The SNP’s latest independence paper has been branded “full of contradictions and nonsense claims”. Scotland’s external affairs secretary Angus Robertson will today launch the new policy paper which covers how Scotland would represent itself on the international stage in its own right for the first time if it were to become independent.
The Scottish Govermment document says it would have a seat at the table at the UN, join the EU and be a full member of the Nato military alliance, while also removing nuclear weapons from the country.
But Pamela Nash, chief executive of Scotland in Union, said: “Just days after introducing a multi-million cut for housing, paying for yet another paper on the SNP’s constitutional obsession confirms the nationalists are completely out of touch with the people of Scotland.
“Once again, it’s clear that this latest document is full of contradictions and nonsense claims.
“As part of the UK, right now Scotland has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, is a member of the G7, and has a far greater global influence in tackling the climate emergency and promoting peace.
“For the SNP and Greens to claim a separate Scotland would join the nuclear alliance Nato and then move nuclear weapons a few hundred miles south, as well as join the EU without adopting the euro, shows they don’t understand geopolitics.
“Scotland deserves politicians who focus on the people’s priorities.”
Mr Robertson said an independent Scotland would be a “good global citizen”.
He said: “Independence would mean that Scotland gets to determine the type of nation it wants to be on the world stage.
“A nation that acts based on its values and principles, promotes human rights and development, and builds partnerships with other countries and international organisations to address global challenges.
“As an independent country, we could renew and strengthen our existing relationships on these islands and around the world – promoting peace, prosperity and climate action, as a good global citizen committed to safeguarding human rights and upholding international law and the rules-based order.
“Scotland has a long history of being an outward-looking nation and I look forward to setting out our proposals in detail.”
The paper is the latest in a series titled Building a New Scotland, which are described as forming a prospectus for an independent Scotland.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “People in Scotland want both their governments to be concentrating on the issues that matter most to them, like growing our economy, continuing to cut inflation and improving public services.
“We want to work constructively with the Scottish Government to tackle our shared challenges because that is what families and businesses in Scotland expect.
“This is not the time to be talking about distracting constitutional change.”
