EDINBURGH, September 23 (RIA Novosti), Mark Hirst – The pro-independence Scottish National Party has experienced a massive surge in membership only days after Scottish voters failed to support independence in a referendum held September 18, making it the third largest political party in the whole of the UK.
"Scotland's referendum was an incredible triumph of democracy and the new wave of democratic engagement and activism the Yes campaign inspired shows no signs of stopping," Derek Mackay, a SNP Member of the Scottish Parliament said in a statement Tuesday.
Other pro-independence political parties including the Greens and the Scottish Socialist Party have also reported significant increases in membership following the referendum in which 55 percent of Scots voted to stay within the United Kingdom.
Last week the SNP's membership numbered 26,000. By now it has risen to over 47,000, according to Party officials, an increase of 80 percent since last Thursday's referendum.
The UK Liberal Democrats have 44,000 members across the UK, and the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has 38,124 members.
The Scottish independence referendum took place on September 18, handing a victory to the "No" side (55.3 percent against 44.7 percent of votes). The "Yes" campaign was led by the current First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, head of the Scottish National Party that formed a majority government in the Scottish Parliament in 2011.
