Thank you for your excellent article and robust leader (Armed MoD police begin patrolling 'civilian Scotland', News and Why we must value policing by consent, Editorial, January 8).
This is a huge issue that needs to be properly debated and resolved. I have great respect for Brendan O'Hara but as MP for the area and SNP defence spokesman, his only reasonable comments should have been to condemn this development and insist that MOD Police be constrained to what he calls their "primary" (surely their only?) role "to protect defence establishments".
Until we achieve independence for Scotland, defence and national security will always be reserved areas. However, the Scottish Government must insist on full disclosure from MoD of their plans, and work with Police Scotland to ensure that we are not creating a policing vacuum affording the MoD an easy excuse to expand their role and presence. The general public must be informed of the role and authority of MoD Police.
During the final days of the independence referendum in 2014 there were disturbing reports of increased MoD presence around Faslane and Coulport leading to speculation of a Guantanamo-style land-grab in the event of a Yes vote. Your report on these recent developments would appear to give these some credibility.
The idea that any member of the public could be challenged as "friend or foe of Argyll" would be ridiculous were it not so sinister. Trident WMD's already make the west of Scotland and the Clyde a target for nuclear and terror attack. Given the massive potential impact to almost all Scotland of a serious incident, the miserable safety records on these bases reported through various FOI releases and whistle-blowing accounts of security breaches, surely the MoD Police have more to concern themselves with than a citizen with a camera. This last point is also oddly hypocritical – the Navy are very pleased to allow film footage of politicians on board Trident submarines to be shown on TV and satellite photos of both bases are easily viewed on Google Maps.
True friends of Argyll want the abomination of Trident decommissioned and replaced by conventional sea defence forces, all the more important as High North shipping routes open up.
Dr Ron Dickinson,
Glasgow
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