Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s Nato U-turn is right, but Trident must stay, says Liam Fox

FORMER Conservative defence secretary Liam Fox has backed Alex Salmond’s Nato U-turn, but warns the move means the First Minister must now reassure 
allies he will keep Trident on the Clyde “for as long as it takes to move it elsewhere”.

Writing in today’s Scotsman, Dr Fox – one of the most strident supporters of the Atlantic defence alliance – says that “for probably the first time in my political career”, he is in agreement with Mr Salmond, in supporting Nato membership.

However, he argues that with Nato allies across the world now watching on, Mr Salmond has to spell out how and when the Trident nuclear submarines at Faslane would be removed. The SNP has said it will negotiate the “speediest safe transition” of the submarines from Faslane, but says the exact timetable would be a matter for negotiation.

But Dr Fox argues that the SNP should set out a “timeline” now, so that “the Scottish people and our Nato allies know exactly what they’re dealing with”.

With analysts having shown up the lack of an alternative base in the UK, the only option for Mr Salmond, he argues, would be to keep Trident at Faslane for “decades” and turn it into a British-owned base, similar to British Navy ports in operation in Cyprus.

SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson last night said this was “incompatible” with the party’s own plans to convert Faslane into a base for conventional naval forces.

Dr Fox’s comments come as Scottish Nationalists prepare to meet in Perth tomorrow ahead of a powder-keg debate at the SNP annual conference on Friday, when Mr Salmond and Mr Robertson will urge delegates to back Nato membership.

The pair say it is a necessary diplomatic and security move, but have sought to reassure anti-nuclear activists by making it conditional on “an agreement that Scotland will not host 
nuclear weapons”.

However, with all of the UK’s nuclear warheads based at Coulport, and with defence analysts warning of the impossibility of moving them elsewhere quickly, those experts have warned Scotland would likely come under huge pressure from the UK and other Nato allies to keep the weapons at Faslane.

Dr Fox uses his article to support Mr Robertson’s claim that an independent Scotland should be in Nato. He writes: “There is simply no way the SNP can continue with a defence policy that argues an independent Scotland could not be part of Nato.”

Leaving the alliance after independence would be like “leaving the pub before your turn to buy the round” he adds.

However, he notes that membership of Nato “means that you agree to nuclear weapons being the ultimate insurance of your sovereignty”. Consequently, he argues that if the SNP backs Nato, Mr Salmond has to explain how moves to remove Trident would not trip up the military alliance’s objectives.

He writes: “A Scottish constitution that outlaws nuclear weapons on Scottish soil threatens the UK’s nuclear contribution to Nato. Mr Salmond may be promising the removal of our nuclear weapons from Faslane, but he does so without consulting any of our Nato allies.”

Under independence, he adds: “Trident will have to leave, but Salmond needs to start explaining a timeline for that, so that the Scottish people and our Nato allies know exactly what they’re dealing with.

“He knows removing Trident immediately will be impossible and he knows he’ll need to negotiate a sovereign base area solution with London that will last for decades while another nuclear base is built elsewhere.”

Such a solution would copy the arrangement in Cyprus, where two sovereign base areas remained after the country’s independence in 1960.

Dr Fox warns that Nato members in “Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Oslo” will be watching on this week to see whether Mr 
Salmond is prepared to set out a clear plan.

The warning that an independent Scotland would have to keep Trident for “decades” was supported by leading 
defence analyst Professor Malcolm Chalmers, director of the Royal United Services Institute.

He said last night: “I don’t think the SNP would have to agree to keep Trident for ever. But, if they want a post-referendum agreement with the UK, then they would probably need to agree to allow London enough time to plan and build alternative facilities.”

A motion in the name of Mr Robertson, to be voted on this week, states an SNP government would “negotiate the speediest safe transition of the nuclear fleet from Faslane which will be replaced by conventional naval forces”.

He said last night: “The removal of Trident is a key priority for the SNP.”

On Dr Fox’s claim that Faslane would become a British base area, he added: “It is an incompatible suggestion.”