Scottish independence will impact the UK’s global role

As the 2021 elections to the Scottish parliament show a majority in favour of leaving the UK, the implications of independence could be huge if it actually happened.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Greens won 72 seats in the 129-seat parliament between them, and both campaigned on a commitment to hold a second independence referendum for Scotland.
The 2014 vote saw 55 per cent opting to stay in the UK, but since Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen the UK suffer a relatively high death rate from the disease, opinion polls suggest support for independence has risen to around 50 per cent.
This increases the possibility that, if another referendum is held, it could mean Scotland will become an independent country again and the UK would lose eight per cent of its population and around one-third of its landmass, as well as having a huge impact on the UK’s role in the world.
Alistair Burnett speaks to Philip Rycroft, former senior civil servant who served as permanent secretary in the Department for Exiting the European Union from 2017-2019, and Dr Kirsty Hughes, director of the Scottish Centre on European Relations.
What are the implications of Scotland leaving the Union for the UK’s soft power?
Given the UK’s nuclear forces are based west of Glasgow, what would be the implications of independence for the UK’s hard power?
What would be the economic impact on the UK of the loss of Scotland?
Are there any international precedents for the scenario of Scotland leaving the UK?