108 jobs axed at Scots RAF base

THE axe fell yesterday on the first 108 jobs to be lost at a Moray air base as the direct result of a government decision to reduce its role dramatically in a new round of defence cuts.

The job losses – feared to be the first of many at RAF Kinloss – were described as a "hammer blow" for the local economy by union leaders.

Angus Robertson (right), the SNP MP for Moray, declared: "This is a body blow for the workforce, and the Ministry of Defence must reverse this short-sighted and irresponsible decision.

"At a time when our forces are already overstretched and our communities under pressure, the UK government should be supporting these jobs and bases, not running them down."