Is this what democracy looks like? Report in the Telegraph re pressure on businesses not to voice support for the Union:
Sir Peter Housden, the permanent secretary of the Scottish government, contacted organisations that were seen to favour the Union and told them to “keep out” of the debate.
One person, who received a telephone call from the civil servant, said Sir Peter warned that it was “inappropriate” to get involved. A second person said Sir Peter had “torn strips” off him after he raised questions about independence.
One of the business figures who spoke to this newspaper about the intimidation said they also received a telephone call from John Swinney, the finance and public services minister, who requested that they distance themselves from discussions.
The second executive compared the mandarin’s actions to behaviour of the “school bully”.
He said he felt it was “inappropriate” for the civil servant to contact organisations to “rebuke” them for their concerns about independence.
Several people have claimed to have received intimidating phone calls or behaviour from the SNP or the “Yes” campaign.
One businessman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had felt pressurised on two occasions.
After hosting a small unionist lunch at the start of the year, he was contacted by Mr Pyle, who asked if he would organise a similar event for them.
The businessman added: “About two or three days later, I got a note saying, 'would you like to come to a dinner Mr Salmond is holding and perhaps you might bring two or three of the people that were with you the other night?’
“He said, 'We know you were at the dinner’ and I thought that was a bit odd. It felt like Big Brother.”
Another businessman said that he felt “intimidated” by the SNP after attending an event in 2012 where he had been involved in a “very factual discussion” about Scotland’s trading opportunities.
Some companies have felt intimidated by SNP councillors. One businessman, who is based in north-east Scotland, said a local SNP councillor warned him “I hope you will be voting the right way”, as they discussed a potential building project earlier this year.
The alleged tactics have not worked on everyone. Charles Ritchie, who runs Score Plc, which provides engineering services to oil, gas and nuclear firms, has openly supported the “No” campaign despite receiving threats.
In the past two months, his company has received two devices in the post that were made to look like bombs and one live bullet in a box of matches.