The Royal Naval Base at Foslane on the west coast of Scotland is currently home to the UK’s nuclear submarines. However, as the SNP strongly opposes the Trident missile system, Scottish independence may be looking for a new place to stop the UK.
Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish SNP government was re-elected in May, with the premier promising a second independence referendum.
Senior officials have said that contingency plans could include moving weapons to friendly naval bases in the United States or France if Scotland leaves the United Kingdom.
But former British soldiers have strongly condemned the plan to endanger British security.
Lieutenant General Jonathan Riley, who was deputy commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, said keeping the Trident in France was unnecessary after recent diplomatic friction with Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Read more: Britain will take ‘nuclear partners’ out of Scotland if independence is recognized
He told Express.co.uk: “The desire to go to France to bring its nuclear blockade under the control of someone who is not a friend is too dangerous.
“There were naval conflicts with France a few months back.
“Are we going to put something as important as our nuclear weapons under their control now so that they can be equally wrong? It doesn’t make sense.”
Following a post-Brexit fishing dispute in Jersey in May, France threatened to cut off the island’s electricity supply.
After French fishermen protested and threatened to block access to the island’s main port, the governments of London and Paris sent military ships to patrol the area.
Equally critical of suggestions to move the blockade to the United States, the lieutenant-general said: “After what happened in Afghanistan, how much do we trust the states now? – Combined in Biden’s responsibility? There are risks.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon “wants to share British military equipment”
He added: “It would certainly undermine the British public’s notion of its independence, and it could even derail the whole concept.”
The opinion of former veterans has also been echoed by Conservative lawmakers.
Wokingham MP John Redwood described the suggestion to move the Trident overseas as “humorous”: “It is an independent British nuclear deterrent, so it is best to deal with it at home.”
Peter Bone of Wellingborough said: “The idea is that we should take it somewhere outside the UK.
“You have to keep it within your borders because you don’t know it, you may have good relations with another country, but you don’t know if a crisis might arise and you want to have full and complete control over a blockade nuclear.” Huh. .
“It’s bullshit, bullshit and it doesn’t make any sense.”
David Jones, vice president of the Eurosceptic European Research Group, called the plans “absolutely absurd”.
A Defense Ministry spokesman denied that there were any plans to move the submarines.
He added: “The UK Naval Base is committed to maintaining a credible and independent nuclear deterrent on Client HM to prevent the most serious threats to the UK and our NATO allies.
“There are no plans to relocate the nuclear blockade of HM Clyde Naval Base (Foslane), which contributes largely to the security and economy of Scotland and the UK, and its support facilities are safe for local communities.”
“Music ninja. Analyst. Typical coffee lover. Travel campaigner. Proud explorer.”
Amateur web specialist. General food junkie. Typical zombie enthusiast. Avid music trailblazer. Lifelong explorer.
