January 15, 201214 yr Something to keep your eye on over the next year or three. The Scottish National Party, which won a majority in the devolved government of Scotland last year is starting to move towards a referendum on the country becoming independent. The issues with Westminster agreeing to let them do this legally are on firstly timing (Holyrood wants it in 2014, Westminster sooner) and over a second question allowing for a "devolution-max" (essentially having everything bar defence and foreign affairs). A full guide on the issue can be found here here. It's by no means a certainty that there would be a yes vote - but if Scotland were to break away, the defence ramifications would be profound. RAF Lossiemouth and Faslane would go, as well as some key naval shipyards - an SNP Scotland would be a non-NATO, non-nuclear state. There is also of course, the issue of North Sea oil.
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