A diverse group of Scottish organisations and individuals has set up a coalition to resist the notion that an independent Scotland should become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has long held the position that it would insist on the removal of Trident if Scotland should achieve independence and that a future Scotland would not be a member of NATO. While the SNP says it will remain firm in opposing Trident, the SNP leadership has now announced that it will be asking the party’s October conference to approve a proposal to change the policy to instead seek NATO membership.
The anti-NATO coalition has agreed a unifying statement opposing NATO membership based on NATO being a nuclear alliance, engaged in aggressive wars and pursuing a missile defence system.
The coalition aims to share and raise public concern about NATO and to act in solidarity with all those who share that concern, especially those within the SNP.
Member organisations will maintain their own focus on particular aspects of NATO and campaign in their own ways but work collaboratively on activity such as getting signatures to a statement on the website and mobilising for a demonstration outside the SNP conference.
So far, 17 organisations are part of the coalition and more than 400 individuals have signed a statement of support. It is open for anyone to sign.