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TRADE unionists have called for Stagecoach tycoon Brian Souter to be stripped of his knighthood after his firm tried to avoid paying £11million in tax .

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) also urged Nicola Sturgeon to return

£2.5million Souter has donated to the SNP.

Last month, his Stagecoach firm lost a battle with HMRC after trying to avoid £11million in tax through a complex scheme.

The TSSA have submitted a motion to the Scottish Trades Union Congress conference in Dundee this week that Souter’s

knighthood should be withdrawn.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Brian Souter should no longer be able to call himself a knight of the realm. He is no more in it together with the people of Scotland than George Osborne and David Cameron.

“Souter has shown himself to preside over a company that exist to milk profits out of those who depend on public transport to get around, and then use a tax avoidance scheme to deny the public purse of the money due.

“It is shameful and unforgivable behaviour from a major donor to the SNP.

(Image: OLIVER DIXON/IMAGEWI)

“The only way Nicola Sturgeon can ensure the SNP are not tainted by the tax avoidance of this robber baron would be to return all historic donations made by Souter to her party.”

Souter was knighted in 2011 for services to transport and the voluntary sector.

As well as donating £2.5million to the SNP, he gave £1million to the Yes side in the 2014 independence referendum campaign.

This month, Sturgeon has faced questions about Souter’s role in a £10billion investment deal between the Scottish Government and a Chinese investment group.

Souter was quoted on a website warmly welcoming the deal – even though it was not public knowledge at the time.

The First Minister insisted the agreement involved no firm proposals for Chinese investment in Scotland, but that has been contradicted by one of the deal’s key brokers.

Following last month’s legal battle over tax, Stagecoach said they had not ruled out an appeal, adding: “We believe it is right that we pay our fair share of taxes and we are committed to doing so.”

A SNP spokesman said at the time: “Like Stagecoach, we believe it is right companies pay their fair share of taxes.”