A BID to ban nuclear weapons being based in Scotland through a written constitution has been welcomed by activists and politicians.
On Monday, First Minister Humza Yousaf launched the paper titled "Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland" in Glasgow, including plans to ban nuclear weapons from Scotland.
He told journalists that the “radical” plans would set Scotland on a different route to Westminster, enshrining rights in law in contrast to the UK Government - which is moving to repeal the Human Rights Act.
One key aspect, to support and promote disarmament of nuclear weapons, has been warmly welcomed.
HM Naval Base Clyde, also known as Faslane, was chosen to host the UK’s Polaris nuclear-armed submarine fleet during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, and has been the subject of repeated protest since.
We told how the document drilled into the detail of what a written constitution would look like, and that an interim constitution would be brought in from the first day of Scottish independence.
The STUC welcomed the plans to include the right to strike in a Scottish constitution, in stark contrast to the Westminster government, which is cracking down on protest and industrial action.
The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) praised the inclusion of removing Trident from Faslane in the document, and the Scottish Greens said that a constitution would protect the NHS from the growing threat of privatisation.
Elsewhere, Alba said that there should be no delay on a vote on whether or not King Charles should remain head of state in an independent Scotland, while the Scottish Tories said the plans to remove nuclear weapons from the Clyde is “misguided”.
However, Scottish CND said that they have given “strong support” to the proposals to ban nuclear weapons in Scotland.
“Together with Scotland's ratification of the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons this would be our major international contribution,” a spokesperson said.
“We are living in a period in which there is no agenda among the nuclear powers for any significant programme of reduction and control over the arms race.
“We are living in a period of exceptional military technological change which is accelerating risk and few members of the public are aware of what is happening.”
“The two existential risks to human civilisation as we know it and to much of the natural world are nuclear weapons and climate change,” they added.
“Let Scotland show leadership on both of these.”
Roz Foyer, STUC general secretary, said that the worker's right to strike is “sacrosanct” and welcomed the commitment to enshrine the right to protest.
“It’s a marked difference in approach between governments; one that values our movement and would seek to guarantee our rights or one that openly attacks our workforce and seeks to strip them of their right to strike,” she said.
Foyer said that while the document is evidently a “blueprint” and civic Scotland will “rightly” have their input, she added that there should be a “constitutional guarantee for sectoral bargaining”, and that any change benefits working people.
The charity Constitution for Scotland, set up to consult on a national constitution, welcomed the recognition that it should be written by the people, for the people, by the FM.
Chair John Hutchison added: “We agree with that approach and the potential content of a national constitution outlined in the Scottish Government’s paper closely mirrors ours, which people can see on our fully independent and transparent website at www.constitutionforscotland.scot.
“Our interactive platform gives folk the opportunity to comment on our model, to offer amendments and vote, all with a view to developing a draft that will ultimately have a strong measure of support.”
Elsewhere, the Scottish Greens welcomed the move to ban nuclear weapons and ensure a number of human and nature rights into law. Ross Greer, the party’s constitution spokesperson, said that a constitution could guarantee Scotland is a “nuclear weapon free zone”.
“We wouldn't just eject the UK's nuclear arsenal from the Clyde, but could follow New Zealand's example and ban any country's nuclear weapons from even passing through our territory,” Greer said.
“We can use that constitution to guarantee the status of our National Health Service, making it all but impossible for any future government to privatise the NHS and compromise our right to future health care.
“We can also guarantee our basic human rights - rights that are under constant attack in the UK right now - like the rights to protest and to strike.”
Greer also said the party would argue to remove King Charles as head of state and install an elected representative instead.
The document set out that immediately following independence, Charles would stay as Scotland’s head of state via an interim constitution.
The Scottish Government would establish a “legally mandated” constitutional convention to thrash out the details of a full written document, including whether or not Scotland should remain a constitutional monarchy.
Chris McEleny, Alba general secretary, said that the party’s position was that Scotland should move to an independent state with similar powers to the president of Ireland.
“It is disappointing that the Scottish Government have now committed to writing a policy position that King Charles should remain the head of state of an independent Scotland,” McEleny said.
“It makes no sense that the written constitution of a new state would include in it an undemocratic and unelected head of state.
“Alba firmly stands for Scotland and our priority is to ensure the people of Scotland have the freedom to make this choice soon, as an independent country.”
Meanwhile Tory MSP Donald Cameron said that independence is the only issue keeping the “warring factions in [Yousaf's] party together”.
“Humza Yousaf has a total brass neck saying the cost of living is the number one issue for him, when he is happy to spend taxpayers’ money publishing yet another paper in relation to independence and trying to waste parliamentary time on it next week,” Cameron said.
“The paper itself is full of holes and talks up completely misguided plans to ban nuclear weapons in an independent Scotland.
“Using public money to campaign for independence is completely the wrong priority for Scotland.
