Here you go:
Reasons that have been cited in favour of independence include:
Democracy and national self-determination: Scotland's population will possess full decision-making power in regard to the political affairs of its nation. First Minister Salmond stated in a May 2012 launch that "the people who live in Scotland are best placed to make the decisions that affect Scotland."[89]
Nuclear disarmament: with control over defence and foreign policy, an independent Scotland could address the removal of Trident nuclear weapons, an issue long-associated with the campaign for an independent Scotland, as outlined in the House of Commons Defence Committee's white paper "The future of the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent: the White Paper" of 2006-2007.[90][91] In a July 2013 Huffington Post UK article, the writer suggested that the £25 billion spent on a "like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear deterrent" could instead be diverted to education, healthcare and housing.[92] Additionally, the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament supports independence on this basis.[93]
"It's Scotland's oil": since being used as a highly effective slogan by the SNP in the 1970s,[94] this phrase has encapsulated the argument that only an independent Scotland be able to fully utilise and exploit the financial benefits of its national resources, including North Sea oil and gas, for the benefit of the population.[95] According to the Scottish Government, 64% of the EU's oil reserves exist in Scottish waters,[96] while the David Hume Institute stated: "Scotland is sitting on oil and gas reserves worth up to £4 trillion".[97] Investment in and production from the North Sea oilfields dropped sharply after Tory chancellor George Osborne imposed punitive taxes, undercutting the projected revenue an independent Scotland could claim.[98]
Renewable energy: if independence is attained, supporters of the new political structure seek to fully harness Scotland's natural renewable energy resources: 25 per cent of Europe's wind energy potential; 25 per cent of Europe's tidal energy potential; and 10 per cent of Europe's wave energy potential.[99] Salmond claims that this could lead to the "re-industrialisation" of Scotland.[100]
A "cultural reawakening": groups like National Collective, a "non-party movement for artists and creatives who support Scottish independence", believe that the opportunities of independence, and the possibilities created, would unleash a fresh wave of cultural ideas, expression and self-confidence in Scotland.[101][102]
"Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on" (a statement by Winnie Ewing, upon her victory for the SNP in the 1967 Hamilton by-election)[citation needed]: an independent Scotland would be a full and equal member of the United Nations, NATO and the European Union and many other international organisations.[103] With an autonomous voice in international politics, Scottish independence campaigners believe the nation's global influence would increase in regard to the defence of its national interests and the promotion of its values. It has been claimed that the number of MEPs elected by Scotland would also rise, from six to at least 12.[104] Furthermore, Scottish embassies would be established globally to promote Scotland internationally, and to lobby other governments on the nation's behalf.[10
