Protection a factor in Scotland move
IF Scotland gains full independence becoming a sovereign nation, then the remaining British state of the Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland (KBNI) will have implications for the protection of KBNI and its redrawn territorial sea boundary and air space.
A quick glance at the map of the North Channel would indicate a new sea boundary running mid way between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
In fact, KBNI will have two separated sea boundaries and air spaces. The implication for NI is that the British government will need to deploy the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in increased capacity with new bases in Northern Ireland.
Alex Salmond has categorically stated he wants the removal of the nuclear submarine fleet stationed at Faslane naval base on the Clyde, so the British government will have no choice but to facilitate his wishes.
A simple solution is for the Royal Navy to relocate to a new base in Belfast Lough.
Strategically this will provide for quick and easy access within UK territorial waters to the northern seas of the Atlantic Ocean without having to circumnavigate the Irish coast via international waters.
Scotland’s loss would be Northern Ireland’s gain.
The canny Scot also wants the British state to retain its armed forces to protect Scotland.
In other words, the taxpayer of England, Wales and Northern Ireland must pay for the privilege of protecting the new foreign nation of Scotland.
Mr Salmond wants it ‘each way and every way’, if the rest of us are mug enough to facilitate his every wish.
This bombast in playing his hand of Scottish poker may turn out that Mr Salmond will lose all, if not most of his chips, and more importantly for him, his referendum.
M W Woods
Bangor
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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JPGJOHNNYG
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 08:50 AMShould that not be the Kingdom of SOUTHERN Britain and Northern Ireland - just a thought!
DM
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 08:14 AMAnd, also, why would anyone want nuclear weapons?? (apart from the Iranians wishing to protect themselves from the nuclear armed and warmongering Israelis??) Scotland is totally right to question nuclear weapons, Britain doesn't need them, and a submarine fleet moving from Scotland to NI (which would probably be very unlikely), would just increase the vulnerability of Bangor, Belfast, Carrickfergus and NI in general to a potential nuclear strike. But I guess that's a price worth paying for an 'ultra loyal' unionist!! Millions of people in Britain are against nuclear weapons, think back to the 1980s.
DM
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 08:05 AMGosh, is there any Northern Ireland 'Unionist' that is not further to the right than Genghis Khan? I wait in hope. The Scottish independence debate is very good news, as the ground has shifted very quickly from 'the union is secure' belief, to one of notable and increasing edginess amongst Ulster unionists, and that has got to be good news. Just from this article and many others, it shows the new edginess of unionists. As for those unionists trumpeting how much the 'mainland' taxpayer subsidises Northern Ireland, that is a dangerous game to play, as if some English complain that they subsidise Scotland (and that is very debatable), the subsidy to NI would be even more objectionable, as the majority of people on the 'mainland' would dearly like to get rid of NI, as they are not 'British' but Irish, whether from Bangor or Cork, Portadown or Portlaoise - to 'mainlanders' all are Irish. So its good, things are shaken up a bit, and people are scared of probably the most talented and dynamic politician in Europe at the moment in Alex Salmond.
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