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Faslane Trident base could be in UK after Scottish independence | Faslane Trident base could be in UK after Scottish independence |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Ministry of Defence officials are exploring the idea of retaining a Scottish naval base as sovereign UK territory if there is a yes vote in next year's independence referendum. | Ministry of Defence officials are exploring the idea of retaining a Scottish naval base as sovereign UK territory if there is a yes vote in next year's independence referendum. |
Faslane, in Argyll and Bute, is home to the Trident nuclear missile submarines. | Faslane, in Argyll and Bute, is home to the Trident nuclear missile submarines. |
A government source told the BBC the idea was "interesting" because of the huge costs of relocating the base. | A government source told the BBC the idea was "interesting" because of the huge costs of relocating the base. |
The SNP reacted angrily to the suggestion, accusing Westminster of trying to bully Scotland. | The SNP reacted angrily to the suggestion, accusing Westminster of trying to bully Scotland. |
Voters in Scotland will decide whether or not to remain part of the United Kingdom in September 2014. | Voters in Scotland will decide whether or not to remain part of the United Kingdom in September 2014. |
Nuclear weapons are a key point of division for the two sides of the independence debate - with the SNP promising to abandon Trident. | Nuclear weapons are a key point of division for the two sides of the independence debate - with the SNP promising to abandon Trident. |
Reports in the Guardian newspaper on Thursday suggested the UK government could give Faslane - where 6,000 people are employed - a status similar to that of British military bases in Cyprus, designated as sovereign territory. | Reports in the Guardian newspaper on Thursday suggested the UK government could give Faslane - where 6,000 people are employed - a status similar to that of British military bases in Cyprus, designated as sovereign territory. |
The move would be designed to maintain access for the Trident fleet to the open seas via the Firth of Clyde, the newspaper said. | |
'No contingency plans' | 'No contingency plans' |
An MoD spokesman said it was confident Scotland would remain part of the UK and that the scale and cost of relocating the base in the event of a yes vote would be "enormous". | An MoD spokesman said it was confident Scotland would remain part of the UK and that the scale and cost of relocating the base in the event of a yes vote would be "enormous". |
"No contingency plans are being made to move Trident out of Scotland," the spokesman said. | "No contingency plans are being made to move Trident out of Scotland," the spokesman said. |
A government source added: "It would cost a huge amount of money, running into tens of billions of pounds, to decommission Faslane. | A government source added: "It would cost a huge amount of money, running into tens of billions of pounds, to decommission Faslane. |
"Those costs would be factored into any negotiations on an independence settlement. The sovereign base area is an option - it is an interesting idea because the costs of moving out of Faslane are eye-wateringly high." | "Those costs would be factored into any negotiations on an independence settlement. The sovereign base area is an option - it is an interesting idea because the costs of moving out of Faslane are eye-wateringly high." |
But the SNP said the idea was "an extraordinary attempt" to bully Scotland. | But the SNP said the idea was "an extraordinary attempt" to bully Scotland. |
Angus Robertson, the party's leader at Westminster, said: "Neither the people nor parliament of Scotland want nuclear weapons dumped here, and we are clear that Trident would have to be removed as quickly as possible." | Angus Robertson, the party's leader at Westminster, said: "Neither the people nor parliament of Scotland want nuclear weapons dumped here, and we are clear that Trident would have to be removed as quickly as possible." |
He said only a vote for independence would empower Scotland to remove the submarines. | He said only a vote for independence would empower Scotland to remove the submarines. |
One former armed forces minister, Liberal Democrat Sir Nick Harvey, told the Guardian re-designating Faslane on a "Cyprus-type arrangement" was the most practical and likely outcome should Scotland leave the UK. | One former armed forces minister, Liberal Democrat Sir Nick Harvey, told the Guardian re-designating Faslane on a "Cyprus-type arrangement" was the most practical and likely outcome should Scotland leave the UK. |
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