Sky News reports:

[https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-reeves-rent-mistake-labour-starmer-asylum-budget-tax-farage-reform-12593360]

Defence secretary: SNP 'a threat to national security' - but 'no one word can sum up China'

The defence secretary was then asked about the SNP's latest paper on Scottish independence that says nuclear weapons would have no place in an independent Scotland.

Healey was rather more direct in his response to this question, saying: "The continuation of a Scottish nationalist government in Scotland is a threat to our security, it's a threat to the future prosperity and jobs in that country."

There was a time when Scotland was a real threat to the security of England but that all ended on Culloden field in 1745.

But maybe Healey is right. 

Losing the Faslane nuclear submarine base is something one cannot imagine Westminster agreeing to - a little bit like Russia not agreeing to the prospect of losing its Sevastopol Black Sea naval base.

An independent Scotland could decide to ally economically with China, in order to increase its prosperity, and then the cat really would be among the pigeons.

We would also see how the UK/England reacts to the prospect of having an enemy building missile bases on its borders that can easily reach London.