GORDON Brown’s think tank is to hold a pro-Union rally in Scotland next month, headlined by Labour politicians and comedian Arabella Weir.
Our Scottish Future – which was “named and shamed” last week for its dark money funding structure – will hold the rally in Edinburgh on June 1.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will join Brown as speakers at the event, as will Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
The former prime minister will use the event to call for the UK to unite to tackle “poverty, inequality, climate change, and sustained economic growth”.
Brown said ahead of the rally: “In our politics, people are looking for a hopeful message which shows how Scotland and the UK can work together.
“There are many things we are divided about as a country, whether it’s over culture, the constitution, or on the economy.
“But we can all unite around a mission to change the UK and tackle the great challenges of the 21st century – poverty, inequality, climate change, and sustained economic growth.”
The Welsh Labour leader, Drakeford, has given a slightly different line, calling for the four nations of the UK to be treated as “equals”.
The Welsh First Minister (above) said: “The current Union of the United Kingdom isn’t working for people in any part of this country we are proud to call home.
“We need a new, strengthened Union, which guarantees that no-one will find themselves unable to eat or relying on a food bank, facing old age or illness at the margins of society.
“A Union which offers strong devolution for all parts of the UK, a Union where all four nations are treated as equals.”
And Burnham complained that northern English communities are suffering due to power being concentrated in the south of that country.
Calling for further devolution, the Greater Manchester mayor said: “Places in all parts of the UK should have the ability to build a better future from the bottom up and collaborate with neighbours.
“The creation of mayoral combined authorities in England is enabling places like Greater Manchester to begin to chart our own destiny.
“But whilst devolution needs to spread throughout England, it’s also important that powers are devolved out of Holyrood and into local areas.”
Last week, the Our Scottish Future think tank was given the lowest possible rating in an audit conducted by openDemocracy.
The report read: “The organisation publishes no information on its donors and lists a firm of solicitors as its main director. This makes it impossible to know for certain who controls or funds it.”
