Scottish independence: Call for SNP to put off divisive Nato vote as senior party MSPs speak out

THE SNP leadership is facing a call from a senior Nationalist MSP to postpone a vote on its controversial plans to ditch its anti-Nato stance, as opposition grows to the move at the start of the party’s annual 
conference.

John Wilson warned that he would 
attempt to get the proposed policy shift on the nuclear alliance put to a referendum of the SNP’s 24,000 members, rather than just a vote by conference delegates tomorrow.

Another Nationalist MSP, Marco Biagi, said the SNP was now in “danger” of 
appearing to want to change the policy it had held for four decades in order to grab votes and soften the party’s stance on independence ahead of the 2014 
referendum.

Writing in today’s Scotsman, Mr Biagi says there is a “false narrative that voting Yes means endorsing only the SNP vision of an independent Scotland”, including the leadership’s support for membership of Nato.

Many party members view membership of the alliance, which contains 
nuclear-armed forces, as being at odds with the SNP’s policy of opposition to nuclear weapons.

The SNP conference in Perth is expected to be gripped by a bitter row over Nato membership and nuclear weapons, just days after Alex Salmond signed off the agreement with David Cameron that gave legal powers to Holyrood to hold the independence referendum.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will use her opening address on the first day of the conference today to hail the historic week that saw the signing of the “Edinburgh Agreement”, which she will claim has set the scene for the SNP to “win the argument” on independence.

But the party leadership’s celebrations now risk being overshadowed by a backlash from the grassroots membership against a resolution from senior Nationalist MPs Angus Robertson and Angus MacNeil calling for the party to scrap its opposition to Nato.

Eight MSPs have signed a formal attempt to block the policy shift and amend Mr Robertson’s resolution, which states that “an independent Scotland will maintain Nato membership, subject to an agreement that Scotland will not host nuclear weapons”.

But Mr Wilson, in the most bitter internal attack on the leadership yet, said the “long-term credibility” of the SNP was at risk if the anti-Nato stance was “brushed aside”.

He issued a stark warning that Nato membership would allow the defence pact to “destabilise” any attempt by the government of an independent Scotland to scrap the Trident nuclear submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde.

He said that during tomorrow’s debate he would ask party members to suspend the vote on changing the policy and replace it with an all-member postal ballot to be held in six to 12 months.

Mr Wilson said: “I’ll ask for a suspension of the vote to allow for a more in-depth debate and for a referendum within the party.”

Meanwhile, SNP conference delegates are being urged to oppose their leadership and “not to tie the independence movement to the military aggression of Nato”, in an open letter signed by Scottish Green leader Patrick Harvie and former Scottish 
Socialist leader Colin Fox.

But Mr Robertson, in a sign of the row expected at conference, insisted that backing membership of the alliance was crucial to winning a Yes vote.

He said: “It is in Scotland’s national interest, as well as our foreign and defence policy interest to remain within Nato, as a member that does not host 
nuclear weapons.

“It is important for the Scottish public to have confidence that an SNP-led independent Scotland will have the appropriate defence and national security priorities.

“It is also essential for our neighbours and allies to understand we will live up to our mutual defence and co-operation commitments and we will be a trusted and valued full partner.”

Mr Salmond – who is due to make a welcoming address to the SNP conference today, as well as a keynote speech on Saturday – has backed the policy shift previously, explaining that “circumstances change”.

Finance secretary John Swinney, whose conference speech is scheduled for tomorrow, has also said he favours membership of Nato.

Jamie Hepburn, who is expected to move the blocking amendment tomorrow, said: “It’s going to be very close and is finely balanced.

“My position is that I’m concerned about the impact Nato membership would have on our ability to remove nuclear weapons from Scottish territory.”

Mr Biagi said: “There’s a danger of the party being seen to be taking the decision on the grounds of vote-seeking.”

Mr Wilson said an independent Scotland would be dragged into conflicts such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars against its will if it was part of Nato.

He added: “The leadership has failed to understand the deepseated opinion of many party members. The debate has been rushed into on a position the party has held for 30 years.”