THE Democrats’ nominee for US President, Joe Biden, is poised to side with Nicola Sturgeon on the matter of Scottish independence, it has been reported.

Talking to The Express, Glasgow University’s Ronald MacDonald said he could not see Biden “not supporting” an independent Scotland.

The professor of macroeconomics and international finance said: "I cannot see Joe Biden not supporting Scottish independence.

"He will have to respect the democratic wishes of the Scottish people."

However, he went on: “If we are talking about a situation pre-referendum, I am not sure.

"Because clearly, there would be wider implications for the United Nations (UN), for example.

"So he could say he would prefer Scotland to remain in the UK.

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"But I cannot see him not respecting the democratic will of the people afterwards."

When asked in 2014, while vice-president, what he thought of Scotland becoming independent, Biden appeared poised to answer truthfully, before reverting to a non-committal stance.

He said: “I think the United Kingdom, uh, well, look, I learned from Scottish friends, the last thing to do is to suggest to a Scot what he should do.

“So I’m going to stay out of that."

Then-president Barack Obama said he wanted to see the UK remain “strong, robust and united”, but it later came to light he had done so at the express request of Westminster.

US-UK relations are not as strong as they were in 2014, with Nancy Pelosi saying Boris Johnson’s plans to break international law and endanger the Good Friday Agreement meant there was “no chance” of a trade deal between the two nations passing US congress.