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| LOSSIEMOUTH CAMPAIGNERS HAND PETITION TO PM |
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| Tuesday, 11 January 2011 00:00 |
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A delegation from the campaign to save RAF Lossiemouth took their fight to London today (Tuesday) as 30 local people journeyed overnight by bus to hand a 30 000 signature petition into Number 10. Commenting, SNP Defence Spokesperson and MP for Moray Angus Robertson, who accompanied the group said: “It’s now almost three months since the Defence Secretary published the Strategic Defence and Security Review, yet we are no further forward in getting any clarity around final base closure decisions or what support and assistance the UK Government intend to provide to communities affected by closures or downsizing. “Scotland has endured mammoth defence cuts over the last decade, and all the evidence surrounding the SDSR suggests that the Ministry of Defence is set to continuing the trend of concentrating defence manpower, basing and spending in the South of England. “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 at least £5.6 billion. This under-spend constitutes a 36% budget shortfall. Scotland has seen a severe defence shortfall and contraction which cannot continue.” Lossiemouth SNP Councillor and Chair of the ‘Save RAF Lossie’ Action Group, David Stewart, said: “The battle bus has taken us through rain, sleet and snow to deliver this 30,000 strong petition to the Prime Minister. We are absolutely clear that Lossiemouth must not close. “The community of Lossiemouth and the wider community of Moray and beyond have made clear their views with massive march and rally and now with the petition. “The community integration between the armed forces and the local community has been built up with over 70 years of RAF presence in Moray and the support that integration provides for the armed forces personnel and their families must not be lost at the stroke of a pen.” Moray's SNP MSP Richard Lochhead added: "The loss of Kinloss is a huge blow to Moray and if RAF Lossiemouth were to be closed that would be an economic catastrophe for the local economy on a par with Ravenscraig. "The community spirit that exists is hugely important for the morale of serving personnel at the base and if that is not strategically important in getting the best from our troops then the Whitehall mandarins have taken a seriously wrong turn. "The huge level of support is amply demonstrated by the 30 000 strong petition submitted to Number 10 and by the fact that a bus load of supporters are prepared to travel the significant distance to London to present the case." |
