Dave Doogan has a secret defence plan for an independent Scotland

Dave Doogan has a secret defence plan sketching out how an independent Scotland would manage its military affairs.

The “comprehensive overview” will be shared “when there’s an audience that is willing to receive it”, the SNP’s Westminster leader revealed in an exclusive interview with Holyrood.

The plan, he said, was written several years ago and would need a “thorough refresh” in light of current ongoing world events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But he insisted the “basics are there”, while also admitting to harbouring an ambition to be the defence secretary in an independent Scotland.

Doogan previously worked as an engineer for the Ministry of Defence, before leaving to pursue a career in politics.

He served as the SNP’s defence spokesperson between 2022-23, and again between 2024-26 – until he was elected as the new leader of the Westminster group following Stephen Flynn’s departure to the Scottish Parliament.

Speaking to Holyrood ahead of the SNP conference in Aberdeen at the weekend, Doogan said: “I’ve got a comprehensive overview of what defence in an independent Scotland will look like, what those services will be, what equipment would be required, the personnel needed, and so on.”

He added: “There will be a time and a place to release that to people and that will be when there’s an audience that is willing to receive it.”

He said the failure to have a proper defence plan in place during the 2014 independence referendum was a “mistake” and called on his party to “get over” its hesitance to speak about such issues.

“A number of people have reviewed it, and we’ve made some changes to it. And actually, I’ve not looked at it, much less done anything to it, for a couple of years now so it’ll need a comprehensive rewrite because a lot has changed in the world so it’ll need a thorough refresh, but the basics are there,” he continued.

The SNP has often shied away from the issues of defence, aside from its anti-nuclear stance.

The Scottish Government published a factsheet in 2025 as part of its Building a New Scotland series which briefly covered defence and security.

Its commitments included joining Nato, working with the EU on security, and building a relationship with the rest of the UK.