Putin will take us seriously.. without nukes
Robertson says independent Scotland would still have important role in Nato
A SENIOR SNP minister has denied that removing the UK’s nuclear deterrrent from Scotland would embolden Vladimir Putin.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson was promoting the publication of the Scottish Government’s latest paper on independence.
The report outlines how an independent Scotland would apply to join the EU and Nato and have a “clear interest in contributing to the stability and defence” of north-west Europe.
But the paper also insists that removing nuclear weapons from Royal Naval bases on the Clyde would be a top priority.
Robertson would not put a timescale on how long it would take to close down the Trident submarine bases at Faslane and Coulport.
The paper also did not provide the estimated cost of a separate Scottish defence force as well as a new Scottish “security and intelligence agency”.
The SNP MSP instead pointed to the Nato membership applications of Sweden and Finland as examples of how northern European nations are standing up to Russian aggression.
He said: “This has been thought about. This is the norm for the other northern European nations.”
He added that while the UK Government would “clearly rather not” find a replacement base for its nuclear weapons “in these circumstances, it will.” He continued: “We want nothing more and nothing less than to be good alliance partners.”
Asked how Putin would react to the removal or disruption of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Robertson said: “I think having a northern European neighbour that understands the geostrategic situation of Scotland, and has our immediate European neighbours as a priority, is one that I think Vladimir Putin, or anyone else engaged in practices detrimental to our treaty allies, would take very seriously.”
Robertson also insisted the UK was currently not doing enough in terms of defence.
He said: “The UK does not have a single conventional ocean-going naval craft based in Scotland.
“Have a look at the UK’s record in northern air police. Have a look at how it deals with incoming Russian vessels, which happens with great regularity – they have to dispatch vessels from the south coast of England.
“That’s not dealing with these challenges as seriously as they should. We do need to acknowledge there are bad actors. That’s why you’re required to have the capacity to deal with them. The UK does not, we will.”
Pressed on whether Nato would be weakened by any disruption to the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and whether it would embolden Putin as a result, he added: “I don’t think so.”
Responding to the paper, Tory MSP Craig Hoy said: “The SNP’s latest independence paper is a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money.”