Sean Connery: It's Unfair

Scottish actor Sir Sean Connery accused the Labor Party government on Sunday of deliberately supporting legislation that blocks him from making donations to a rival political party.

Writing in several Sunday newspapers, Connery claimed the new legislation was created, in part, to prevent him from giving money to the Scottish National Party, the second-largest party in the new Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish National Party, which has 35 seats compared to 56 for the Labor Party, supports a gradual move toward Scottish independence from Britain, and counts Connery as one of its star supporters.

But under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act, Connery would be prevented from making political donations because he is based in the Bahamas. Exiles who want to fund British mainland parties must have a British address and be registered to vote, according to the legislation. Parties in Northern Ireland are exempt.

"I'm a proud Scot, a freeman of my native Edinburgh and a U.K. citizen but this law treats me as a foreigner," Connery wrote in the newspapers.

"In any democracy there has to be balance. In Scotland that means the SNP need the funding to do their job."

Scottish Secretary Brian Wilson dismissed Connery's complaint.

"The idea that there should be an exemption for Sir Sean Connery, who has made a personal decision not to register to vote in British elections, is crazy," he said.

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