Winnie Ewing endorses SNP change of tack on NATO

THE SNP leadership’s bid to reverse decades of opposition to Nato membership has been boosted by the support of Winnie Ewing, the party matriarch whose victory in the 1967 Hamilton by-election is seen as a milestone in Nationalist history.

Mrs Ewing has endorsed the leadership’s attempts to set aside years of hostility towards the nuclear alliance.

In words that echo her famous victory, she said: “Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on. We want to be a force for good and support the international community. That’s why I support Nato membership on Scotland’s terms – just like Norway has achieved with its no-nuclear condition.”

The SNP leadership believes that an independent Scotland could join Nato and maintain its opposition to nuclear weapons.

Angus Robertson’s resolution to be presented to the conference today will say that an SNP government would maintain Nato membership subject to an agreement that Nato continues to respect the right of members to only take part in UN- sanctioned operations.

Labour’s shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy, however, has argued that Nato has undertaken several operations without UN sanctions, including air strikes against the military capability of the old Yugoslavia.

Mr Murphy said: “The SNP’s defence plan appears to have gone from confused to disingenuous. By potentially handing a veto over Nato humanitarian or military action to China and Russia, they could prevent the alliance from carrying out its vital work.

“Nato must be able to act, whether in self-defence or proactively protecting our interests and assets.

“The SNP want us to ignore the small print, but they are posturing in Perth.”