Brian Souter (born 1954 in Perth, Scotland), is a businessman and vile piece of scum, who was the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He was educated at Perth Academy and University of Dundee, before he completed training as a Chartered Accountant. Perth (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a royal burgh in central Scotland. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II  -  First Minister... Stagecoach Group plc (LSE: SGC) is a leading international transport group operating bus, train, tram, express coach and ferry operations. ... Ann Gloag is a Scottish business woman, and sister of Brian Souter. ... The University of Dundee is the principal university in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee, Scotland. ... The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) is the Scottish professional accountancy body for chartered accountants and auditors. ...

Souter has gained notoriety for being evil, his business practices, his controversial public statements, and for his attempt to block the repeal of Section 28, which is related to the intentional promotion of homosexuality by local authorities in the United Kingdom. Ian McKellen with Michael Cashman at the 1988 Gay Rights March on Manchester in protest against Section 28. ... There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ...

His company, Stagecoach has also put into operation a commuter service from Fife to Edinburgh using Hovercraft across the River Forth.

Political Activities

He was a campaigner against the repeal of Section 2A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1986 (incorporating Section 28, the provision for England and Wales), donating up to £1 million to fund a postal ballot poll to obtain public opinion regarding this issue.^[1][2] His campaign group approached the Electoral Reform Society to organise the ballot through its ballot services subsidiary. The society refused the request as it believed the poll "would not be a legitimate democratic exercise to ask people to give an opinion on the repeal of Section 28 without knowing the detail of what would replace it".^[3] Ian McKellen with Michael Cashman at the 1988 Gay Rights March on Manchester in protest against Section 28. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... This article is about the country. ... In the United States, an absentee ballot is a ballot that the voter receives and (usually) sends through the mail, rather than travelling to a polling place and marking the ballot at a voting booth. ... Public Opinion is a book on media and democracy by Walter Lippmann. ... The Electoral Reform Society is a campaign group based in the UK which promotes electoral reform. ...

Gay rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, stated that "Brian Souter’s support for Section 28 is the moral equivalent of the business-funded campaign to maintain racial segregation in the Deep South of the USA in the 1950s." Although Souter himself denies that he is homophobic, Tatchell stated that Souter's campaign was "hateful" and that it is clear that Souter was using his vast fortune to try to keep a cruel and bigoted law intact. ^[4] LGBT rights Around the world By country History · Groups · Activists Declaration of Montreal Same-sex relationships Marriage · Adoption Opposition · Discrimination Violence This box:      Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-British human rights activist, who is best known internationally for his attempts to perform a citizens...

In March 2007, he donated £500 000 to the Scottish National Party, citing an imbalance of funding within Scottish politics.^[5] The Scottish National Party (SNP) (Scottish Gaelic: is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ...

Criticism of business practices

Souter's company, Stagecoach, used the tactic of running buses immediately before and after their rival's scheduled services. In Darlington, after a bid to buy the local council-owned bus operator was rejected, Souter's company provided a free bus service over that operator's network. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission stated that these practices were "predatory, deplorable and against the public interest". ^[6] Darlington, including the town clock. ... The Competition Commission (formerly the Monopolies and Mergers Commission) is an organisation that is financed by the government that investigates proposed monopolies or mergers and checks if they are in the public interest. ...

In 2007, Souter's company South West Trains (SWT) were accused of abusing their monopoly in the area by forcing excessive ticket price increases. The company were subsequently reported to the Office Of Rail Regulation.^[7] South West Trains (SWT) is a Train Operating Company operating in the United Kingdom, providing train services to the south-west of London, chiefly in Greater London and the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire (the area largely covered before 1923 by the London and South Western...

Controversial Public Statements

In 1998, Souter once described northerners (who make up a considerable proportion of his customers) as "the beer-drinking, chip-eating, council house-dwelling, Old Labour-voting masses."^[8], ^[9]

References