Save RAF Lossie plea to politicians
POLITICIANS have been urged to safeguard closure threatened RAF Lossiemouth
"Moray has already paid the price of cuts", claim Moray business leaders.
In a joint letter to MPs, Peers and Scotland’s newly elected MSPs, Lossiemouth Business Association and Moray Task Force have urged the UK Government to safeguard the base, and warned that closure would have "serious and lasting implications for the Moray economy."
In October 2010, as part of its defence review, the UK Government announced the cancellation of the next generation Nimrod MRA4 surveillance aircraft. The decision effectively spells the end of RAF Kinloss in Moray as an RAF base.
The fate of nearby RAF Lossiemouth – the largest and busiest fast-jet base in the Royal Air Force – remains unclear.
Details of the initiative were announced on Sunday at a campaign event in Lossiemouth, designed to support local businesses and promote the town as a tourist destination.
The free event – known as ‘Stand up and be Kilted’ - included a fashion show and a performance from stand-up comic Fred MacAulay in Lossiemouth Town Hall.
In the letter, Tony Rook, chair of Lossiemouth Business Association and Lesley Ann Parker, chief executive of Moray Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of Moray Task Force – a campaign group involving businesses, community organisations and the public sector – said that Moray had already paid a "painful price" following the decision to close RAF Kinloss as an operational base in July.
Describing the RAF as "one of the cornerstones of the Moray economy," they called on the UK Government for an early decision on the future of the Lossiemouth base, warning that uncertainty surrounding its future had "left families and communities in limbo, and shaken the confidence of businesses already hurting from the impact of a long recession."
A report by Highlands and Islands Enterprise shows that the RAF in Moray supports over 5,700 jobs and contributes almost £160 million in wages to the local economy. RAF Lossiemouth itself supports over 3,370 jobs, almost 10% of all jobs in the local economy.
With 2,000 RAF families living in Moray, and 18-20% of the school population accounted for by RAF personnel, the two bases also play an important role in the social and cultural life of Moray.
The letter warns that the "loss of this community would have a significant impact on local businesses, nurseries and schools. Families would be forced to leave the area or face an uncertain future. Unemployment would rise as our population fell. The fabric of our community would change, perhaps for all time."
"The loss of RAF Kinloss is itself a serious social and economic challenge. The further loss of RAF Lossiemouth would have serious and lasting implications for the Moray economy.
Lesley Ann Parker added: "We hope that this eleventh hour bid to save RAF Lossiemouth will resonate with all of Scotland’s politicians. We are grateful for the support of the four main party leaders in Scotland, but we need the support of every MP and MSP in Scotland if we are to save RAF Lossiemouth. The future of our regional economy is at stake."
