A message of support will this week be sent to Scotland’s beleaguered airbases by members of Perth and Kinross Council.
Provost Dr John Hulbert and deputy Willie Wilson will present colleagues with a motion urging them to back a call for the government to increase defence expenditure in Scotland to save RAF Leuchars and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.
Both sites are under threat of closure following the publication of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, with a decision to be announced after the Scottish elections in May.
The question mark placed over the bases’ survival has galvanised locals in both areas, while an economic impact assessment by Fife Council last month warned the closure of Leuchars would cripple the area’s economy.
At a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council on Wednesday, Dr Hulbert will present a motion calling on the local authority to “recognise the strength and justice of the campaigns by the communities of Fife and Moray, to support the retention of the Royal Air Force bases at Leuchars and Lossiemouth.”
Speaking to The Courier, Dr Hulbert said, “This should not be about a fight for survival between Leuchars and Lossiemouth it should be about ensuring that Scotland gets a a fair share of defence expenditure in a bid to secure the future of both sites and the surrounding communities.”To show your support for RAF Leuchars, leave a comment below or click here.