Scottish independence: US debates UK break-up
Scottish plans to discard Trident has raised concerns in the US. Picture: Getty
ALEX Salmond’s plans to remove Trident submarines from Scottish waters and pull out from NATO are to be raised in the US, in a fresh sign of the global ramifications of Scotland’s independence referendum.
The issues will be discussed next month in Washington at a Friends of Scotland caucus, which includes 66 congressmen and senators.
Organisers say senior US politicians are only just beginning to examine the implications for America if Scotland was to become independent and the UK to break up.
Senior defence figures have now questioned whether the UK could continue to have nuclear weapons, currently based at Faslane, if an independent Scotland insisted they be removed, because of the cost of finding and maintaining a new base. On NATO, independence would have a further impact on the US as the SNP says it wants Scotland to pull out of the transatlantic alliance.
On the economy, organisers suggest that the break-up of the UK could shake markets across the world.
The event, entitled Political and Economic Implications for the United States Should Scotland Leave the United Kingdom to Become an Independent Nation, will set out the key US interests.
“The geopolitical ramifications on US foreign and economic policy, and the impact on our national security strategy of an independent Scotland have not been well aired in the USA,” an advance notice states. “Before coming to power, the Scottish National Party long called for a neutral Scotland, on the model of the Republic of Ireland, to include Scottish withdrawal from NATO and the removal of nuclear submarines from their base at Faslane, in western Scotland. What would be the impact for the US if these things were to happen?”
The notice also says that the impact on global markets of a break-up of the UK could be “quite destabilising, with ripple effects on the American economy. Few Scottish-Americans have publicly focused on these aspects”.
The event, on March 28 – which will be kicked off by a video address from Alex Salmond – is organised by the US National Capital Tartan Day Committee. Its chairman Robert Murdoch, a noted Pittsburgh lawyer, will be one of the speakers.
Murdoch said last night: “This symposium will be useful for an exchange of ideas on the issues surrounding independence. Will there be a Scottish pound and an English pound, for example. My gut feeling is that independence will not happen. But if Scotland were to vote for independence, it could ultimately strengthen the ties with the US.”
Last week the first signs of US concern over independence came in a report written by a veteran US Congressional defence analyst, Robert L Goldich, which suggested that Scottish independence “might not be too good” for American defence and foreign investment.
Goldich raised questions over how much Scotland would cooperate with Nato; the armed forces, intelligence and antiterrorism services of “a truncated United Kingdom”; as well as those in other western democracies, including the US.
A spokesman for External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Our international friends are watching the debate on Scotland’s future keenly, and those in the US can be sure that an independent Scotland will continue the strong and longstanding bonds of friendship and cooperation between our nations.”
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said: “A separate Scotland would need to have thousands of discussions with hundreds of countries to establish even the most basic of formal relations. The UK’s longstanding relations are already working for Scotland across the globe.”
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Comments
There are 142 comments to this article
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jock in the box
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 05:58 PM131 You seem to overlook what is obviously the case.Scotland will ONLY be a member of the EU if the terms offered are deemed acceptable to us. It is as possible that we would be offered terms which we accept, as we are offered terms which we reject,so we will NOT be disadvantaged by EU membership...................because we will only be a member where it suits our purpose, and we gain at least enough to make it worth while retaining an involvement. Fishing is an important industry to Scotland, and the EU will either recognise this..............or we may tell them we cannot accept these terms .We may decide to join a Nordic alliance instead for all I know. Until the terms on offer are known, we cannot say whether we will even wish to stay or not with certainty,although I agree we probably will do so, but its hard to see how we can possibly be disadvantaged when we dont need to stay !
Electric Hermit
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 12:08 AM133 Anagach, look outside your UK bubble and you will see your UK forces make up a small proportion of the mission. All of a prospective independent Scotland's allies are there. Along with those who have suffered far more than your UK has, such as Spain and Australia.
Electric Hermit
Monday, February 27, 2012 at 12:04 AMPending Moderation
Electric Hermit
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 11:54 PMComment removed by moderator
brianclark
Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 12:07 AMThe Scots would have no problems in Foreign Office Embassy sharing !!! ...........we would be made welcome in any of the joint Embassies shared by our European and Scandic cousins !!! .......And printing shiny new passports is not a problem and they will be cheaper than £72 !!!
Jimmy Fae the West
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:12 AMComment removed by moderator
Jimmy Fae the West
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:56 AMPending Moderation
Family guy
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 02:10 PMComment removed by moderator
Anagach
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:30 AM129 Simonsaid Aye some countries never learn - ye wid hae thought that they wid hae learned their lesson efter the last war when we had tae help get them oot o the grip o the Nazis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rubbish. The defense of Norway by the British was a disaster. They had to wait for the Russians to roll over central Europe and collapse the Nazi regieme.
Anagach
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 07:15 AM123 Simonsaid Pakistan is wan –the Taliban right frae the start – Iran is another ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Really. Pakistan is trying to destroy Scotland, and the Taliban and Iran. To be honest living in Scotland I had not noticed. I would have thought that you would pick the Afghans, even though they rarely ever fight more than a few miles from their homeland and are on their way to winning their 4th War against the UK. I see the parody Broons style keeps coming and going.
allymax
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 03:49 AM#120, Danielrober2; " Any relevant comment on NATO?"...................... .........................................................................................NO TA.
Simonsaid
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 10:27 PM#130Ron Greer - The fact that you are seriously suggesting that I’m suggesting anything of the sort means that you have not properly read my post – not that I blame you as I get bored reading them myself. ======================================================= As for fish stocks that is one of the reasons Norway decided against joining the EU. The fact that the UK did join and are now not in control of its fish stocks is testament to the fact that we should never have joined in the first place. Salmond is so full of his own importance that it blinds him to the fact that if the UK is powerless in the EU Scotland would be legless and that’s withoot even having touching a dram
Ron Greer
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:49 PM129----Are you seriously suggesting that all the smaller nations of Europe should become integral parts of Germany, France,or England, just so that they can get a veto at the UN!? I'm not a member of the SNP and so non- membership of NATO is not an issue for me. I 'd be quite happy for Scotland to deal with its fish stocks with Europe on a similar basis to Norway.
Simonsaid
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:40 PMRon Greer ---. You won't find any Tridents in the Oslofjord. ======================================================= Aye some countries never learn - ye wid hae thought that they wid hae learned their lesson efter the last war when we had tae help get them oot o the grip o the Nazis - Still, at least they hiv got NATO tae fall back on should they need it - unlike an independent Scotland who wull hiv tae rely on Salmond-Bluff tae get us oot a bind - NAW TA!!!!!!!!!!!
all politicians are the s*me
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 09:34 PM127 Norway are a member of NATO, they also negotiate fishing quotas with the EU as 90% of their fish are caught in shared waters. As for managing without a veto, well I have managed ok without being a millionaire but would not turn it down. Of course you may decide not to join the EU, but as most trade is with them that may not be such a good idea. EFTA will be down to 3 members when Iceland joins the EU.
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