The UK stepped back as the rest of Europe stepped up, it is time for Scotland to rejoin the mainstream

Standing alongside the then Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, the former Premiere of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson said, “There is a before and after 24 February [2022]. This is a very important time in history. The security landscape has completely changed. We have to analyse the situation to see what is best for Sweden’s security, for the Swedish people, in this new situation.”

Three years on, both of our Nordic neighbours are members of the NATO alliance. Something that would have been unthinkable even a few months before. The brutal reality of expansionist authoritarianism, coupled with the growing complexity of hybrid, non-military threats, demands a profound recalibration for all countries and a political response with the courage to see that through.

For the SNP - a party rooted in centre-left, social democratic and pro-European values – this, including lessons from our Nordic neighbours, presents a challenge and an opportunity. As champions of Scottish statehood, it is no small responsibility to articulate a credible security policy that is forward-looking and unapologetically supportive of our common European security. That requires a serious engagement on defence, that other countries would expect of a Scotland that aspires to membership of the EU and other international organisations. Our neighbours would expect no less.

To that end the SNP is better placed than the biggest Westminster parties who steadfastly cling onto a Brexit that has left us poorer, less secure and outside the European mainstream at a critical moment in history. It continues to be a massive strategic error that most at Westminster continue to refuse to confront. Rather than taking cheap political pot shots at the SNP, those Westminster parties would be better served using their energies addressing the fundamental weakness that the UK is exposed to by being outside of the EU.

However, politics aside, it requires all parties to have difficult conversations around how we engage with the defence sector as well as how to build greater common defence and security links across Europe, as the United States becomes increasingly unreliable and when the international rules-based system is under greater threat than for decades.

This will be in our security and economic interest. One of the recent criticisms aimed at the UK has been the running down of the army. Back in 2004 the SNP walked out of the House of Commons when the then MP for Perth, Annabelle Ewing was thrown out for calling the then Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, a “backstabbing coward” after he announced dramatic cuts to the Scottish Regiments. Two decades on neither Hoon nor Ewing is in the Commons, but Putin remains in the Kremlin, and an even greater threat than ever.

At the time of that exchange, I was spending time working in the South Caucasus on that region’s various conflicts and the international community’s stabilisation efforts.

Anyone could have told you then of the threat Russia posed to its neighbours, but too many refused to listen, and we are now paying the price.

Working with the defence sector and the SNP’s values are not, and have never been, exclusive. My party’s commitment to social justice, equality, and international cooperation has long been a part of our DNA, and defence is an integral part of that.

The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a wake-up call, exposing the fragility of the post-cold war settlement. It underscored that peace, democracy and sovereignty—all central to our cause —requires active defence which underpins our principles. As social democrats of the European mainstream, we well understand the value in sharing the burden of continental security. NATO and the EU are the twin pillars of the European security framework. Defence burden sharing isn’t a political convenience, but a vital framework for protecting our values and way of life.

Neighbouring states such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are all able to combine progressive social policy with a robust defence stance. Those states, who underscore the benefits that Independence in Europe can bring their citizens, also understand the importance of securing their sovereignty collaboratively.

There is much we can learn from our neighbours who understand the need to safeguard the conditions that allow our social democratic vision - free education, a national healthcare service, and a society that values human rights and the rule of law - to exist. The threats we face today are not abstract; they are direct challenges to the open, inclusive societies we seek to build.

That requires engaging with our defence and research sectors to secure that peace is secured and Scotland counted on as a reliable part of the European community of democracies. The EU is a significant defence actor and one that is investing in its security. The UK is an important part of that infrastructure but is strategically hobbled by remaining outside the EU – a massive historic error that is still viewed with incomprehension across Europe and the democratic world.

Defence is increasingly a priority for the EU, especially when it comes to industry and procurement. Scotland is a natural partner for Brussels in that regard given our excellence in terms of industry and research as well as our important strategic location.

Russia’s war of conquest in Ukraine has shown that peace cannot be taken for granted. As a centre-left, pro-European party, we have a duty to protect the democratic ideals that underpin our vision for Scotland’s future. Rewiring and renewing our defence platform to take account of this new insecure world, is a credible demonstration of a party of aspiration and responsibility. A Scotland that contributes to European security and safeguards the values we hold dear. The UK stepped back as the rest of Europe stepped up, it is time for Scotland to rejoin the mainstream. The wellbeing of future generations relies on it.

Stephen Gethins is the MP for Arbroath & Broughty Ferry