WE continue to hear from misinformation from the SNP and from those in the Yes Campaign relating to the impact that a Yes vote will have on Faslane, which is the largest single-site employer in Scotland.
Dr Margaret Pollock, who leads the Helensburgh Yes campaign, has stated that Faslane is "not as important in terms of jobs as people might think" and repeats the espoused line by the SNP and others in the Yes campaign that only 520 civilian jobs rely directly on Trident.
What Dr Pollock and her Yes campaign colleagues fail to highlight to the public is that the SNP and the Yes campaign have confirmed that it is not only the four Vanguard Class Trident submarines that they will demand are removed from Scotland, but also all the other nuclear-powered non-Trident submarines. Including the new fleet of Astute Class submarines, we are talking about all 17 submarines being removed from Faslane.
As confirmed by a Scottish Enterprise study, it was calculated that 10,598 jobs were dependent on Faslane. This includes direct civilian and Royal Navy jobs plus supplier linkages and income multipliers. The study reports that of the 10,600 full-time-equivalent jobs, 7,000 were civilian jobs. This figure did not include the additional 2,000 jobs that are in the pipeline and are being created at Faslane as a result of the Maritime Change Programme.
Under the SNP's plans for Faslane to become a conventional base in an independent Scotland, Dr Phillips O'Brien of the University of Glasgow has confirmed that if Scotland were to follow the Danish model, it could split its naval force (which would probably be based around two frigates and a number of smaller vessels, but almost certainly no submarines) into a domestic patrol force (east coast) and a Nato co-operative force at Faslane. Dr O'Brien has looked at similar facilities in European countries and has stated that each facility would require about 1,000 jobs.
Based on the current plans which would see about 12,600 jobs being dependent on Faslane compared with the 2,000 figure in an independent Scotland as confirmed by Dr O'Brien, it can be seen that well over 10,000 jobs are at serious risks under the SNP's independence plans.
It is time that the SNP and the Yes campaign were honest with the Scottish public about the large number of jobs at serious risk at the largest industrial site in Scotland if the Yes campaign was to be successful.
Councillor George Freeman (Independent),
Ward 9, Lomond North, Argyll & Bute Council, 8 Upland Wynd, Garelochhead, Helensburgh.
FOR decades our nation has remained secure due to the protection of being an island whose strength is underpinned and reinforced by the unity and resources of four nations standing shoulder to shoulder as one nation. The battle scars of two world wars all too clearly display this fact. These wars were fought for the protection of our people, our country and our freedom.
Today, the security and well-being of our people is no less important. Indeed, the increase in terrorism throughout the world cannot be denied and in Scotland we have by no means passed through the passage of time unscathed. The atrocity of the Lockerbie disaster is still wept over, and more recently, the attack on Glasgow Airport is still fresh in our minds. In each of these times the support and strength of being part of the United Kingdom has proved to be undeniably invaluable.
How then, in these troubled times, can we even consider independence as a viable option? It is a move that will strip us of the support we've relied on in turbulent times, and expose us to any potential rogue power as a defenceless back door route in to Europe.
It's only a No vote that will protect us against anything the future may hold for us in Scotland.
Grant Ker,
3 Marlborough Park, East Kilbride.
OUR fluttering Saltire, the skirl of the bagpipes, the warm aroma of neeps and tatties - all are hallmarks of our unique Scottish tradition.
But are we casting these to the wind of today's harsh realities by discarding our nuclear deterrent and reducing our defence intelligence?
If Scotland were to be independent, we'd do well to consider now the price of losing the mutual security that the UK currently affords to our heritage, us today, and our children of the future.
Gavin Steven,
8 Park Drive,
Thorntonhall, Glasgow.
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