David Rollo (July 1919 – 18 September 2006) was a Scottish nationalist political activist.
Born in Springburn, North Glasgow,"David Rollo - the quiet patriot", Scots Independent, November 2006 Rollo studied at Lenzie AcademyThe Times House of Commons 1959, p.209 and played for Lenzie Rugby Club. During World War II, he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to the 6th Airborne Division, and rose to become a sergeant. They reached Wismar, which fell on 1 May 1945. In 1947, he gained admittance to the University of Glasgow to study electrical engineering and, although his time was interrupted by a year recuperating from tuberculosis, he eventually graduated BSc and spent the remainder of his career in the industry.
Rollo joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) and was elected as its treasurer in 1953/4, serving until 1967."History of the SNP In 1953 he contested Kirkintilloch 2nd Ward polling 171 votes. ", Aberdeen SNP This was a difficult time for the party's finances, and he often used his personal funds to pay the office secretary.Gordon Wilson, SNP: The Turbulent Years, 1960-1990 : a History of the Scottish National Party, p.2
Believing that the BBC was biased against Scottish nationalism, Rollo used his electrical engineering experience worked with Alvaro Rossi to build a radio transmitter which broadcast sound on the BBC Television frequency. In 1956, they used this to launch "Radio Free Scotland", based in Rollo's home town of Kirkintilloch. It broadcast a mix of political comedy and patriotic music after the BBC finished at 11p.m."Kirkintilloch ‘pirate’ was a pioneer for independence on the airwaves", Kirkintilloch Herald, 14 July 2012 Rollo stood for the party at the 1959 general election in Hamilton, by which time he was head of the SNP's broadcasting committee. After the SNP was not given the opportunity to make an election broadcast, he used the radio station to make party political broadcasts to Hamilton,Kenneth Roy, The Invisible Spirit: A Life of Post-War Scotland 1945-75 He stood but his campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, taking only 6.2% of the vote. The radio was considered a success, and he built a similar transmitter for Plaid Cymru to use for "Radio Free Wales".
Rollo stood again for the SNP in Glasgow Woodside at the 1970 general election, taking 8.4% of the vote,"UK General Election results 1970 ", Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources then in Paisley at the February, October 1974 general elections, achieving 21% and then 33% of the vote, although he was not elected."David Rollo: as his local activists knew him ", Scots Independent, 6 October 2006 He stood a final time in 1979, but his vote share fell to 15.7%."UK General Election results May 1979 ", Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources
Rollo remained active in the SNP, and in 2004 published Lockerbie: a bum rap?, exploring questions around the Lockerbie disaster."Lockerbie: a bum rap?", Airways: A Global Review of Commercial Flight, Vol. 9, pp.12, 67
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