The Story INVESTIGATION: How the SNP spends billions ‘to buy loyalty from charities’
Apr 2, 2026
Dan Sanderson, Scottish political editor at The Times, explains how charity funding can shape debate in Scotland. He outlines investigations into charities fearing funding loss, examples where funding influenced policy, tensions over gender self-ID and rape crisis organisations, and how funding links charities to government boards and influence.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Charity Chair Forced To Resign After Funding Threat
- Sarah Pedersen stepped down as chair after the charity's HQ warned funding might be pulled because of social media posts.
- A dossier of tweets triggered pressure from Edinburgh and Sarah resigned to avoid the branch losing government money.
Government Requests Create A Powerful Implied Obligation
- The Scottish government routinely asks friendly charities to publicly back controversial policies, creating implied obligation.
- Alec Neill (former SNP minister) told Dan Sanderson this tactic pressures funded bodies to 'fall into line' without explicit threats.
Scotland's Charities Are Unusually Dependent On Government
- Scottish charities rely far more on government funding than in England and Wales, making them financially dependent on the state.
- Dan Sanderson found 47% of charity income in Scotland comes from government grants/contracts versus 24% in England and Wales.