Nicholas Fairbairn
Encyclopedia
Sir
Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC
(24 December 1933 – 19 February 1995) was a British
politician
.
He was the Conservative Member of Parliament
(MP) for Kinross and Western Perthshire
, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross
, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland
from 1979 to 1982. He was noted for his criticism
of the European Union
, his outspoken manner, and his colourful dress sense.
, the psychoanalyst, who, according to Fairbairn's autobiography A Life is Too Short (1987) adopted the maternal role after his mother rejected him at birth. Fairbairn describes their relationship from when he could converse with his father, for the next twenty years until old age affected his father, like that of twins with his father treating him as "his equal and confidant". Fairbairn credited this relationship as enabling him to "withstand the trauma and rejection I felt... enabled me to feel secure for the rest of my life against any rejection or misfortune... made me profoundly in awe of father figures and left me with a consistent feeling... that I am still a child." Fairbairn also said he was named after Saint Nicholas
as he was born on Christmas
Eve.
He was educated at Loretto School
and Edinburgh University
, where he graduated with an MA and an LLB. At the age of 23, he was called to the Scots Bar.
In 1962 he also married into the Scottish aristocracy—his wife was the daughter of the 13th Lord Reay
. They divorced in 1979. He started in Conservative politics by fighting the Edinburgh Central
seat (which had been a Labour held marginal seat during the 1950s) in 1964 and 1966.
Fairbairn was Chairman of the Traverse Theatre
and of the Edinburgh Brook Advisory Centre.
. After the former Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home announced his retirement from Parliament in between the 1974 elections, Nicholas Fairbairn was selected to succeed him. In October 1974, he won the seat with a majority of just 53 votes over the then-surging Scottish National Party
.
His right-wing views endeared him to Margaret Thatcher
, and when she formed her Government after winning the 1979 election, she appointed him Solicitor-General for Scotland. On one occasion he wrote that the functions of this office were "to form a second pair of hands and often a first brain for the Lord Advocate
". At the time of the election of the 1979 Conservative Government, Fairbairn was the only Scottish QC
in the Scottish Parliamentary Conservative Party, and it is thought that, as a senior advocate of some considerable achievement in the criminal courts, he fully expected to be appointed Lord Advocate. However, his colourful opinions and reputation are thought to have impelled the then Lord Justice General, Lord Emslie
, to tell Thatcher that the Scottish judiciary and legal profession were deeply opposed to such a man as the senior law officer in Scotland. That led Thatcher to offer Fairbairn the secondary post of Solicitor-General for Scotland, and to invite the then Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, J P H Mackay QC, who was not even then a member of the Conservative Party
, to become Lord Advocate, which post he accepted. (Mackay later became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
in 1985 and Lord Chancellor
in 1987.)
Fairbairn was well known at Parliament
for his flamboyant Scottish baron
ial tartan
dress. He always carried a miniature (but fully working) silver revolver on a chain attached to his belt, and was reputedly the only MP to use the House of Commons snuff
box. He had a mistress
, Pamela Milne, who attempted suicide at his London home in 1981.
Just as it seemed he had managed to survive, a major controversy emerged in Glasgow
—a prosecution was dropped in a case involving the gang rape and mutilation of a young prostitute after doctors determined she was too traumatized to serve as a credible witness. One journalist telephoned the Solicitor-General to ask why, and Fairbairn told him. This was a major breach of protocol and Fairbairn had to resign. After a media campaign a private prosecution was brought by the victim in 1982 under ancient Scottish law. It was known as the Carol X case. All three of the perpetrators were convicted, with one sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In 1983, he was elected an honorary Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and he became a Trustee of the Royal Museums of Scotland in 1987. He was also President of the Society for the Preservation of Duddingston
Village (an eastern suburb of Edinburgh
).
