The US election is just under a month away as Joe Biden remains ahead in the polls amid Donald Trump’s health concerns. A new national poll by NBC and the Wall Street Journal has the Democrat candidate 14 points clear of the US President. Mr Trump has been given experimental drugs for treatment after testing positive for coronavirus. The result of the election in November could see Mr Biden seize power, and thus change Washington’s approach to leaders in Europe. This may also impact Nicola Sturgeon’s independence push, according to expert analysis. Mr Biden was asked about the 2014 independence referendum during the campaign, but he gave a diplomatic answer. The former Vice-President 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. We have a great alliance now.”
His political ally, former President Barack Obama, said at the time: “There is a referendum process in place and it is up to the people of Scotland.
“The United Kingdom has been an extraordinary partner to us. From the outside at least, it looks like things have worked pretty well.
“And we obviously have a deep interest in making sure that one of the closest allies we will ever have remains a strong, robust, united and effective partner.”
While the Democratic Party heavyweights were reluctant to offer a substantive view, Christopher Carman, a professor of politics at the University of Glasgow believes Mr Biden is more likely to back a unified UK.
However, he said the issue isn’t a pressing one for the Democrats.
He told the Daily Record: “As president, I expect Biden would give a similar answer to what Obama said in 2014.
“Generally speaking, the United States would prefer dealing with a unified United Kingdom – but ultimately, it’s up to the people of Scotland, and if they decide on independence, the US would be happy to seek trade deals with them as well.”
Mr Carman, who is originally from Texas, said Scottish independence was an issue unlikely to be high on the agenda of foreign policy experts in Washington.
He added: “It’s not a matter that would massively affect the American trade balance, one way or another.
“The US, I’m sure, would be happy to strike a trade deal, but as the larger entity, it would be looking for favourable terms.”
Another expert, Anthony McGann, professor of government and public policy at the University of Strathclyde, echoed these claims.
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He said: “I don’t know how they can do that – go through all that again. I’ve never heard of a thing like that. It’s crazy.
“I didn’t want to get involved in it, but people asked me and I think Scotland is better being unified as opposed to being independent.”
Two years later Trump said that Scottish independence would be “terrible”, citing fears over the future of the Open golf championship.
He doubted whether there should be a new vote in Scotland, saying: “They just went through hell.”
