This page lists individuals and organisations who publicly expressed an opinion regarding the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
Not all of the individuals listed were able to vote in the referendum, even some of those with a Scottish background.
Against independence Political parties Registered political parties Britannica Conservative Party Scottish Conservatives Labour Party Liberal Democrats
Non-participant political parties Alliance for Workers' Liberty Britain First British National Party Communist Party of Britain Respect Party Socialist Equality Party UK Independence Party Workers' Revolutionary Party
Campaigning groups and individuals The following organisations and individuals registered with the Electoral Commission as supporting a No vote. Alistair McConnachie – individual Angus MacDonald – individual Better Together, official campaign Better with Scotland Cumbria Broadband Rural and Community Projects Ltd. Ghill Donald – individual Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland Let's Stay Together No Borders Campaign Stirlingshire for No Thanks The Scottish Research Society Tony George Stevenson – individual WFS2014 Ltd
Publications Newspapers
Magazines The Economist (UK-wide) The Spectator (UK-wide)
Businesses BAE Systems, defence contractor. BP, oil and gas company. William Grant & Sons, distillers.
Trade unions Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF). Communication Workers Union. Community. GMB – trade union Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW).
Other organisations Academics Together. Business Together. Forces Together. Lawyers Together. LGBT Together. NHS Together. Rural Together. Women Together. Work Together.
Individuals Politicians Contested elections with Scotland
Within the rest of the United Kingdom
International
Business people
Actors
Musicians
Sportspeople
Writers and academics
Other public figures
For independence Political parties Registered political parties Scottish Greens Scottish National Party Scottish Socialist Party Solidarity
Non-participant political parties English Democrats Green Party of England and Wales Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) Socialist Party of England and Wales
Campaigning groups and individuals The following groups and individuals registered with the Electoral Commission as supporting a Yes vote. 1001 Campaign Business for Scotland, a business-oriented campaign. Christians for Independence Farming 4 Yes Generation Yes Labour for Independence, members of the Scottish Labour Party who support independence. National Collective Radical Independence Campaign Sarah-Louise Bailey-Kelly – individual Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Scottish Independence Convention Spirit of Independence Wealthy Nation Wings Over Scotland, a political website. Women for Independence Yes Scotland, official campaign.
Publications Newspapers Sunday Herald Scots Independent
Trade unions Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife, Falkirk and Stirling branch of the Communications Workers Union (CWU). Prison Officers Association, Scotland area. National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Scotland area.
Other organisations Academics for Yes. Lawyers for Yes Scottish Secular Society
Individuals Politicians Contested elections with Scotland
Within the rest of the United Kingdom
International
Artur Mas, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia. Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska.
Bernard Drainville, Member of the National Assembly of Quebec
Business people
Actors
Musicians
Sportspeople
Writers and academics
Other public figures
Officially endorse neither side After the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) attempted to register with the Electoral Commission as a group supporting a "no" vote in the referendum, several organisations resigned or suspended their membership of the CBI in order to maintain their neutrality. The CBI had its registration annulled, with its director saying that the attempt to register had given the misleading impression that it was a political entity.
Political parties Socialist Party of Great Britain
Publications Newspapers Daily Record (Scotland) Sunday Mail (Scotland) The Independent on Sunday (UK-wide) The Observer (UK-wide) The Scottish Sun (Scotland)
Trade unions Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Unite VoiceVoice "neutral" in Scottish independence debate , Politics.co.uk
Businesses
Other organisations
Individuals
Other opinions A compilation of "doubters" by Better Together and journalist Simon Johnson was published by the Daily Telegraph on 24 March 2014. It listed individuals and organisations who have raised concerns about Scottish independence, although they have not necessarily expressed outright opposition. During the financial reporting season in early 2014, several companies (including Aggreko, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, Standard Life, Royal Bank of Scotland, Macfarlane Group and Breedon Aggregates) listed Scottish independence as an issue in their risk management sections.
Businessmen, including Sir Tom Hunter and Sir Tom Farmer, called for more clarity in the referendum debate to best make a decision.
In 2012, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) published a report called A Just Scotland, which laid out "challenges for both sides of the debate", in particular calling on Better Together to "outline a practical vision of how social and economic justice can be achieved within the union". The STUC had previously refused an offer to join the Better Together campaign.
References