Fairbairn labelled members of Throbbing Gristle
in 1976 as "wreckers of civilisation" in a row over public funding of the arts. He also criticised Scottish performers Simple Minds
and Annie Lennox
for taking part in the 1988 Wembley Stadium concert to celebrate Nelson Mandela
's 70th birthday, describing them as "left wing scum". Fairbairn was quoted: "These so-called stars like Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr are just out to line their own pockets.... and what Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr said at Wembley came out of no love for Nelson Mandela. It came from a desire to make money." Fairbairn was knighted in 1988.
Fairbairn became a marginal political figure with the departure of Margaret Thatcher in 1990. He described her successor, John Major
, as a "ventriloquist's dummy", and when asked whether he stood by the comment, said that greyness was a creeping disease in politics. He added that to call John Major "grey" would be "an insult to porridge".
In the 1992 election campaign, Sir Nicholas caused a controversy when he claimed "Under a Labour government this country would be swamped with immigrants of every colour and race on any excuse of asylum or bogus marriage or just plain deception". He further claimed that such people would be permitted to vote for the Labour-proposed Scottish Parliament
, whereas people born in Scotland who happened to live in England
would not. The former Deputy Prime Minister, Viscount Whitelaw, cancelled an engagement to speak in support of his candidacy in the marginal seat.
, after having himself appeared in 17 capital cases. He explained that "As the defending counsel, I am put on trial because, if I make a mistake, ask the wrong question or appear in the wrong way, the man may go to the trap". He was proud of obtaining two royal pardons for wrongful convictions of murder.
In October 1994, along with Alan Clark
and Edwina Currie
, he immediately told Neil Hamilton
to stand down when the Cash for questions scandal broke. Hamilton refused to do so at first, and only resigned five days after the scandal broke, when forced.
During 1994 debates regarding the age of consent in the House of Commons, Fairbairn was called to order by the Speaker
after starting a description of the mechanics of sodomy
. In the early 1970s, he was an Honorary Vice President of the lesbian and gay rights organisation, the Scottish Minorities Group (now known as Outright Scotland
).
Outside Parliament, Fairbairn was a keen painter (and was occasionally spotted drawing cartoons of other MPs during Committee sessions). He was also a gifted landscape gardener, and remodelled the crumbling Fordell Castle
into a family home. He was also a member of the Edinburgh Festival
Council and the Vice-President of the Scottish Women's Society of Artists.
and his seat was won by Roseanna Cunningham
of the Scottish National Party
(SNP).
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(24 December 1933 – 19 February 1995) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
He was the Conservative Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Kinross and Western Perthshire
Kinross and Western Perthshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Kinross and Western Perthshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1983, representing, at any one time, a seat for one Member of Parliament , elected by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:The constituency was...
, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross
Perth (UK Parliament constituency)
Perth was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1918, 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005. From 1832 to 1918 it was a burgh constituency. From 1918 to 1950, and 1997 to 2005, it was a county constituency...
, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland
Solicitor General for Scotland
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Lord Advocate, whose duty is to advise the Crown and the Scottish Government on Scots Law...
from 1979 to 1982. He was noted for his criticism
Euroscepticism
Euroscepticism is a general term used to describe criticism of the European Union , and opposition to the process of European integration, existing throughout the political spectrum. Traditionally, the main source of euroscepticism has been the notion that integration weakens the nation state...
of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, his outspoken manner, and his colourful dress sense.
Early life
Nicholas Fairbairn was the third child and second son of Ronald FairbairnRonald Fairbairn
William Ronald Dodds Fairbairn was a Scottish psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and a central figure in the development of the object relations theory of psychoanalysis.-Life:He was born in Edinburgh in 1889...
, the psychoanalyst, who, according to Fairbairn's autobiography A Life is Too Short (1987) adopted the maternal role after his mother rejected him at birth. Fairbairn describes their relationship from when he could converse with his father, for the next twenty years until old age affected his father, like that of twins with his father treating him as "his equal and confidant". Fairbairn credited this relationship as enabling him to "withstand the trauma and rejection I felt... enabled me to feel secure for the rest of my life against any rejection or misfortune... made me profoundly in awe of father figures and left me with a consistent feeling... that I am still a child." Fairbairn also said he was named after Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
as he was born on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Eve.
