WATCH Former Labour Cabinet minister says Scottish independence would have boosted Isis
2 min read
Scottish independence would have boosted Isis, a former Labour Defence Secretary has claimed.
In controversial remarks, Lord Robertson - who was also Nato general secretary - said terror groups "would have had a field day" following the break-up of the United Kingdom.
His comments are likely to provoke a storm of protest from supporters of independence.
Scotland voted by 55% to 45% to remain in the UK in a referendum in 2014.
Speaking to ITV Border, Lord Robertson - who was MP for Hamilton South for more than 20 years - said: "Separation in the United Kingdom would have had dramatic consequences, and the enemies of the West - the enemies of freedom and of tolerance and of the values of the West - would have certainly have had a field day."
Watch his full remarks here:
Stewart McDonald MP, the SNP's defence spokesman, said the comments showed Lord Robertson was "disconnected from reality".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced in March that she wanted a second independence referendum to take place by the spring of 2019 in the wake of the Brexit vote.
But she has since ditched the plan after the SNP lost 21 seats in June's general election.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
