Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has called on David Cameron to apologise for what he describes as the Government’s broken commitment on troops in Scotland.
In a strongly-worded letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Salmond said the Government’s bond of trust with Scots had been damaged by the slimming down of plans to increase soldier numbers north of the border.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced on Tuesday that the number of armed forces personnel will increase by about 600, far fewer than was promised in 2011.
Mr Salmond wrote: “This week has seen an announcement by your Government on military basing which shamefully disregards clear promises to Scotland that were made less than two years ago.
“You should now apologise for the breaking of those commitments to the people of Scotland.”
Liam Fox, who previously held the defence brief, pledged the size of the army in Scotland would increase from about 3,500 to 8,500. He also outlined a proposal for a new base in Kirknewton, near Edinburgh, which has now been ditched.
The changes, announced at Westminster, mean the army’s presence in Scotland will grow to about 4,000 by 2020.
Communities across Scotland will feel “deeply aggrieved”, Mr Salmond said.
“That includes both (RAF bases) Kinloss and Leuchars, where it is now clear that army numbers to replace the RAF will not match those promised.
“It also includes communities in and around Edinburgh, where people are coming to terms with the confirmation that two major army facilities will, at least in part, close.”
Responding to Mr Salmond’s letter, a Downing Street spokesman said: “It is regrettable that the First Minister has chosen to write in such intemperate terms about an announcement that will increase both the army and overall military footprint in Scotland.
“The total number of armed forces personnel will rise in Scotland by over 600 giving Scotland its fair share of military numbers on a population basis and we will be spending more than £100 million on refurbishing military facilities in Scotland.”