HOPE and independence must go together. Much of this will focus on the quality of life for all of us in Scotland, but a new Scottish state will also take on a world role. This could be little more than a mini-UK with tartan trimmings – or it could be a role of genuine global significance.

That significance might be modest but not unimportant in providing an environmental model or a fresh model of socio-economic democracy. The world is seriously short of both.

But the big contribution that would be in Scotland's power to deliver on is nuclear disarmament - and how desperately this planet needs to see the terrifying arms race rolled back even just a bit.

Let's remember that our Clyde hosts the greatest concentration of nuclear firepower in Europe. We have around 240 nuclear bombs based around 30 miles from our densest population areas. Scottish action to remove these weapons is now much easier than in 2014 because of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

READ MORE: SNP back signing nuclear ban treaty post-independence – despite previous U-turn

The origins of the TPNW lie in the frustration and anger of the states who had signed up to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which goes back to 1968, the wake of the Cuban crisis, and the mass anti-nuclear protests in many countries.

This was supposed to be a bargain. The nuclear states under Article 6 promised to proceed rapidly to a process of full nuclear disarmament and most of the other states in the world agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.

The number of warheads was eventually reduced but only to be replaced by more powerful and accurate missile systems – and we are further away from genuine nuclear disarmament than we were then.

So, 130 UN member states came together to negotiate a treaty making nuclear weapons illegal. This passed the threshold for a formal UN treaty. To date, 93 states have signed and 70 have formally ratified it. Our close neighbour Ireland played a very active role in this process.

This means that when an independent Scotland ratifies this treaty, it must - in the context of international law - have all nuclear weapons and delivery systems removed. There is a clause relating to the situation in which these weapons belong to another state.

Scotland will act with the backing of all the other 70 states, and the International Atomic Energy Agency will supervise the removal of weapons.

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The implications of this are major because there is nowhere in the rest of the UK for a functioning Trident to go. Adapting the Faslane/Coulport Polaris base for Trident took about 14 years. The missiles regularly go back to the US for servicing (the US controls them anyway) so they can stay there. Storage for the warheads in the Aldermaston and Burghfield complexes can be created in a couple of years.

The UK's nuclear posturing is just that. It isn't independent and its purpose is prestige.

For those who say we must be reasonable and give Westminster a decade – or as much time as they need – to build another base, my reply is that we will be as reasonable as they have been with Scotland.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer under fire as he says Trident will be 'bedrock' of Labour defence policy

In 1960, the Conservatives gave us three months’ notice that there would be a major nuclear base at Holy Loch with the supply ship already on its way.

In the 1964 election, Labour's policy was not to proceed with the UK Polaris base at Faslane. Once elected they quickly changed their mind.

Margaret Thatcher proceeded with the huge expansion at Coulport for Trident despite mass protests in Scotland.

So let's do the people of England a favour. Let's act to help save our world.

Isobel Lindsay is the co-vice-chair of Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament