An Independent Scotland Would Bring No Surprises for Allies

A protester holds a flag mixing the EU flag and the Scottish Saltire at a small protest against Britain’s exit from the European Union outside Scotland’s Parliament in Edinburgh on Dec. 31, 2020. Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

We’re biased, of course, being Scottish representatives in the Westminster Parliament, but we think Scotland is the most interesting place in the world—and will be for a while yet. That’s not just because of our natural environment, food, music, or cultural footprint but also geopolitically. Scotland, strategically located in the North Atlantic between the European Union and United States, is at the confluence of all major global trends in foreign policy and global politics.

In an interdependent world, there’s an ongoing, lively discussion about Scottish independence, with recent polls showing no clear majority in favor for or against independence. Scotland has strong pro-European sentiment, with the ramifications of the United Kingdom’s voluntary (and Scotland’s forced) departure from the EU still reverberating. And the country has a unique kinship with Ireland, with a close interest in the still fragile peace process in the north of the island. The Scottish government has fought COVID-19 well with some relative success, but there’s the economic crisis in its aftermath to deal with.