ANGUS Robertson has been urged to set out whether or not the Scottish Government has the authority to ban the US military from Scottish airports.
The Scottish Greens held a debate seeking to ban Trump’s troops from using publicly owned infrastructure in Scotland, such as Prestwick Airport, on February 18. The motion did not pass, after SNP, Scottish Labour, LibDem, Reform UK and independent MSPs voted in favour of an amendment put forward by Robertson which removed calls for a ban.
During the debate, the External Affairs Secretary said that powers over foreign affairs, defence, national security and air policy powers “are all reserved to the United Kingdom Parliament and the UK Government”.
Robertson also said the Greens’ motion “appears to invite us to consider taking steps in contravention of the Scotland Act 1998, which, clearly, we would not be able to do” and added that Prestwick Airport “does not determine the policy, destination or mission of any aircraft using facilities there.”
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However, the Greens wrote to Robertson following comments made by First Minister John Swinney to the BBC over the weekend.
Swinney told the broadcaster that he would consider banning US military aircraft from Prestwick if it was confirmed that they had been involved in the strikes on Iran.
The Ministry of Defence insisted that Prestwick was “not being used by the US to launch military strikes”.
Meanwhile, Philip Ingram, a former army colonel and intelligence officer, told The Sunday Mail that the Scottish Government-owned facility will “almost certainly” be supporting the war.
The Greens say that the comments by Swinney require clarification over whether or not the Scottish Government has the authority to ban US troops from Prestwick, or if that lies with the UK Government.
In a letter sent by Patrick Harvie to Robertson, seen by The National, the MSP says the First Minister’s remarks “appear difficult to reconcile with the position outlined to Parliament only weeks earlier”.
The letter continues: “If the Scottish Government does in fact believe that it has the authority to restrict or prevent the use of Scottish airports by US military aircraft, as it did previously with the Israeli military in 2024, that would suggest that the Parliament was given a materially incomplete or misleading understanding of the Government’s powers during the debate.
“During that debate you made clear to Parliament that the use of Scottish infrastructure, such as Glasgow Prestwick Airport, by foreign military forces falls within areas of policy that are reserved to the United Kingdom Government.
“In light of the First Minister’s subsequent remarks, it would be helpful to understand whether the Government’s position on the powers available to restrict such flights has changed.”
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Harvie asked Robertson to clarify whether the Scottish Government “believes it has the legal authority to restrict or prevent a foreign government’s military flights from using Prestwick Airport or other Scottish Government owned infrastructure”.
He also requested clarification on if Israel had been restricted from using Scottish infrastructure, if there are any barriers in the way of taking action against the US military using airports owned by the Scottish Government, what they are, and if ministers do have the authority, why MSPs were told the opposite during the debate.
Finally, Harvie asked Robertson to clarify “whether the statements made to Parliament at that time accurately reflected the Scottish Government’s understanding of its powers”.
The letter concluded: “As you will be aware, the Scottish Ministerial Code requires ministers to ensure that Parliament is provided with accurate and complete information, and that any inadvertent inaccuracies are corrected at the earliest opportunity.
“Given the escalating international situation and the importance of Parliament being able to scrutinise the Government’s position fully, I would appreciate your urgent clarification and, if necessary, a correction to the parliamentary record.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Non-UK military flights using UK airspace need permission from the Ministry of Defence. This was set out by the Cabinet Secretary, Angus Robertson, as foreign affairs, defence, national security and air transport policy powers are all matters which are reserved to the UK Government.
“The Scottish Government is not provided with information on the purpose of military flights using Scottish airports. Ministers have therefore sought clarity from the UK Government that no aircraft have passed through Scottish Government-owned airports as part of offensive operations against Iran. In addition, the First Minister is seeking a meeting with the Cabinet Office to discuss this matter.
“As the First Minister set out previously, once received, this information from the UK Government will inform decision-making on the use of Prestwick Airport. This consideration includes whether, despite the clear reservations, there is a legal basis for action.”
We previously told how Swinney had been accused of "sitting on his hands" over the issue after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
The Greens claimed that flight data shows that 24 US military flights landed at Prestwick Airport in the week leading up to Trump’s strikes on Iran, including at least one that came from Israel.
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