He was educated at Loretto School
Loretto School
Loretto School is an independent school in Scotland, founded in 1827. The campus occupies in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh.-History:Loretto was founded by the Reverend Thomas Langhorne in 1827. Langhorne came from Crosby Ravensworth, near Kirkby Stephen. The school was later taken over by his son,...
and Edinburgh University
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, where he graduated with an MA and an LLB. At the age of 23, he was called to the Scots Bar.
In 1962 he also married into the Scottish aristocracy—his wife was the daughter of the 13th Lord Reay
Lord Reay
Lord Reay, of Reay in the County of Caithness, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Lord Reay is the hereditary Clan Chief of Clan Mackay, whose lands in Strathnaver and northwest Sutherland were known as the Reay Country. The land was sold to the Earls of Sutherland in the 18th century...
. They divorced in 1979. He started in Conservative politics by fighting the Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
seat (which had been a Labour held marginal seat during the 1950s) in 1964 and 1966.
Fairbairn was Chairman of the Traverse Theatre
Traverse Theatre
The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded in 1963.The Traverse Theatre commissions and develops new plays or adaptations from contemporary playwrights. It also presents a large number of productions from visiting companies from across the UK. These include new plays,...
and of the Edinburgh Brook Advisory Centre.
Political career
In the early 1970s, Sir Nicholas' career took off. In 1972, he was appointed a Scottish Queen's CounselQueen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
. After the former Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home announced his retirement from Parliament in between the 1974 elections, Nicholas Fairbairn was selected to succeed him. In October 1974, he won the seat with a majority of just 53 votes over the then-surging Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
.
His right-wing views endeared him to Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, and when she formed her Government after winning the 1979 election, she appointed him Solicitor-General for Scotland. On one occasion he wrote that the functions of this office were "to form a second pair of hands and often a first brain for the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
". At the time of the election of the 1979 Conservative Government, Fairbairn was the only Scottish QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
in the Scottish Parliamentary Conservative Party, and it is thought that, as a senior advocate of some considerable achievement in the criminal courts, he fully expected to be appointed Lord Advocate. However, his colourful opinions and reputation are thought to have impelled the then Lord Justice General, Lord Emslie
George Emslie, Baron Emslie
George Carlyle Emslie, Baron Emslie. PC, MBE , was a Scottish judge.Educated at the High School of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow, he was commissioned in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and served in World War II in North Africa, Italy, Greece and Austria, rising to the rank of Brigade...
, to tell Thatcher that the Scottish judiciary and legal profession were deeply opposed to such a man as the senior law officer in Scotland. That led Thatcher to offer Fairbairn the secondary post of Solicitor-General for Scotland, and to invite the then Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, J P H Mackay QC, who was not even then a member of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, to become Lord Advocate, which post he accepted. (Mackay later became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom in order to exercise its judicial functions, which included acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters...
in 1985 and Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
in 1987.)
Fairbairn was well known at Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for his flamboyant Scottish baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
ial tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
dress. He always carried a miniature (but fully working) silver revolver on a chain attached to his belt, and was reputedly the only MP to use the House of Commons snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
box. He had a mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
, Pamela Milne, who attempted suicide at his London home in 1981.
Just as it seemed he had managed to survive, a major controversy emerged in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
—a prosecution was dropped in a case involving the gang rape and mutilation of a young prostitute after doctors determined she was too traumatized to serve as a credible witness. One journalist telephoned the Solicitor-General to ask why, and Fairbairn told him. This was a major breach of protocol and Fairbairn had to resign. After a media campaign a private prosecution was brought by the victim in 1982 under ancient Scottish law. It was known as the Carol X case. All three of the perpetrators were convicted, with one sentenced to 12 years in prison.
