The Independence Debate
Scotland would maintain a professional, high-quality force sized appropriately for its population and strategic location — comparable in scale and ambition to Norway or Denmark.
The Independence Debate
Scotland would prioritise NATO membership and set its defence effort on a path to meet a 5% of GDP contribution level, consistent with the higher ambition now shaping Allied debate about the resources required for collective defence.
The Independence Debate
The nuclear basing arrangement would take the form of a formal, treaty-based, long-term agreement between Scotland and the United Kingdom
The Independence Debate
An independent Scotland would remain the home of the UK’s nuclear deterrent at Faslane and Coulport under a long-term basing agreement.
The Independence Debate
Defence is where independence meets geography. Scotland sits on the northern flank of the Euro-Atlantic area, astride approaches to the North Atlantic and the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap, with existing bases, industrial capacity and skills that already matter to UK and Alliance security.
The Independence Debate
A published, multi-year fiscal plan would set out the path from the opening deficit to a sustainable position. The plan would rely on a combination of economic growth, public-sector efficiency and prioritisation, and, where necessary, tax and spending adjustments.
The Independence Debate
An independent Scotland would control all major taxes—income tax, corporation tax, VAT, a National Insurance equivalent, capital taxes, and the remaining smaller taxes.
The Independence Debate
A Scottish Wealth Fund would be established, capitalised primarily by a share of resource revenues (oil, gas, and potentially other natural resource income) and any negotiated asset transfers.
The Independence Debate
The existing Scottish Fiscal Commission would be strengthened into a fully independent fiscal institution with a statutory mandate to assess the government’s fiscal plans, judge compliance with the fiscal rules, and publish independent forecasts and sustainability analyses.
The Independence Debate
A newly independent Scotland would face a challenging opening fiscal position and higher initial borrowing costs.
The Independence Debate
A newly independent Scotland would initially pay a premium over UK gilt yields. Independent estimates have typically placed this premium at 0.4 to 1 percentage point or more in the early years.
The Independence Debate
How would the existing UK national debt be shared? The allocation of existing UK national debt would be a matter for negotiation. The United Kingdom would remain the legal obligor for all outstanding gilts and other UK government debt issued before independence. Scotland would take on a fair and proportionate