Film star Sean Connery yesterday gave a boost to the Scottish National Party and the press a tongue-lashing at a rally in Edinburgh.
Connery (68) was given a rapturous ovation by more than 300 party members.
After being introduced by party leader Mr Alex Salmond, he said: "Scotland should be nothing less than equal with all the other nations of the world."
But the Bond star also used his speech to make a blistering attack on the Scottish press.
Mr Connery said: "Fellow members of the SNP, and members of the press:
"Let us understand something. I am not a politician and I have no intention of being one. I am reading this only because I have not been able to trust my emotions or my language; because I have never in my life witnessed or experienced such shameful abuse by these Scottish media. I am ashamed of it and I am angry. I know the game was to provoke me. Well, you succeeded."
Mr Connery went on: "I want to correct a repeated - how should I put this - inaccuracy which reappeared today in the press claiming that I had not done a film in the UK in 25 years. In fact, three of my last films were shot in the UK."
Mr Connery said: "When I campaigned with Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats - there were no Tories, of course - for the referendum vote there was a spirit and a positive enthusiasm. "Well, the control freaks have blown it away. They have replaced it with fear and intimidation, the very same way that others have before them."
He continued: "We have waited nearly 300 years, my hope is that it [the parliament] will evolve with dignity and integrity and it will truly reflect the new voice of Scotland."
The invitation-only rally for 300 nationalist faithful came as opinion polls showed little sign of the party stopping its dramatic slide.
But Mr Salmond said the polls were showing the tide was turning. He declared: "We will barnstorm Scotland over the next 10 days, taking our positive policies directly to the people. Scotland's party can and must win the Scottish election because we can and must win the key arguments in this campaign."
Mr Salmond insisted they would win on May 6th because they were right on the key issues.