Former Black Watch commander says independent Scotland’s defence could be ‘weaker’

Creating an independent Scottish defence force and intelligence agency would leave the country less well protected than as part of the UK, according to two military experts.

Retired Black Watch commander Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin and former UK security and intelligence coordinator Sir David Omand gave their frank assessments at a conference on global security at Glasgow University.

The two men were billed as the keynote speakers on the first day of a conference also attended by academics from universities across Scotland, England and the US.

In his opening address to the conference, Sir Alistair said that while a Scottish defence force is possible, there is “no question” the country and the rest of the UK is better off under the current military arrangements.

“The result of a split, in my military opinion, would be a British Isles collectively less well defended and whose global interests would be much less well served than they are now,” he added.