Salmond tells Cameron: say sorry for broken military promise

Sunday 10 March 2013

First Minister Alex Salmond has called on David Cameron to apologise for what he describes as the Government's broken commitment on troops in Scotland.

In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Salmond said the Government's bond of trust with Scots had been damaged by the slimming down of plans to increase soldier numbers north of the border.

Number 10 responded by accusing the First Minister of using "intemperate" language. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced on Tuesday that the number of Armed Forces personnel will increase by about 600, far fewer than was promised in 2011. Mr Salmond wrote: "This week has seen an announcement by your Government on military basing which shamefully disregards clear promises to Scotland that were made less than two years ago. "You should now apologise for the breaking of those commitments to the people of Scotland. "You must also now commit to work constructively with us to ensure that the most positive outcomes possible are achieved for communities around Scotland and, crucially, for service personnel and their families affected by these changes." The SNP leader said the Scottish Government had engaged with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on "every possible occasion" since details of the Strategic Defence and Security Review were announced. Liam Fox, who previously held the defence brief, pledged that the size of the Army in Scotland would increase from about 3,500 to 8,500. He also outlined a proposal for a new base in Kirknewton, near Edinburgh, which has now been ditched. The changes, announced at Westminster, mean the Army's presence in Scotland will grow to about 4,000 by 2020. Communities across Scotland will feel "deeply aggrieved", Mr Salmond said. "That includes both (RAF bases) Kinloss and Leuchars where it is now clear that Army numbers to replace the RAF will not match those promised. "It also includes communities in and around Edinburgh, where people are coming to terms with the confirmation that two major Army facilities will, at least in part, close." The First Minister asked that information which could be used to assess the economic and social impact be provided by the MoD immediately, having been requested four months previously. He concluded: "This process has irrevocably shattered any remaining claim that your Government had to taking forward the best interests of Scotland. I look forward to your urgent response." Responding to Mr Salmond's letter, a Downing Street spokesman said: "It is regrettable that the First Minister has chosen to write in such intemperate terms about an announcement that will increase both the army and overall military footprint in Scotland. "The review has brought certainty and security to our Armed Forces in Scotland. It is the policy of the Scottish Government to remove them entirely. "The total number of armed forces personnel will rise in Scotland by over 600 - giving Scotland its fair share of military numbers on a population basis - and we will be spending more than £100 million on refurbishing military facilities in Scotland. "That significant defence spend demonstrates our commitment to Scotland, which is more than can be said for the Scottish Government's proposal - confirmed in recent reports - to slash the defence budget in an independent Scotland."

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Salmond tells Cameron: say sorry for broken military promise

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