+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Sean Connery Is Mysteriously Absent From The Scottish Independence Campaign Even Though He Once Bankrolled It

Sep 16, 2014, 22:50 IST

YouTue/RoboDanConnery is probably the Yes campaign's most famous backer.

There are a lot of questions still surrounding the Scottish independence referendum. What currency would the new country use? Would it be able to join the European Union?

Advertisement


But there's an even more important question: why isn't the pro-independence movement using the most famous James Bond actor ever in its campaigns?

For decades, Sean Connery has been the Scottish National Party's Dr. Yes. In their book on the SNP, James Mitchell, Lynn Bennie and Rob Johns say that world-famous actor was the party's "main donor" in the 1990s, long before the nationalists were racking up major election wins.

The James Bond star is probably the most famous independence supporter in the world, but has stayed out of the referendum debate almost completely.

No speeches, no engagements, and few public declarations.

Advertisement

In 2011, a poll named Connery as the country's "greatest living national treasure." So why the no-show? Wouldn't the Yes campaign benefit from such an authoritative voice, a last-minute intervention on Scottish soil, to swing the ballot for Yes?

His younger brother thinks not.

Neil Connery told the Edinburgh Evening News: "There's only a certain amount of days Sean can be in the country for tax reasons, so I know that he intends to use them wisely."

The superstar hasn't't been involved closely in the referendum for the same reason that he can't actually vote on Thursday: Connery is domiciled in the Bahamas.

There were suggestions that Connery would assume a much more active role in the referendum as recently as last month, suggesting that the actor was ill. But his brother also said that wasn't true.

Advertisement

"Last I heard from him he was in New York. He's probably in better health than me!"

So absent a last minute flight into his native country, it looks like Scottish independence's most famous and deep-pocketed supporter will be watching Thursday's vote from Nassau with love.

Here's an old video from 1999 of Connery using his Whisky-heather tones to stump for a Scottish parliament:

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article