion on the repeal of Section 28 without knowing the detail of what would replace it".<ref name="poll">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/697348.stm |title=SCOTLAND &#124; Souter poll hits major setback |work=BBC News |date=31 March 2000 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> Many groups hostile to Souter's stance had called for a public boycott of the poll, and accordingly claimed that as only a minority voted this was a defeat for Souter and his supporters. Mainstream politicians, including the [[Scottish National Party]] (which Souter has supported) largely ignored his poll and disputed whether the result was a true reflection of public opinion, with the [[Scottish Executive]] stating that the public had been fed a diet of "misinformation and lies" by Souter's campaign group.<ref name=BBC30May2000/> The Communities Minister, [[Wendy Alexander]] MSP, criticised the poll, stating "I think what is significant about today's ballot is that two out of three voters rejected, or binned or simply ignored this glorified opinion poll."<ref name="msp2005">{{cite web |url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=246702005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050313164848/http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=246702005 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 March 2005 |title=Keep the Clause: the legacy - News - Scotsman.com |publisher=Scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com |date=6 March 2005 |access-date=5 February 2012 }}</ref> Gay rights campaigner [[Peter Tatchell]] stated that "Brian Souter's support for Section 28 is the moral equivalent of the business-funded campaign to maintain racial segregation in the Deep South of the USA in the 1950s." Tatchell said that Souter's campaign was "hateful" and that it is clear that he was using his vast fortune to try to keep a cruel and "bigoted law" intact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/section28/souter.htm |title=Think Again, Brian Souter |publisher=Peter Tatchell |date=16 January 2000 |access-date=5 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809141151/http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/section28/souter.htm |archive-date=9 August 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

===Donations to SNP and other political parties===

Souter was a major financial supporter of the [[Scottish National Party]] (SNP). In March 2007, he donated £500,000, citing an imbalance of funding within Scottish politics.<ref name=snpdonation>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6462119.stm |title=UK &#124; Scotland &#124; Stagecoach tycoon donates to SNP |work=BBC News |date=17 March 2007 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> He stated that it was his intention to redress an imbalance in funding: "as long as I can remember, the case for the union has been hugely financed by cash from London, while the case for independence has lacked resources. I hope my donation will help redress this imbalance".<ref name=herald>{{cite web |author=Paul Hutcheon |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/souter-jumps-back-on-snp-bandwagon-with-pound-1-2-m-donation-1.827366 |title=Souter jumps back on SNP bandwagon with £1/2 m donation |publisher=Herald |date=17 March 2007 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> Following the donation, SNP leader [[Alex Salmond]] was criticised for "pandering to homophobia" by accepting the donation.<ref name=herald/> Salmond thanked Souter for his support, calling him "one of the outstanding entrepreneurs of his generation".<ref name=herald/> One month later, in April 2007, the SNP's commitment (made at the party's 2006 conference) to re-regulate the bus network was dropped from the 2007 manifesto, although the SNP denied any direct link.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=539&id=621242007 |title=SNP under attack after bus U-turn - Edinburgh, East & Fife - Scotsman.com |publisher=Business.scotsman.com |date=23 April 2007 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref>

In February 2011 Souter again pledged financial support for the SNP, promising to match every pound they raised with a donation of up to £500,000. Announcing his support he said Salmond and the SNP deserved a second term in office.<ref name=scotlandonsunday>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/163_500_000_war_chest_for_alex_salmond_1_1493699 |title=£500,000 war chest for Alex Salmond - News |publisher=Scotsman.com |date=12 February 2011 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="Brian Souter Video Announcement">{{cite web|url=http://www.briansouter.com/brian-souter-news/brian-souter-announces-his-n10148-s11.aspx |title=Brian Souter Announces His Donation To The SNP |publisher=Briansouter.com |date=13 February 2011 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref> The SNP won a resounding victory in the election with Salmond being returned unopposed as First Minister.<ref name=snp>{{cite news|last=Black |first=Andrew |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13426524 |title=BBC News - SNP leader Alex Salmond re-elected as first minister |website=bbc.co.uk |date=18 May 2011 |access-date=5 February 2012}}</ref>

The [[BBC]] reported in August 2014 that Souter had donated £1 million to the campaign for [[Scottish independence]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-28774942|title=BBC News - Scottish independence: Sir Brian Souter donates £1m to SNP|work=BBC News|date=13 August 2014 |access-date=3 November 2014}}</ref> Since Nicola Sturgeon became SNP leader in November 2014, Souter has made no further donation, but in December 2014 he gave £3,500 to the [[Lewes (UK Parliament constituency)|Lewes]] branch of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14846292.major-snp-backer-sir-brian-souter-has-not-donated-to-the-party-under-sturgeon/ |title=Major SNP backer Sir Brian Souter has not donated to the party under Sturgeon |author=Paul Hutcheon |date=6 November 2016 |newspaper= Herald |access-date=2 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/150330/150330.pdf|title=The Register of Members' Financial Interests: Session 2014-15: Norman Baker|publisher=House of Commons|access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref>

In 2023, Souter aided Humza Yousaf’s government to organise a dinner between government and businesses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-04 |title=Scotland’s ruling SNP woos tycoon who shunned Nicola Sturgeon |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/scotlands-ruling-snp-woos-controversial-tycoon-who-shunned-nicola-sturgeon/ |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref> [[Patrick Harvie]], the [[Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights|Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights]] stated "what has to be really, really clear is that not just my party, but the Scottish Government, does not share the values of Brian Souter.".<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCall |first=Chris |date=2024-01-06 |title=Brian Souter blasted by Government minister over 'vile' Keep the Clause campaign |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/brian-souter-blasted-scottish-government-31815294 |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=Daily Record |language=en}}</ref>