Lobbyists against the closure of RAF Leuchars have sent Defence Secretary Liam Fox four white feathers.
Within hours of signalling its closure, the politician jetted off to meet campaigners at Lossiemouth the base spared at Leuchars’ expense.
Bitter Fifers insist Dr Fox should have made a trip to Leuchars his top priority following the decision. Almost three months later, local service personnel and community activists are still waiting for his visit.
Plans to replace the base with an army barracks have done little to soothe the ire of campaigners, including retired RAF man and Leuchars Community Council chairman Mark Sharp.
He was so incensed by the development he has now sent the white feathers to Dr Fox along with a strongly worded letter.
”As you have no past military experience, the significance of the enclosed four white feathers may be lost on you, unless you have seen the film of the same name,” Mr Sharp wrote.
”The feathers symbolise cowardice, a trait that you have unfortunately seen fit to embrace since your refusal to come and explain your decision regarding the future of RAF Leuchars to the local community.”
Mr Sharp accuses Dr Fox of ”bounding up” to Lossiemouth at the earliest opportunity.
”No doubt you wanted to revel in the limelight as the saviour of the airbase, but chose not to face the public in Leuchars a place you had to geographically pass by not once but twice,” he continued.
Dr Fox is also accused of ignoring repeated questions from Sir Menzies Campbell, who earlier this week called for a fresh probe into the decision.
”You refuse to answer questions posed by our esteemed local MP regarding your decision to move the QRA quick reaction alert (north) from its current strategic location, to an area (Lossiemouth) that suffers far worse in the Scottish winters and is further away from the overlap of QRA (south),” Mr Sharp wrote.
”Perhaps you feel that as Fife is a rural area, we may not be able to comprehend the complexities of strategic defence. One good thing about living in a rural area, however, is the ability to smell bull****, even all the way from London.”
Mr Sharp criticised the decision to dispatch the Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth, to Leuchars on the day of the announcement.
”You, as defence secretary, have been unable to justify your actions, mainly because you refuse to,” he continued.