Credit where credit is due Sir Ming
SO Sir Menzies Campbell thinks that the RAF has been "banished" to the North of Scotland through the decision to retain the Lossiemouth air base and close Leuchars, in his North-east Fife constituency.
And he has a swipe at his Lib-Dem colleague, Danny Alexander, for lobbying for Lossie in fear for his Westminster seat in neighbouring Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
Well, Sir Ming, distinguished politician that you are, wake up and give credit where credit is due – to the people of Moray, not one politician.
The Save RAF Lossie campaign did target Mr Alexander as a powerful potential supporter, because of the chance of Lossie closing turning voters against him.
On the back of the RAF withdrawal from Kinloss, and due to the influences of the bases spreading far beyond the boundaries of Moray to the Highlands, a double blow would have impacted on the Liberal Democrats.
The party’s part in the Westminster government coalition led to its wipe-out in the Highlands in the Holyrood elections, and it was being pointed out to Mr Alexander that he could be on a shoogly peg when it came to his turn to retain his seat.
Sir Ming may well find himself in the same position, because of the RAF abandoning Leuchars.
A great deal of pressure was put on Mr Alexander from Moray because of his powerful position in the Government, and that was just one of the many tactics employed by the Save RAF Lossie campaigners.
At no stage did the people of Moray become involved in a direct Lossie v Leuchars debate.
They could easily have done so, but it would have been disrespectful to the good people of Fife. They were in the same position as us and we felt for them when Liam Fox announced his final decisions.
What Moray concentrated on was running as strong a campaign as it could for Lossie, to make arguments for retention so overwhelming that Mr Fox was left with no option. We believe that succeeded.
Perhaps Sir Ming should look at himself for waking up too late to the threat to Leuchars. The Fife people only started to see the danger signs when the Moray campaign forced the UK Government to confirm that the future of all RAF bases was being looked at as part of the defence review.
Up till then, with Kinloss ruthlessly axed, Lossie seemed to be the next prima target. If the people of Moray had sat back and done nothing, a double closure would have been on the cards.
But we didn’t, and all Scotland and the UK became aware of our fierce fighting spirit. The people of Fife just couldn’t match it.
Danny Alexander didn’t save RAF Lossie. If he was supporting it behind the scenes, it was because he had been pressurised to do so; he knew that the case for retaining it was strong and made sense.
No, Sir Ming, the people of Moray saved RAF Lossie: through their tenacity, their initiative, their passion in running a stunning campaign, including a People’s March and a People’s Petition that the Leuchars lobby just couldn’t match.
Give credit where credit is due.
The RAF isn’t being banished to the North-east of Scotland; it recognises the benefits of the Lossie base and the benefits of it being backed by people just as special as the men and women who wear the uniform proudly in defence of our country.
Wind of change blowing?
MORAY has been fairly accepting of the emergence of wind farms, but are they becoming too many, too intrusive and in danger of taking up too much of our beautiful countryside?
Campaigners protesting at the latest potential site, at the Glen of Rothes, seem to think so, and it may be time for Moray to take stock.
Is there a limit to how many wind farms we should have, in addition to the many individual or small groups of turbines springing up on agricultural farms?
It’s time for a debate on just this point, and where better to start than the ‘Letters’ columns of ‘The Northern Scot’?
Let’s hear your views, for or against, and encourage others to have their say. We know that the people in power take note of what our readers are saying – so come on, speak out!
