SCOTLAND FACING 25 PER CENT DEFENCE CUT

For immediate use: Tuesday 19 October 2010

Attn:   NEWSDESKS

          DEFENCE / POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS

CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY OVER MORAY BASES CONDEMNED

Following the Prime Minister’s statement on the Strategic Defence and

Security Review, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has condemned the

UK Government over the prospect of one in four of Scotland's uniformed

service posts being cut.

The prospect of the bases in Lossiemouth and Kinloss no longer being

unitised by the RAF raises the prospect of one in four of Scotland's

uniformed service posts being cut - a 25% cut in Scottish military

posts from 12,000 to 9,000.

Westminster SNP leader and defence spokesman Angus Robertson and Moray

MSP Richard Lochhead - who represent RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth

as MP for Moray - condemned the continued uncertainty.

Mr Robertson said:

“The loss of these RAF bases will be a disaster for defence in

Scotland in general and Moray in particular. To prolong the

uncertainty for our service personnel and their home community is

cruel and unfair.

“We are looking at a 25 per cent cut of Scottish military posts which

is worse than anywhere else in the UK and with these cuts largely

occurring in Moray which is the most defence dependent community in

the UK.

“The RAF bases have enjoyed the support of the local community for 70

years and the Ministry of Defence and UK government cannot just walk

away from their responsibilities to Moray.

“Scotland has already endured mammoth defence cuts over the last

decade under Labour, and these have been compounded by the decisions

announced by the Prime Minister.

“The Ministry of Defence is continuing 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 now face, and the impact of wider budget cuts to the

Scottish Government that will hit jobs, services and investment.

“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. These further cuts will have

devastating social and economic consequences, and UK Ministers must

realise that they are responsible for this black hole.”

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said:

“The loss of these RAF bases will be an absolute hammer-blow for the

local community. Everyone here has some connection with the bases, and

Moray is the most defence-dependent community in the UK. The MoD has a

responsibility to the region, which has served it loyally.

“For over 70 years the RAF has been an integral part of Moray life and

the bond with the local community is extremely strong. That

integration is something that it is hard to put a price one but which

impossible to replicate.

“Moray is a rural economy, and there is little capacity to absorb job

losses on this scale. The bases support 5,710 jobs across the

community, and brings almost £160m to the local economy.”

SNP MSP for Govan and Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon added

“The decision to continue the construction of air craft carriers on

the Clyde and at Rosyth is good news for our shipyards and will ease

the concerns of workers there.  However the decisions for forces

personnel and communities in Moray, Edinburgh and elsewhere will have

a devastating impact and must be the focus of our efforts.”

ENDS