The breach of data protection laws was revealed in today's Sunday Herald [23 Sep 2012], and could theoretically result in the prosecution of its Directors including former Chancellor Alistair Darling.
The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) commented "It may be sloppy paperwork but it's still a criminal offence."
"It's a criminal offence not to notify the ICO. They [the anti-independence campaign] contacted us on July 30, confirming they needed to notify. They were sent out a pack. They need to fill in those forms and get them back to us as soon as possible. It's a criminal offence. They should have notified. They haven't done so so far."
Commenting, SNP referendum campaign co-ordinator Angus Robertson MP said:
"As a director of Better Together, Alistair Darling along with its other board members bears personal responsibility for the NO campaign's failure to comply with data protection law - an extraordinary position for the former Chancellor to find himself in. If Better Together cannot run a campaign without breaking the law, why on earth should anyone take them seriously on the issue of Scotland's constitutional future?
"The law must take its course and be applied. In the meantime, Mr Darling must make an immediate statement confirming that the NO campaign will destroy the data which it has been unlawfully gathering over the past few months - and which it may well have shared with the Tory, Labour and Lib Dem parties.
"The three anti-independence parties have serious questions to answer about how they have found themselves in the position of ganging up together in an organisation which has been caught operating outside the law."
Further information from Sunday Herald (23/9/12): http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics
