A member of a white supremacist fight club who posed with weapons and performed the Nazi salute is an activist with a fringe political party whose leader has spoken at Scottish independence rallies, The Ferret can reveal.
Stirling-based Shaun Caldwell, also known as Shaun McAlonan, was pictured campaigning alongside the leader of Sovereignty, a small pro-independence, anti-European Union party, during the 2024 general election.
In 2022, The Ferret exposed Caldwell’s racist, anti-semitic and anti-LGBT+ views, along with images of his weapons collection, which included a sword, a hunting knife, a club and a bow. The man also claimed to have a “militia” in the Forth Valley.
Caldwell has past links to far right extremist groups, including Patriotic Alternative. Earlier this year, research group Hope Not Hate identified him as a member of Active Club Scotland (ACS).
The white supremacist fight club has met in a Stirling gym to work out and used the recent riots in England and Northern Ireland to try and recruit new members.
But the far right activist campaigned for Sovereignty this year, plugs the party on his X account bio, and urges others to join.
A Liberal Democrat MP condemned Caldwell’s “violent and intolerant behaviour” and “extremist” views.
There is no suggestion that Sovereignty was aware of Caldwell’s history. The party said Caldwell regretted his involvement with Patriotic Alternative, denied having white supremacist beliefs, and said he was “a victim of slander”.
Sovereignty is led by David McHutchon, who has been a speaker at multiple All Under One Banner (AUOB) pro-independence rallies alongside representatives from mainstream parties such as the SNP, including at the most recent march in Bannockburn in June.
Later that month, he shared a post on X from Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a far right activist who uses the name Tommy Robinson.
When approached by The Ferret, AOUB said it had not been aware of McHutchon’s “show of support for the far right”, adding that he would be barred from speaking at future events. It urged independence supporters to attend a rally in Glasgow on 7 September opposing a “pro-UK” demo promoted by Robinson and other figures on the far right.
McHutchon stood by his post, which claimed Robinson was subjected to “psychological torture” by being kept in solitary confinement whilst in jail. The party leader said he had defended the rights of prisoners, and shared examples of other posts he made in support of the welfare of inmates.
Sovereignty’s origins
Sovereignty was founded as Restore Scotland in 2020 on the 700th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, in which Scottish nobles asked the Pope to acknowledge Scottish independence.
The party relaunched with a new name ahead of the 2022 Scottish council elections, in which it did not win any seats.
McHutchon’s party “stands for the independence of Scotland from the UK and EU; the liberty of the individual; the value and the autonomy of the family; the sanctity of human life; and, the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland,” according to the Sovereignty website.
Caldwell and McHutchon were pictured campaigning in July for the party’s Arbroath and Broughty Ferry general election candidate.
Caldwell’s far right background
In 2021, we disclosed that supporters of a far right group called Patriotic Alternative (PA) posted racist and anti-Semitic comments and disturbing images in a private chat group.
Among them was Caldwell, who The Ferret identified as an army reserve applicant.
In 2022, we revealed that Caldwell was among members of another far right chat group where users shared a bomb-making manual, quoted a mass murderer, and said members should kill “for the greater good”.
He performed the Nazi salute whilst wearing military uniforms, said he was ready for “guerilla warfare” and claimed to have a Forth Valley “militia” consisting of “ex forces” men.
He showcased a large knife he said was “for skinning game”, a sword, a bow and a club, which he said was for “when the riots come to Stirling and some commies (communists) are needing removed”.
The bow was the “next best thing to a gun”, said Caldwell, who shared an image of himself holding the weapon with the caption “oot hunting commies”.
He told fellow chat group users he was “active” in the far right group, Patriotic Alternative Scotland.
When approached by The Ferret at the time, Caldwell claimed he no longer had any involvement with the military.
‘Violent and intolerant behaviour’
Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “This kind of hateful and extremist content is appalling and should be condemned full stop.
“It represents violent and intolerant behaviour that has absolutely no place in our politics or anywhere else in our society.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said: “It is deeply concerning that an individual holding these extremist views has been campaigning in the region.
“It is equally concerning that he has close connections to the leader of Sovereignty, who has participated in AUOB events.
“AUOB marches and rallies regularly feature speakers and participants from the SNP, up to senior levels. They need to consider very carefully the company they are keeping.”
An All Under One Banner spokesperson said: “AUOB must clarify that we were unaware of McHutchon’s show of support for the far right, and now it has been brought to our attention we wish to confirm that he will not speak again at any future AUOB events.
“We thank The Ferret for bringing this matter to our attention, and we urge independence supporters to unite against fascism and stand up to racism on Saturday 7 September in Glasgow’s George Square at 12 noon.”
Sovereignty’s McHutchon said: “Sovereignty has received a comment from Shaun Caldwell in which he expresses regret over his previous association with Patriotic Alternative, repudiates the accusation that he holds white supremacist beliefs, and says he has been the victim of slander.”
McHutchon also stood by his post in defence of the treatment of Tommy Robinson.
“Solitary confinement has rightly been described as a form of psychological torture,” he said. “Except in the rare instance of an inmate who continuously resorts to violence, I find its use by the British state against prisoners to be abhorrent.
“As a civil libertarian, I have consistently spoken out about the need for the avoidance of selective prosecution, and for the UK and its allies to respect prisoners’ rights”.
McHutchon added: That the UK appears incapable of applying the law consistently and respecting detainees’ inherent human dignity only contributes to the case for Scottish independence.”
Patriotic Alternative did not respond to a request to comment.
Header images of Caldwell performing the Nazi salute and posing with a sword/club thanks to Hope Not Hate.
Sovereignty – Three guys, two women and two bairns.
This is a desperate attempt to somehow transfer the very real extreme right threat in England into Scotland based on a handful of online inadequates.