BY Bridget Orr | January 9 2012 | 
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SNP accused of delay on abolishing nuclear weapons
Publication Date: 2012-01-09
The political and financial costs of abolishing UK nuclear deterrents in Scotland following any future independence have come under question by a leading Scottish academic but the Scottish Government cites its own commitment and the backing of the Church and society
In an article published in a Scottish Sunday newspaper, Professor William Walker of St Andrews University claimed that the Scottish National Party has been reluctant to address nuclear disarmament in Government despite it being central to the party’s policies.
In the report, Professor Walker suggested several obstacles that included bilateral support from London during early independence, relations with Nato members such as America and France and the costs of decommissioning Trident and establishing its replacement outside Scotland.
“As the referendum approaches, it may be trumpeted as one of independence’s great prizes,” Professor Walker writes. “So far, however, the SNP has not had to explain how and when Trident’s removal could be achieved and how the costs and benefits would stack up.”
The Scottish Government has responded to his points.
“The vast majority of MSPs, as well as the churches, trade unions, and civic society across the nation totally oppose Trident nuclear weapons being based in Scotland—and in the last Westminster Parliament a majority of Scottish MPs opposed the renewal of Trident,” Angus Robertson, SNP defence spokesman.
“A key advantage of independence is that it is the only constitutional option which gives Scotland the powers to have Trident removed from Scottish waters, and we believe that the Westminster Government will wish to act on this and withdraw Trident as quickly as possible in these welcome circumstances.”
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, a well known and an outspoken opponent of Trident, urged the UK government to give up its ‘shameful’ nuclear weapon programme at a demonstration outside Faslane naval base on Gare Loch last year where he said ‘there is no better place to say that it is not courageous of Britain to have these dreadful weapons of mass destruction.’
“I have been speaking of the teaching of the Catholic Church on nuclear weapons for many years now, telling our message to whoever is willing to listen, and I am very pleased to repeat that teaching again,” he added.
“It is a consistent teaching, a central part of our pro-life stance, that has human dignity at its very core. And it is a message I am all the more glad to repeat here at the gates of Faslane.”
Pic: Cardinal Keith O’Brien at Faslane naval base, by Paul McSherry.
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It is high time that the Scottish Parliament voted on the question of Trident. Hopefully, this will allow the new Labour leader to reveal what her position is on this vitally important matter.
I find it surprising and quite disappointing that the SCO use a well worn ‘SNP accused’ headline, more fitting to the mainstream Scottish media. If it was in the SNP’s gift there would be no nuclear weapons in Scotland right now.
The SNPs (and most Scots in my opinion) view is that nuclear weapons are an un-necessary evil in our land. It’s pretty naive of the professor to, in any way suggest that nuclear subs should be sailing out of the Clyde the day after independence – I wish!
I think it would be better to welcome the SNP’s approach to this, which aligns fully with the Catholic Churches teaching. What I am interested in is the support the Scottish government will get from opposition benches, in particular the new labour leader in Scotland who has be very quiet on the matter. The SCO is never short of labour MPs’ and MSP’s contributing on a number of topics – Michael McMahon, Labour MSP, is a perfect example of this on the issue of ‘Faith in Independence’.
Maybe the SCO should seek the views of all political parties in Scotland – and why wait for independence – if ALL Scottish parities showed the same willingness as the SNP to rid Scotland of these weapons now, maybe we could put real pressure on the Westminster government?