In 1983, he was elected an honorary Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and he became a Trustee of the Royal Museums of Scotland in 1987. He was also President of the Society for the Preservation of Duddingston
Duddingston
Duddingston is a former village in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, next to Holyrood Park.-Origins and etymology:The estate wherein Duddingston Village now lies was first recorded in lands granted to the Abbot of Kelso Abbey by David I of Scotland between 1136–47, and is described as stretching...
Village (an eastern suburb of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
).
Fairbairn labelled members of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions...
in 1976 as "wreckers of civilisation" in a row over public funding of the arts. He also criticised Scottish performers Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
and Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
for taking part in the 1988 Wembley Stadium concert to celebrate Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's 70th birthday, describing them as "left wing scum". Fairbairn was quoted: "These so-called stars like Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr are just out to line their own pockets.... and what Annie Lennox and Jim Kerr said at Wembley came out of no love for Nelson Mandela. It came from a desire to make money." Fairbairn was knighted in 1988.
Fairbairn became a marginal political figure with the departure of Margaret Thatcher in 1990. He described her successor, John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, as a "ventriloquist's dummy", and when asked whether he stood by the comment, said that greyness was a creeping disease in politics. He added that to call John Major "grey" would be "an insult to porridge".
In the 1992 election campaign, Sir Nicholas caused a controversy when he claimed "Under a Labour government this country would be swamped with immigrants of every colour and race on any excuse of asylum or bogus marriage or just plain deception". He further claimed that such people would be permitted to vote for the Labour-proposed Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, whereas people born in Scotland who happened to live in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
would not. The former Deputy Prime Minister, Viscount Whitelaw, cancelled an engagement to speak in support of his candidacy in the marginal seat.
Opinions
Fairbairn did however have some views that might be classed as progressive. He was fiercely and personally opposed to capital punishmentCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
, after having himself appeared in 17 capital cases. He explained that "As the defending counsel, I am put on trial because, if I make a mistake, ask the wrong question or appear in the wrong way, the man may go to the trap". He was proud of obtaining two royal pardons for wrongful convictions of murder.
In October 1994, along with Alan Clark
Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark was a British Conservative MP and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Trade, and Defence, and became a privy counsellor in 1991...
and Edwina Currie
Edwina Currie
Edwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
, he immediately told Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
to stand down when the Cash for questions scandal broke. Hamilton refused to do so at first, and only resigned five days after the scandal broke, when forced.
During 1994 debates regarding the age of consent in the House of Commons, Fairbairn was called to order by the Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
after starting a description of the mechanics of sodomy
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
. In the early 1970s, he was an Honorary Vice President of the lesbian and gay rights organisation, the Scottish Minorities Group (now known as Outright Scotland
Outright Scotland
Outright Scotland is a LGBT rights organisation based in Edinburgh, Scotland.-History:Outright Scotland began as the Scottish Minorities Group in 1969.In 1974, SMG bought the premises on Broughton Street that became the Edinburgh LGBT Centre....
).
Outside Parliament, Fairbairn was a keen painter (and was occasionally spotted drawing cartoons of other MPs during Committee sessions). He was also a gifted landscape gardener, and remodelled the crumbling Fordell Castle
Fordell Castle
Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house, located north-west of Dalgety Bay and east of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland.-History:...
into a family home. He was also a member of the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
Council and the Vice-President of the Scottish Women's Society of Artists.
Final years
He had stated that he would stand down as an MP at the next general election (which was eventually held in 1997), but the years of high living finally had taken their toll and he died in office in 1995, aged 61. This triggered a by-electionPerth and Kinross by-election, 1995
A by-election for the UK Parliament constituency of Perth and Kinross in Scotland was held on 25 May 1995, following the death of Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Fairbairn on 19 February of that year....
and his seat was won by Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham
Roseanna Cunningham is the Scottish Government's Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, having previously represented Perth.-Early life:Raised in Australia, she returned to Scotland and...
of the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
(SNP).