Scottish Independence: Scots could call London’s bluff

A game of hard ball is under way in the build up to the referendum but all not be as clear cut as it seems, writes Tim Ripley.

The Ministry of Defence’s procurement budget is still heading in a downwards trajectory and a relocation of much of the country’s shipbuilding infrastructure south of the Border would add to the price of the Type 26 frigate and other warships.

A future Edinburgh defence secretary would have to consider putting up “tartan defence money” to buy some of the ships for the Scottish navy as part of a quid pro quo for building the ships on the Clyde. This would call the bluff of the London government who could hardly reject the offer of Scottish money to keep their prestige frigate programme afloat. By putting its own money into the project a Scottish Government would likely go a long way to overcome the negative political implications for a future London government of buying ships from yards north of the Border.

• Tim Ripley is a defence analyst.