Hyslop: Scotland faces uncertain future if we vote to stay in UK

Saturday 20 October 2012

Scotland faces "an uncertain future" if it votes to remain in the United Kingdom, according to the External Affairs Secretary.

Fiona Hyslop turned an oft-quoted unionist accusation about Scottish nationalism on its head at the SNP conference in Perth today, arguing that British nationalism is the real threat to Scotland's international relationships.

British nationalism is "narrow, chippy and hostile" and leaves the UK "unsure, insecure and resorting to parochialism", she said.

In a week that has seen experts and international politicians lining up to challenge the SNP's assertions about Scotland's continuing membership of the EU, and critics within and outside the party questioning whether Scotland would be welcomed into Nato despite the party's new pro-Nato stance, Ms Hyslop attacked the UK Government's "dithering gamesmanship over Europe" and its "national myth of military power". "We face a choice between two futures. There is no status quo. The only question is do you trust yourself to make the decisions in a changing world, or do you trust the Conservatives?" she said. "The status quo is no longer on offer. It is now a choice between two futures - an independent future that is internationalist in outlook, or a UK future: little Britain without the jokes." She added: "I see the UK as it is viewed from the Continent, and as we speak about our national journey in countries around the world I learn a lot about how the world sees the UK. "The word that comes to mind is nationalism. Not our grand progressive civic nationalism that seeks a nation in order that we might become more international, but a narrow, chippy nationalism that is hostile to the outside world and clings to a national myth of military power and innate superiority. "That is British nationalism. The nationalism of Britain is what fascinates and alarms others around the world - the dithering gamesmanship over Europe, the fear of outsiders, the eagerness to start wars that it cannot finish. "It is British nationalism that is seen as an obstruction to the advancement of our continent competitively. "When Europe faces global competition the UK stands aside. "British nationalism will not help Scotland, despite what the unionist parties claim." On Tuesday five constitutional experts told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that Scotland would not retain automatic membership of the EU and would have to re-apply as a new member state, losing the UK's opt-outs of the euro currency and Schengen passport-free travel area. This was swiftly followed by two briefing papers from the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence which said Scotland would be likely to have to apply for membership of international organisations such as the UK, EU, Commonwealth and Nato. On Wednesday, European Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras told BBC Radio 4's World At One that an independent Scotland "should go through the EU accession process", which would tie Scotland to the euro and Schengen. The Spanish MEP said he was "absolutely certain" that other members of his ruling Partido Popular would back his opinion because of concerns over separatist movements in their own country. And yesterday former Nato secretary-general Lord Robertson warned that an independent Scotland's membership of Nato is "uncertain at best", a view echoed by many SNP delegates as they argued in vain to stop the party overturning its 30-year opposition to joining the nuclear armed military alliance. Ms Hyslop has frequently insisted that Scotland would retain all of the UK's existing international treaties, including the UK's conditional membership of the EU. It is unclear whether this assertion has a sound legal base as the Scottish Government has taken the information watchdog to court to prevent the public knowing if it has taken legal advice on the matter. Today Ms Hyslop said it is British nationalists, not Scottish nationalists, that are threatening Scotland's international relationships. "While the UK nationalists warn Scotland about ending the UK single market, unionists are plotting to end far more important EU membership and single market," she said. "And that's what we see from abroad. A Britain unsure, insecure and resorting to parochialism as a defence of something that nobody is unsure of. "The uncertainty of the referendum is the one that the unionists seek, or as Michael Gove says they are ready to quit the EU. "That is why in an international perspective Scotland needs to stand by herself, because when she stands alone she does so within the crowd of nations."

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Hyslop: Scotland faces uncertain future if we vote to stay in UK

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