Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has admitted involvement in the decision to axe RAF Leuchars.
But the Lib Dem MP denied wrongdoing as he broke his silence over allegations he improperly interfered in the basing review.
Party colleague Sir Menzies Campbell, the North East Fife MP, suggested Mr Alexander lobbied to have Leuchars closed in order to save RAF Lossiemouth in an attempt to “assist his political credibility.”
There had been fears about the economic impact on Moray if both Lossiemouth and the nearby RAF Kinloss were closed. Moray neighbours Mr Alexander’s Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat, which may be enlarged under forthcoming boundary changes, and many of his constituents work there.
Labour’s Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty has called for an investigation into exactly how the decision was taken amid suggestions the ministerial code of conduct may have been breached.
The Courier has made several requests to interview Mr Alexander about the accusations in recent weeks, but was told he would not comment on the issue.
But writing in an Inverness newspaper (link) published on Tuesday, the 39-year-old admits he had been involved in the “difficult but necessary” decision, which he said was taken solely on military and economic grounds.
Mr Docherty described that version of events as lacking credibility, but Mr Alexander maintained the basing review was given careful consideration and represents “a very strong renewed commitment to Scotland.”
In the article, Mr Alexander writes: “My central commitment as a Treasury minister throughout this process has been to ensure these military decisions were fully understood, and, if necessary, properly mitigated and that the Ministry of Defence conducts a full value for money assessment of each option.”
Referring explicitly to the choice between Leuchars and Lossiemouth, he adds: “It would have been wrong to blight a single community in the way that two base closures without an alternative military presence would have done in Moray, or one closure without mitigation would have done in Fife.”
Mr Alexander praises the “Fife” Task Force for its work in lobbying for the base.
“The objective, non-partisan, evidence-based approach they took provided a very sound basis to understand the potential impact,” he writes. “As it was, the MoD’s (Ministry of Defence) assessment of all the relevant factors led to the conclusion that RAF Lossiemouth … should be retained.
“The decision to replace the RAF presence at Leuchars and Kinloss with the army was a difficult but necessary one.”
Mr Docherty said Mr Alexander’s statement proved he had “stacked the deck” in favour of Lossiemouth.
“For days the Lib Dems have tried to claim that Danny Alexander lobbied for Lossiemouth only as a constituency MP, not as a Treasury minister,” he said. “Now he has said the complete opposite that he was involved on behalf of the Treasury.
“I also think it is fairly despicable that he makes a link to the Leuchars Task Force which he incorrectly describes as the Fife Task Force. What is undeniably clear is that Danny Alexander stacked the deck in favour of Lossiemouth.”
Leuchars is to house a brigade headquarters of the army once the RAF pull out.