Leader: It will take more than Alex Salmond’s assertions to win public trust

Published on Saturday 21 January 2012 12:16

THE SNP is far from being the only political party which, when challenged on a policy detail, resorts to the politics of assertion.

Politicians across the political spectrum are worryingly liable to adopt a position which can be summarised thus: “If I assert a thing to be so, then it is so.” However, as the intensity of debate on independence has increased, the SNP has become particularly prone to the sin of assertion, with the latest example relating to defence.

On Thursday, Alex Salmond asserted a Scottish defence force would have the same number of army, navy and RAF personnel as envisaged under the UK government’s defence review. He further asserted this force would include the elite Scots Guards and would be non-nuclear. Although delivered with his usual chutzpah, a cursory examination of this leads to the conclusion the First Minister drew up his plan on the back of a cigarette packet.

Mr Salmond’s adoption of the UK plan seems just too convenient. No further work on the policy needed? It left also him open to the charge of hypocrisy as his party campaigned against the closure of RAF bases by the UK government. In stating the Scots Guards could be part of the Scottish force, Mr Salmond betrayed a lack of military understanding. They are part of the Brigade of Guards. They could no more leave the Brigade than the Irish Guards could.

If Mr Salmond thought that he could get away with defence policy by assertion, he was deluding himself and yesterday the former Secretary General of Nato, Lord George Robertson, launched a stinging attack on SNP policy. As a former Labour Cabinet minister, Lord Robertson has a vested interest, but his criticism of the policy on the Trident nuclear defence system and Nato has validity.

It is unrealistic for the SNP to claim that, as Mr Salmond has also asserted, an independent Scotland would not have to share the costs of the removal of Trident on independence. The nuclear deterrent was put in Scotland by a UK government before the rise of the SNP. It has been backed by successive Westminster administrations and elected by UK voters, including Scots.

Lord Robertson’s criticism of the SNP policy of remaining outside Nato is also pertinent. If Scotland was not in Nato, which brings security through mutual military support, how effective would our defence be if we were threatened by another power? There are a number of countries without nuclear weapons in Nato, including Norway, and thoughtful Nationalists like justice secretary Kenny MacAskill and education secretary Michael Russell have, to their credit, recognised this.

Although they will say nothing in public, senior figures like these must know the party’s defence position leaves it vulnerable when scrutiny of plans for independence increases in the run-up to the referendum. And they must know it will take more than assertions, even by the forceful Mr Salmond, to win over a majority of the Scottish public.

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AlanB

Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:32 AM

Maybe the Scotsman should start asking the unionist parties why Scotlands economic performance within the union has been poor. Growth over 30yrs averaging less than 2% shows failure by both labour and tories. Growth trailing the uk average when the uk has not being doing aswell as most of the small north european countries. And with uk gdp per capita ranked below most of these small north european countries who also outrank the French and German economies (who are ahead of the uk one). It is pretty obvious the union has been failing Scotland economically. That the assertions from unionist politicians turned out to be untrue.. But off course when uk economic policy is to favour the south of England with the BOE running monetary policy so often to control southern inflation and destroy growth in Scotland and the north of England it is hardly surprising.

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AlanB

Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 12:26 AM

Silly article and show the desperation that is showing throughout the unionist cabal.----- George Robertson with his intervention simply made a fool of himself, with his same tired labour type insults without an coherence.------- If the Scotsman wanted to seriously report on this topic then it should also recognise there are countries that are not part of NATO. That NATO itself might not have a future given the US attitude to it in many quarter. It should also be giving information of the defence structure of other similar size north european countries. It seems more that the Scotsman article was from the back of a cigarette packet.

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saltpeter

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 03:44 PM

Scotlands forces would be as Scotland needs and Scotland does not need a nuclear deterent In any case considering recent decisions taken by the MOD I would cast doubts on their competence

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Gordon Hay

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 02:02 PM

It's not just politicians who regularly promote assertions as fact - Mr Pot meet Mr Kettle.

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americanbob

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 12:13 PM

I am astonished at this articles' assertion that the Scots Guards, "could no more leave the Brigade than the Irish Guards could"! Just because George Robertson says something does not make it true! The MoD destroyed all the individuality of the Scottish Regiments overnight with the stroke of a pen by merging them into one, (albeit with the rag of allowing them to retain part of their names as a sop!) I feel quite sure that the Scots Guards would be eliminated just as easily should Westminster wish to do so as some sort of reprisal for Scotland achieving independence!

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Back To The Future

Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 09:24 AM

Scotland's biggest problem right now is not England, it is the lack of an effective opposition. Centrist politics castrated our best thinkers and we are now paying a heavy price. A significant prize awaits the first party with sufficient bottle and ability to articulate just how naked our present "King" actually is. Until then we will remain stuck with the blind leading the blind.

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