INDEPENDENCE could help "rebalance" politics in England away from London, Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Government's External Affairs Minister, has said.

The SNP MSP also argued that if Scotland broke away from the UK, it would have a bigger voice on the international stage, dismissing the warning earlier this week from Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister, who claimed its influence would be diminished if it were no longer a part of the Union.

In March, First Minister Alex Salmond in a New Statesman lecture given in Westminster said: "After Scottish independence, the growth of a strong economic power in the north of these islands would benefit everyone.

"There would be a Northern Light to redress the influence of the dark star, rebalancing the economic centre of gravity of these islands."

Yesterday, Mr Yousaf, asked what impact a Yes vote would have for England, said: "If anything, my hope is and my desire is there's a rebalance of politics across England.

"I do much travelling, and recently I did BBC Question Time in Coventry, and there people felt completely disconnected from the politics in London.

"Hopefully, if and when Scotland becomes independent, it will force London politicians to think more about the Midlands, the West Midlands, the north of England, which have suffered historic neglect regardless of whether Labour or Conservatives have been in power."

The Scottish Minister dismissed the warning from Sir John, noting how, given under his leadership the Tories were wiped out in Scotland in 1997, he would not take his advice on Scottish politics.

Mr Yousaf claimed Sir John's argument was not borne out by the facts, arguing small countries were "hugely influential".

"Academics have shown that small countries in the EU, when it comes to negotiations and deals, get a better deal than the bigger countries," he added.