Controversial tycoon asked to ‘nudge people’ to SNP event

Humza Yousaf 's top aide asked a controversial business tycoon and former SNP donor to help arrange a business dinner at a five-star hotel.

Colin Mcallister, the First Minister' s chief of staff, requested Brian S outer" nudge people" about the event at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.

Mr Souter, the co-founder of Stage coach, gave more than £2.5 million to th es np between 2007 and 2014. However, his donations ceased after Nicola Sturgeon took over the party.

Mr Souter is a controversial figure due to his socially conservative views. In 2000, he opposed efforts to reverse a ban on the promotion of homosexuality in schools.

News of his exchanges with Mr Yousaf 's team will be deeply uncomfortable for the Scottish Greens, who have a power-sharing relationship with the SNP.

In 2011, Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, whoi snow a Scottishgovernment minister, said: "The campaign against so uter' s bigoted agenda inspired me to get into politics, and any principled party would have told him where to stuff his money."

Mr Yousaf emphasised his commitment to LGBT rights during the SNP leadership contest last year, where he sought to differentiate himself from his rival kate forbes and her socially conservative religious views.

Emails released under Freedom of Information laws to the website politicos how exchangesbetween mrmc al lister and a representative of Mr Souter last summer.

Mr Mcallister suggested a list of potential attendees and said the businessman had “offered to reach out to some people” regarding the dinner. “I will leave it to you guys to judge who that might be, but we would be very grateful if he could nudge people as he feels appropriate,” the chief of staff added.

Mr Souter's aide replied: “Brian is fine with reaching out to people once we have the date in the diary."

A "business leaders’ dinner" took place at Prestonfield on July 27, and was attended by both Mr Yousaf and Neil Gray, a senior SNP minister.

The scottish government told Politico that“ministers routinely engage with a wide range of business leaders as a normal part of government", and added Mr Yousaf “has been clear since taking office that resetting the relationship between government and business is a priority”.