The SNP has this week seen an unprecedented surge in party
membership following David Cameron’s blundering intervention into
Scottish politics on Sunday.
Party chiefs confirmed that 784 new members had joined the SNP since last weekend, boosting party membership by 4% in just 5 days.
Following the revelation that the Tory government plan to dictate the terms of the independence referendum from London, new members have been joining the SNP at a rate of one new member every nine minutes.
At the end of 2011 the SNP announced it had a record 20,000 members. Two weeks later, the figure is touching 21,000.
One new member who tweeted that he had joined the SNP is mountaineer, journalist and presenter on the Adventure Show Cameron McNeish.
Signing up on Wednesday, Mr McNeish tweeted “I guess it's time to stand up and be counted. Just joined the #SNP”
Speaking after he joined Mr McNeish added:
"I suppose with my background in the outdoors and a love and interest in Scottish culture and music that goes way back to my youth the SNP is my natural political home, but I've become increasingly concerned with UK Governments who seem to exist for the prime reason of protecting the interests of the City of London. For some time I've felt it's time to make a stand and I feel the present administration in Scotland has shown that an SNP government is a good government.
"I don't agree with all the SNP policies but I've always felt the best way to change opinion, and maybe policies, is from within, rather than carp and whinge from outside the stockade. I'm immensely proud of my country, as I think my television programmes demonstrate. I felt it was time to do a little more to secure the future for my little granddaughters, and their children's children. And that future, as far as I'm concerned, is an independent Scotland within Europe."
SNP Business Convener Derek MacKay MSP welcomed the huge support from the public that the SNP has received this week.
Mr MacKay said:
“Cameron McNeish is one of many new members who have joined in support of their country’s future this week.
“We have been overwhelmed with the support of the people of Scotland over the last few days.
“The numbers of people going online to sign up to the SNP is simply phenomenal, one new member every nine minutes.
“David Cameron should reflect on the fact that the SNP has 800 more activists just days after his blundering intervention into Scottish politics. “Nobody cares more about Scotland's success than the people who live here. That's why they've responded in such huge numbers as they believe the decisions over our country's future should be taken by people in Scotland.”
In October the SNP set a target of doubling party membership before the referendum. The SNP’s most recent membership figures were issued on 31st December 2011 and show the SNP to have consistently increased membership, with support doubling since 2003: http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2011/dec/snp-reach-over-20000-members
Party chiefs confirmed that 784 new members had joined the SNP since last weekend, boosting party membership by 4% in just 5 days.
Following the revelation that the Tory government plan to dictate the terms of the independence referendum from London, new members have been joining the SNP at a rate of one new member every nine minutes.
At the end of 2011 the SNP announced it had a record 20,000 members. Two weeks later, the figure is touching 21,000.
One new member who tweeted that he had joined the SNP is mountaineer, journalist and presenter on the Adventure Show Cameron McNeish.
Signing up on Wednesday, Mr McNeish tweeted “I guess it's time to stand up and be counted. Just joined the #SNP”
Speaking after he joined Mr McNeish added:
"I suppose with my background in the outdoors and a love and interest in Scottish culture and music that goes way back to my youth the SNP is my natural political home, but I've become increasingly concerned with UK Governments who seem to exist for the prime reason of protecting the interests of the City of London. For some time I've felt it's time to make a stand and I feel the present administration in Scotland has shown that an SNP government is a good government.
"I don't agree with all the SNP policies but I've always felt the best way to change opinion, and maybe policies, is from within, rather than carp and whinge from outside the stockade. I'm immensely proud of my country, as I think my television programmes demonstrate. I felt it was time to do a little more to secure the future for my little granddaughters, and their children's children. And that future, as far as I'm concerned, is an independent Scotland within Europe."
Mr MacKay said:
“Cameron McNeish is one of many new members who have joined in support of their country’s future this week.
“We have been overwhelmed with the support of the people of Scotland over the last few days.
“The numbers of people going online to sign up to the SNP is simply phenomenal, one new member every nine minutes.
“David Cameron should reflect on the fact that the SNP has 800 more activists just days after his blundering intervention into Scottish politics. “Nobody cares more about Scotland's success than the people who live here. That's why they've responded in such huge numbers as they believe the decisions over our country's future should be taken by people in Scotland.”
In October the SNP set a target of doubling party membership before the referendum. The SNP’s most recent membership figures were issued on 31st December 2011 and show the SNP to have consistently increased membership, with support doubling since 2003: http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2011/dec/snp-reach-over-20000-members
