Hopes were rising last night that Moray’s two airbases will be spared the axe when the government finalises its plans to slash defence spending.
Members of a local authority taskforce held talks with Scottish Secretary Michael Moore at Westminster yesterday – and emerged “heartened” by what they had heard.
The minister was given a dossier spelling out how vital RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Kinloss are to the local economy.
A study commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise revealed that the impact of base closure would be far harsher in Moray than in any other region of the UK that has RAF bases.
They provide almost 6,000 full-time jobs and pump £156million into the local economy every year.
Mr Moore gave no guarantees about the future of either base – but promised that the effect of any closures on local communities would be taken into account when the results of the strategic security and defence review are announced next month.
Moray Council depute convener Allan Wright said last night he had been heartened by Mr Moore’s pledge to ensure the Ministry of Defence took “socio-economic” factors into consideration.
He said: “My feeling about the future of the bases is better than this morning. The relevant arguments have been articulated to someone who will be sitting at the Cabinet table when decisions are taken.”
The council’s SNP opposition leader, Pearl Paul, said: “We have had the opportunity to put our case across. That is why it was vital we came down to London.”
Council chief executive Alastair Keddie said service families played a vital role supporting schools, youth organisations and Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.
Labour group leader John Divers stressed the “clear-skies” advantage of the Moray climate for flying and the cost savings compared with moving to bases in the south.
Mr Moore, who promised to visit Moray to see the work of the RAF for himself, said after the meeting: “It was good and constructive.
“I understand why this is such a concern to the whole community and I hope they felt they got a good hearing.”
Moray MP Angus Robertson, who is also the SNP’s defence spokesman, said: “The economic impact, and the impact on local communities, cannot be separated from the decisions which need to be made within the strategic defence review.”
RAF Kinloss is home to the UK’s fleet of Nimrod surveillance aircraft and RAF Lossiemouth is the base for a force of Tornado jets.
Meanwhile, the Commons defence committee was warned yesterday that one or both of the aircraft carriers being built largely on the Clyde could be scrapped, with the loss of several thousand jobs.
The move would spark fury in the central belt and sound the deathknell for much of what is left of the Scottish shipbuilding industry.
The fate of the aircraft carriers was raised at a meeting of the defence committee by BAE chief executive Ian King.
He confirmed for the first time that his company had been told to look at “a range of options” for the multibillion-pound warships – from continuing to build two for the Royal Navy to building none.
Mr King told MPs: “The carrier programme is committed against two vessels – that is the current contractual commitment. We have been asked recently, in the last couple of weeks, to look at a number of options.
“The programme is for two vessels, but the options range from one vessel to no vessels, but having an equivalent programme to maintain skills.”
Other feared defence cuts include one or more of the remaining seven battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Fort George barracks near Inverness, currently occupied by the Black Watch, the RM Condor home of 45 Royal Marine Commando near Arbroath, the Western Isles missile range and the torpedo range near Kyle of Lochalsh.