For Immediate Release – Saturday 16 October 2010
Attn: NEWS DESKS
DEFENCE / POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS
Commenting on reports that cuts to the defence budget are to be set at approximately eight per cent, SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP accused the Tory Liberal Democrat government of attempting to spin calamity for Scotland as good news.
SNP conference will today debate an emergency motion on concerns about the Strategic Defence Review and its impact on Scotland.
Mr Robertson said:
“Scotland has already endured mammoth defence cuts over the last decade, and every indication is that this will be compounded by decisions to be announced this week cutting bases, jobs and skills. It is totally disingenuous for Downing Street to try and spin the scale of these cuts as good news, when they mean calamity for Scotland.
“All evidence surrounding the SDSR suggests that the Ministry of Defence is set to continue the trend of concentrating defence manpower, basing and spending in the South of England. This is a triple whammy for Scotland, bearing in mind the cuts we have had, the cuts we face, and the impact of wider budget cuts to the Scottish Government that will hit jobs, services and investment.
“At present there are only 12,190 UK service-personnel in Scotland. Since the last defence review in 1997 there have been more than 10,000 defence job losses in Scotland and there has been a defence under-spend of more than £5.6 billion. This under-spend constitutes a 36% budget shortfall. Scotland has already seen a severe defence shortfall and contraction.
“If as has been reported, the SDSR is considering the future of 2nd Division (Cragiehall), Fort George, RAF Kinloss, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Leuchars and RM Condor, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of significant conventional defence facilities in Scotland. Any closures will have devastating social and economic consequences. Similarly, any threat to Aircraft Carrier orders will have a severe impact on the workforces constructing them in Glasgow and Fife as well as the engineering sector in general.
“The SDSR must consider whether the UK is committed to a future for conventional defence across the UK. Will there be a continuing defence footprint in the different nations and regions of the UK including manpower, basing and spending? Unless the SDSR and Ministers consider this as a priority now, the conventional UK armed forces will become concentrated in ‘Super Garrisons’ and bases, commanded and trained almost exclusively in the South of England."
ENDS
www.bepartofbetter.net
Attn: NEWS DESKS
DEFENCE / POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS
Commenting on reports that cuts to the defence budget are to be set at approximately eight per cent, SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP accused the Tory Liberal Democrat government of attempting to spin calamity for Scotland as good news.
SNP conference will today debate an emergency motion on concerns about the Strategic Defence Review and its impact on Scotland.
Mr Robertson said:
“Scotland has already endured mammoth defence cuts over the last decade, and every indication is that this will be compounded by decisions to be announced this week cutting bases, jobs and skills. It is totally disingenuous for Downing Street to try and spin the scale of these cuts as good news, when they mean calamity for Scotland.
“All evidence surrounding the SDSR suggests that the Ministry of Defence is set to continue the trend of concentrating defence manpower, basing and spending in the South of England. This is a triple whammy for Scotland, bearing in mind the cuts we have had, the cuts we face, and the impact of wider budget cuts to the Scottish Government that will hit jobs, services and investment.
“At present there are only 12,190 UK service-personnel in Scotland. Since the last defence review in 1997 there have been more than 10,000 defence job losses in Scotland and there has been a defence under-spend of more than £5.6 billion. This under-spend constitutes a 36% budget shortfall. Scotland has already seen a severe defence shortfall and contraction.
“If as has been reported, the SDSR is considering the future of 2nd Division (Cragiehall), Fort George, RAF Kinloss, RAF Lossiemouth, RAF Leuchars and RM Condor, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of significant conventional defence facilities in Scotland. Any closures will have devastating social and economic consequences. Similarly, any threat to Aircraft Carrier orders will have a severe impact on the workforces constructing them in Glasgow and Fife as well as the engineering sector in general.
“The SDSR must consider whether the UK is committed to a future for conventional defence across the UK. Will there be a continuing defence footprint in the different nations and regions of the UK including manpower, basing and spending? Unless the SDSR and Ministers consider this as a priority now, the conventional UK armed forces will become concentrated in ‘Super Garrisons’ and bases, commanded and trained almost exclusively in the South of England."
ENDS
www.bepartofbetter.net
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