A MILLIONAIRE grocery tycoon has been given the top job at a pro-union campaign group.
David Sands, who is also a property magnate, has been appointed director at Scotland in Union following the departure of former MSP Graeme Pearson earlier this year.
Sands, 52, made up to £15m when he sold his family's 200-year-old chain of 28 grocery stores to the Co-Op in 2012, and two years later started an in-store convenience food brand called David's Kitchen.
Since launching in 2014, Sands has opened three standalone David's Kitchen stores in Falkirk, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy, has also been involved in property development and was involved with the Strathblair business advisory firm.
He said: " I am proud to be a successful Scottish businessman, and to have contributed to my country’s economy.
“But in recent years I’ve become increasingly alarmed that the SNP is willing to put the Scottish economy at so much risk.
“Businesses need a period of certainty where we can concentrate on continued economic growth to create jobs and boost government revenues.
“What we don’t need is a divisive second independence referendum and the threat of a hard border and a new currency.
“The best future for Scottish businesses is for our country to remain in the UK.
“Scotland in Union has done a fantastic job making the positive case for remaining in the UK, and with a vital few months now ahead of us I am delighted to be joining the board.”
In a blog for the pressure group, Sands said that any plans to get rid of Sterling, or the introduction of a hard border between Scotland and England in the event of independence would be hard for Scottish businesses.
He wrote: "The impact of that is weaker economic growth, fewer job opportunities, and less revenue for the government which causes deeper austerity.
"The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) this week said the SNP’s General Election pledges would lead to more austerity in a separate Scotland, and the party’s own Growth Commission admitted there would be a significant budget deficit after leaving the UK.
"When people have less money to spend, it is industries like the retail sector which are hit particularly hard.
"The best future for Scottish businesses is for our country to remain in the UK.
Alastair Cameron, founder and director of Scotland in Union, said: “I’m delighted that David has agreed to join the board, working with our excellent chief executive Pamela Nash and her team as we continue to make the positive case for staying in the UK.
“David is a hugely successful businessman who understands the risks of separation for our economy. He will help us make the strong economic arguments for remaining in the UK and we’re delighted to have him onboard.
“At the same time, we will never lose sight of the emotional case for keeping the UK together, building a successful future based on solidarity, shared prosperity and friendship.”
Last month, the pressure group came under fire from the SNP for launching a tactical voting website in an attempt to undermine the party.
The group led by former Labour MP Pamela Nash, covers every Scottish constituency and tells users who enter their postcodes which pro-union candidate they should back to avoid a local SNP victory and a “divisive” independence push.
The SNP said: “It says it all that an organisation fronted by a former Labour MP is advising its supporters to vote Tory."
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