ANGER AS PM FAILS TO RULE OUT CONVENTIONAL DEFENCE CUTS

ANGER AS PM FAILS TO RULE OUT CONVENTIONAL DEFENCE CUTS

Seizing on the Prime Minister’s failure to rule out cutting Scotland’s three RAF bases following questioning by SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP in the House of Commons today (Monday), the Moray MP condemned the intolerable uncertainty caused by the speculation.

Mr Robertson said:

“Gordon Brown’s refusal to rule out cuts will fuel speculation and add to the intolerable uncertainty for service personnel and their families. At a time when our forces are already overstretched and under-resourced it would be a betrayal by this Labour government to threaten vital bases and defence programmes while squandering billions on Trident nuclear weapons renewal.

“The fact is that Gordon Brown’s government is already responsible for a £4.3billion defence underspend in Scotland, and 9,500 defence jobs have been lost in Scotland since Labour came to power – that is an appalling record. For Gordon Brown to talk of enhanced spending in Scotland is patently nonsense.

“Downing Street keeps making the wrong choices on cuts whether its equipment, training, aircraft and bases while blowing billions on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons.”