A BABY boy who was born on a Saltire flag has become one of Scotland’s youngest members of the SNP after his independence-supporting parents signed him up.

Four-year-old Charlie Burns has just signed for his membership at the SNP office in Edinburgh after his parents Carol and John Burns, from the Craigmillar area of the city, decided it was time he joined his brother Craig, nine, and sister Marilee, eight, as young nationalists.

Proud mother-of-six Carol, 45, said she was delighted that Charlie was now a member and recalled the moment he was born on Scotland’s flag at Edinburgh Royal Maternity and Simpson Memorial Hospital after his cemetery operator father John, 53, managed to place it under the newborn just in the nick of time.

The National:

The entire family have been avid readers of The National since we launched over two years ago and all three of their youngest children have their own copy of our first edition.

Carol said: “Charlie was born at Simpsons on a Saltire. We are so proud to be Scottish that we wanted him to be surrounded by the Saltire and we took photos of him on the flag in his nappy and wearing his Saltire babygrows.

“I am delighted Charlie is now a member of the SNP along with his brother Craig and sister Marilee, The other three are older now and away living their own lives. They can’t vote or anything like that but I thought it was great getting the three of them signed up. That’s five of us signed up as SNP members now.

The National:

“Charlie keeps calling Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Salmond as he’s getting the names mixed up but he’s still very young. We talk about politics a lot in the house and the kids watch the news and political programmes. We’ve sat them down and explained everything.

“They understand what they signed up for and that they are now members of the SNP. They have have met Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond.”

She said all three were featured in the Nation Decides book of Scottish referendum pictures.