William Hague: Scots risk losing the advantages of British diplomacy

I am convinced that the different peoples, traditions, languages, and landscapes that make up the United Kingdom are a vital part of who we are and the reason why we have been able to achieve so much together; something to be treasured, not to be torn apart.

And I feel deeply that what is at stake this year is not only Scotland’s future but all our future, because Scotland leaving the United Kingdom would diminish us all.

Of course, those voting in the referendum must be forensic in weighing up the arguments but it is clear that the advantages of Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom are indisputable in foreign policy as they are in every other area of our national life.

When people and governments in other countries look at the United Kingdom they see one of the most successful political and economic unions ever known and an outward-looking country with a global reach, positioning itself to flourish in a changing world.

They see a cultural powerhouse that benefits from its many distinctive literary traditions under the great umbrella of the global language we call English; and a whole set of institutions and relationships nurtured over the course of our history that give us huge advantages.

Currently, people in Scotland share a right to be represented by one of the world’s biggest and best diplomatic networks, made up of 14,000 people spread out over 267 locations in 154 countries and 12 territories.

This is three times the size of the network of 70 to 90 diplomatic offices proposed by the Scottish Government for an independent Scotland. With this network, people in Scotland are represented on all of the world’s major economic, political and defence bodies.

Whether or not a Scot is in the chair, our diplomats do all they can to fight in defence of Scottish interests. An ambassador from an independent Scotland arriving in Washington would find that he or she was the 179th ambassador in town.

My second point is on trade. As Foreign Secretary, I have put our prosperity at the heart of our foreign policy and this is a top priority for the years ahead.

Boosting overseas trade is just as vital to the economic recovery in Scotland as the rest of the UK. Currently, Scottish businesses draw on the expertise of UK Trade & Investment, a network that covers 169 offices in over 100 markets representing 98 per cent of global GDP.

This network is six times the size of the current network of 27 Scottish Development International offices which the Scottish Government plans to use as the basis for its trade support. And UKTI can rely on the support of all UK Ministers in their contacts with other countries.

As Foreign Secretary I have promoted Scotch whisky with very genuine enthusiasm on countless foreign trips.

My third point relates to that primary task for almost all foreign services, which is to look after their citizens overseas. Currently, Scottish people are entitled by right to seek help from the UK’s consular network.

The Scottish Government knows it is not able to match this. They are hoping that an independent Scotland would be able to piggy-back on the consular support offered by other EU member states.

Fourth, the Scottish people can be proud that together we are the second largest donor of aid in the world, with the power and reach to support the values that all of us on the British Isles hold dear.

The Scottish Government says that Scotland faces a once-in-a-generation opportunity to choose between moving forward as an independent nation or standing still. I agree that this debate is about opportunity, not just for those who vote in September, but for Scotland’s next generation.

We live in a time of unceasing and accelerating change, a time when as a nation or as individuals we should aim to draw on every resource at our disposal.

When I speak to younger people, many will say they are 100 per cent Scottish, but that doesn’t mean that they should be denied the advantages of British citizenship that are theirs by right.

When Scottish people go to the polls in September, the Yes campaign will make great claims about the romance of national destiny.

They will present the choice for Scotland to leave the UK as pure gain and no loss. It is an astonishing claim because the assurances they are giving are based on very shaky ground.

Making a decision to remain within the United Kingdom is a positive choice – reinforcing what we already have and reaffirming what more we can be if we continue to work together.

• William Hague is the Foreign Secretary and MP for Richmond. He has just presented a Scotland First analysis paper.