Category Archives: Defence and Security

The Home Secretary is disingenuous to claim that an independent Scotland would be left out of the loop on our island’s security, writes Dr Andrew Neal in the 12 November 2013 edition of The Scotsman. Theresa May’s Scotland Analysis: Security paper, … Continue reading →

In this piece, Andrew Neal reflects on the recent US spying scandal, particularly in light of revelations that the British GCHQ was making use of this intelligence. This piece was originally published on securitypolitics on 11 June 2013. The recent … Continue reading →

In this piece, Dr. Andrew Neal argues that security is about the perception of threats, rendering an objective assessment of Scotland’s prospects for security impossible. However, he notes that an independent Scotland may emulate the UK’s expansive approach to secruity … Continue reading →

Dr. Colin Fleming writes on the possibility of Nato membership for an independent Scotland, noting that while Scotland could exist outwith Nato, independence outside the strategic alliance would come at a political and financial cost. This week Nato are conducting … Continue reading →

Dr. John MacDonald reflects on the possibility of a nuclear-free Scotland following independence, arguing that a recent constitutional amendment in Mongolia might serve as a model to prevent the maintenance and deployment of nuclear weapons.  In Washington DC last Tuesday, … Continue reading →

Writing in response to recent discussions of the future of an independent Scotland within or outwith NATO, the University of Edinburgh’s Dr. Dan Kenealy asks whether the SNP can overcome it’s historic opposition to the nuclear alliance and ‘learn to … Continue reading →

Dr. Colin Fleming reflects on the security and defence obligations of an independent Scotland, looking particularly at the implications of the Nordic models of defence and continued integration with the defence structures of the rest of the United Kingdom.  If … Continue reading →