An independent Scotland would not inherit UK military assets, the SNP’s defence spokesman said yesterday in a major policy U-turn.
It was also revealed that plans to set up a separate Scottish intelligence agency are being scrapped in favour of close working with the existing UK setup.
The Nationalists’ defence team at Westminster told a fringe event they are working on “a comprehensive, robust, costed and stress-tested defence policy for an independent Scotland”.
Although a publication timetable was not set out, major alterations to the strategy employed just three years ago were suggested.
The Scottish Government’s 2014 white paper said an independent Scotland would “inherit a share of existing UK defence assets, giving us most of the equipment we need to establish Scotland’s defence forces.”
Brendan O’Hara, the party’s defence spokesman at Westminster said the subsequent UK Government Strategic Defence and Security Review had changed the picture.
The MP for Argyll and Bute suggested the country would “start from scratch” so it could design a “bespoke” structure if there was a vote to leave the UK.
He said: “One of the big debates we want to have is what do we do with the military assets? Do we start from scratch, do we take an eight per cent share or a nine per cent share of them?
“If we do take a nine per cent share, what do we take? What about the maintenance contracts?
“I’m personally very much of the opinion that if we adopt a nine per cent share of the hardware then you are pushed down a road from which it’s sometimes very difficult to come back.
“I don’t think you can have a bespoke independent Scottish defence policy if you’re immediately saddled with taking 8% or 9% of military assets.”