ONE of Scotland’s biggest Labour donors has quit the party after 30 years and endorsed Ruth Davidson as the best leader to defend the Union.
Alan Massie, an Aberdeen property tycoon who has given Labour £400,000 since 2011, also sponsored a pro-Union fringe at last week’s Scottish Tory conference in the city.
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Mr Massie last gave a recorded donation to Labour in 2016, when he backed Owen Smith’s leadership campaign against Jeremy Corbyn.
He has also backed former Scottish leaders Kezia Dugdale and Jim Murphy in the past.
His endorsement is a boost for Ms Davidson, who returned to Holyrood this week after six months on maternity leave promising to replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister.
Mr Massie told the Times: “Ruth Davidson, in terms of central, middle-of-the-road stuff is what the Labour Party should be doing but this is not what we are doing.
“I think Corbyn will sell out Scotland.
“I am impressed by Ruth and in terms of the Union, I think she is the only credible voice, because I don’t think Labour can be trusted with the Union.”
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Mr Massie, 52, a director of the developer Calton Rock, gave £13,729 worth of premises to the Better Together campaign during the independence referendum.
He said “unsupportive wreckers” were now running Labour.
Tory MSP Maurice Golden said: “Ruth Davidson has always, and will continue to, oppose another divisive independence referendum and the damage it would cause.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “There is no evidence that the people of Scotland want a second independence referendum and the next UK Labour manifesto will oppose one.”
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