‘A threat to the security of the United Kingdom’

Top MoD source’s alarming verdict on Sturgeon’s opposition to Trident

THE security of the UK is threatened by Nicola Sturgeon’s desire to remove nuclear weapons from Scotland, Ministry of Defence sources have said.

While in the US last week to promote her plan for breaking up Britain, the First Minister said an independent Scotland would demand the removal of the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent from Faslane naval base.

Ms Sturgeon added that Scotland would attempt to rejoin Nato – the 30-nation group that seeks to defend the interests of the West, notably against Russia – as a non-nuclear country.

However, her comments have alarmed MoD staff, who said the scheme ‘threatened the security of the United Kingdom’.

Their concerns come as the West is locked in a struggle with Russia over Ukraine and is becoming ever more watchful of the growing might of China.

A source within the MoD said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon says Nato membership would be the “cornerstone” of her plans for independence, yet she couples this with her opposition to nuclear weapons and her support for plans to scrap Trident.

‘Refusing to station nuclear weapons in Scotland would threaten the UK’s security.’

Experts argue that a vital compoguarantee nent of Nato’s defence is its united front. They also stress its access to nuclear weapons creates an effective deterrent thanks in part to Faslane’s geographic position on the Gareloch near Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, which gives Nato rapid access to the sea to deploy nuclear submarines. The UK maintains an approach of ‘deliberate ambiguity’ when asked if it would consider using nuclear weapons.

But Ms Sturgeon’s comments about removing Trident have been described as undermining that position. Experts said it was unfair for Ms Sturgeon to seek to benefit from the nuclear deterrent granted by Trident while seeking to remove it from Scotland. The MoD source criticised the First Minister’s approach as ‘hypocritical’.

George Allison, a security expert who edits the UK Defence Journal, said: ‘Nato is a nuclear alliance. Scotland, as part of the UK, is already protected by Nato and the British armed forces.

‘Nato members the United States, the UK and France have nuclear weapons and form the “strategic forces” of the Alliance, around which the security posture of Nato is centred.’

Mr Allison added: ‘In the words of Nato itself, the strategic forces of the Alliance “are the supreme of the Alliance’s security”. The admittance of Scotland into Nato largely depends on the choices made by Scotland.

‘Should an independent Scotland pursue a policy that undermines the nuclear security of the alliance, I doubt it would be welcomed with open arms.’

The Scottish Government argued that its stance would not threaten the security of the UK.

A spokesman said: ‘The majority of Nato members do not have nuclear weapons, and an independent Scotland would be in the same position as those non-nuclear member states.

‘Nato membership for an independent Scotland would also maintain the alliance’s territorial integrity in a key strategic area.’