Letter: Defence needs

THE threats by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond (your report, 2 February) are petty, spiteful propaganda. To consider such moves seriously would be most unwise, in England’s interests as much as in Scotland’s.

Whether Scotland becomes independent in 2016 or not, the armed forces located in Scotland are guarding England’s back door. Scots have paid for, and therefore own, their share of the UK’s defence assets.

Over a period of years the Ministry of Defence has been removing defence facilities from Scotland – Scottish Command, the Nimrods, the Marines at Arbroath and so on.

As Sir Clive Fairweather has wisely pointed out, continuity of defence is essential to both parties. The wisest policy for the present government to adopt would be to review what UK assets would be required to defend an independent Scotland, and then “subject to the exigiencies of the service” to locate them in Scotland.

England’s back door would then be defended as well as possible, given the inadequacy of UK forces for the task currently in hand, and there would be minimal disruption if the referendum yields a Yes.

Specifically, the army is to be cut from around 100,000 to 82,000 by 2020. The latest proposal for army personnel to be based in Scotland is 6,000, ie 7.3 per cent of the UK total.

As Scotland has 8.2 per cent of the UK population and more than 30 per cent of the land area, further reductions would not seem to be urgent. England will no doubt want the Tridents, the aircraft carriers, and most of the small fleet of large surface ships.

I read that the SAS is suffering a heavy loss of personnel by voluntary retirement, so it may be that the ex-Arbroath Marines are to fill the gaps in other units.

If this is the case, it is in the interest of both the UK and Scotland to find means to train up replacements starting now. Even if Scotland got much of the tax, England will still want the oil and gas for its use.

It will not be in its interest to leave disproportionate gaps in Scotland’s defences. After independence day, of course, it will be up to Scotland to shape provision to better suit our needs.

John Smart

Kinneddar Street

Lossiemouth