MSP Tricia Marwick branded the Ministry of Defence (MoD) “a disgrace” over its treatment of closure-threatened RAF Leuchars.
“The news that RAF Leuchars was being considered for closure, along with Lossiemouth and RAF Marham, came not from the MoD, but from leaks to selected newspapers,” she said in her address to the SNP’s conference in Glasgow.
Mrs Marwick challenged the Westminster government to come clean on its strategic defence review and state what its intentions were for the base.
The MoD has insisted no decision has been made about the future of RAF Leuchars however, there are rumours it could be axed to spare RAF Lossiemouth or made into an army base.
She said, “The Tory-Liberal government must state now what their intentions towards Leuchars are, because the people of Fife like the people of Lossiemouth will not accept the cynical politicking with lives, security and our local economy.”
She continued, “Leuchars has been chosen as the base for the new Typhoon aircraft and £25 million has been spent on upgrading the Leuchars runway. It is now the best RAF runway in Britain.
“Nearly 1800 people are directly employed at Leuchars schools, businesses and local services are dependent on the base personnel and their families. They are all threatened if Leuchars closes.”