Faslane ace card

As A member of the SNP for 48 years, I have always viewed Scotland’s defence needs from an exclusively Nationalist perspective. To me, there are three key issues to address.

Firstly, why do Scots pay some £3.5 billion every year on defence when the Irish pay just £600m?

Secondly, we don’t get our fair share of defence procurement within the UK, causing billions of pounds of Scots taxpayers’ money to drift to the south of England economy.

Thirdly, why should the Scots be paying for a free nuclear umbrella for the rich Germans and Swedes? (The Baltic states, likewise, currently get free air patrols from the Danish air force.)

I simply view Faslane as a marvellous negotiating card for Scotland. Without it costing our taxpayers a penny, it can be our contribution to the Western alliance system.

Iceland won the Cod War because it got US support due to America’s need for the Keflavik military base. Spain once gained full access for its leather goods to the US market when in conceded military base rights to the USA, some 30 years ago.

Scotland has a lot to negotiate – the return of North Sea territory ceded by the Lib-Lab coalition at Holyrood, shares of the UK national debt and much UK property, support against current Irish, Danish and Icelandic claims to Rockall.

Michael Collins accepted the treaty ports of Queenstown and Kingstown in the 1921 Irish Treaty. Indeed, up until last year, the UK government helped fund Irish lighthouses in the Republic as a military arrangement since the 1921 Treaty.

Alex Salmond created English territory in Scotland to expedite armed forces legislation under English law. The Dutch created Scottish territory for the Megrahi trial.

So why not a 49-year lease of one square mile of English territory at Faslane, with the St George’s flag flying and with the Scots getting free nuclear cover ?

At the gates, Scotland could build a hotel and interpretation centre and encourage English tourists to view the pride of their armed forces – just like the secret nuclear bunker in Fife.

Independence will be exciting. It will change us from dull provincials into nimble, imaginative internationalists as we get to play with the big boys.

Free nuclear cover, a cost-free political clout role in Western defence and money-spinning tourism thrown in. Seems good to me.

Tom Johnston

Burn View

Cumbernauld