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.
The following organisations and individuals registered with the Electoral Commission as supporting a No vote. [1]
The following groups and individuals registered with the Electoral Commission as supporting a Yes vote. [1]
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. [336] The CBI had its registration annulled, [337] with its director saying that the attempt to register had given the misleading impression that it was a political entity. [338]
A compilation of "doubters" by Better Together and journalist Simon Johnson was published by the Daily Telegraph on 24 March 2014. [376] It listed individuals and organisations who have raised concerns about Scottish independence, although they have not necessarily expressed outright opposition. [376] 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. [377]
Businessmen, including Sir Tom Hunter and Sir Tom Farmer, called for more clarity in the referendum debate to best make a decision. [378]
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". [379] The STUC had previously refused an offer to join the Better Together campaign. [380]
Sir Rod previously spoke out against the idea of Scottish independence ahead of the 2014 referendum , alongside a number of British celebrities.
Max Keiser : I've got a fricking castle up there, the Maxwell clan is embedded in the history of Scotland and of course we would want independence, and I don't understand [George] Galloway's position at all.
RBS CEO Ross McEwan earlier on Thursday said the bank had to makes plans around what the implications of a "yes" vote could be, but added: "This is a huge issue for Scotland and we are neutral and won't do anything to raise the temperature of that vote."
Chief executive David Nish insisted Standard Life has "a long-standing policy of strict political neutrality and at no time will we advise people on how they should vote".