Letter: Defence needs

Although accepting that losing large military bases within their locality is a major issue and of serious concern to the local communities involved; it is rather worrying that decisions appear to have been made on the basis of local political influence rather than on purely defence needs (your report, 21 July).

As well as Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and others claiming credit for boosting the local economies and generating millions of pounds of infrastructure improvements, Dr Liam Fox, based on his statement to the House of Commons recently, seems also to be making decisions based on the presumption that Scotland is heading for independence.

Bob Bertram

Main Street

Pathhead, Midlothian