Lossie saved, Leuchars to the Army
 

According to the Guardian, at least: Defence officials decide fate of two Scottish bases | UK news | guardian.co.uk

MOD Spokesmans brief...

'DENY EVERYTHING BALDRICK!'

Best they both stay open or I see Mr cameron having a VERY rough ride in the future.

But nothing would surprise me, the military get stuffed over whilst the other Government Departments have little of the cutback actions actually enforced.

I hope Leuchars doesn't go. A fantastic posting.

So where will be the 'Crash Div' for Lossie? Wick? Turnhouse? Inverness International? Dyce?

Best they keep one Voyager on immediate readiness at Lossie - it will be needed sooner or later.

Too many eggs in one basket, methinks.

glad rag,


Who is going to give Cameron a hard time over Leuchars if it is handed over to the Army, and just how would they do it?

As to "the military get stuffed over whilst the other Government Departments have little of the cutback actions actually enforced"

What planet do you live on? Most Govt departments, local councils and public sector bodies are taking between 28 and 40% cuts, with some having as much as 50% budget reductions. Defence took a 7.5% hit.

Get real.

Yes, that Mr Cameron had better be careful or else the Tory vote in Scotland might collapse...

This is difficult to say but....

In this instance, the chap two posts up is correct. And the military have just been given some of the budget cuts back.

Don't overplay your hand.

Probably more personnel to be at an army camp? Me-thinks that there will be some extra free stewarding at the British Open in a couple of years time...

Next question. Does an army camp generate more into the local economy than an RAF camp - bearing in mind the reduced number of Squadrons that will be there? If the army generate more income then Govt (and locals) will be most happy.

@ pr00ne & TOFO
 

Sorry to burst your tory fan-boy bubble but..


BBC News - Plans to outsource public services 'scaled back'

I was an Ops O on nights when aircrew still did Ops. Even 15 years ago we had to scratch around for night divs. Unless booked before the blue moon set Marham would close when their sqns stopped flying which was often 1700. Lakenheath would close at 2100. Invariably we would finish up with East Midlands or on occasion Manchester.

Only one military airfield in the north of Scotland would be no different, except it would need the civil airfield during the day too. Paying for occasional civilian use would be less expensive than keeping a second airfield open as a contingency.

Squaddies in St Andrews! That should stir things up a bit!

Re a Diversion, don't forget Prestwick. It seems to get overlooked by all bar the Canucks! Canadian CF-188's used it on their way to the Med a few weeks back. It's still open late most nights thanks to Ryanair though that could change now that Mr O'Leary has a foot in at Turnhouse.:uhoh:

Div'd into Prestwick a few times now, excellent service and very welcoming handling agents. Keep a weather eye open for Grey US C130s and other 'Biz jet' type ac staging through there, nothing to do with rendition whatsoever......

:ok:

glad rag,


"Tory fan boy bubble! Me? Oh the irony...

A political about face by Cameron, one of many, because of a political backlash on public sector outsourcing has nothing to do with departmental budgets being slashed by 28% to 50%, councils facing cuts of in excess of £100m and organisations like the Ambulance service facing £500m cuts and losing hundreds of front line staff. It has no impact whatsoever on the fact that defence, by comparison, got off extremely lightly with a 7.5% cut in it's planned budget and no reduction in UOR or operational funding from the reserve.

Tory boy.............. snigger.

Right pr00ne one last time, slowly.

The cuts you have referred to above were meant to be sustained by transference of work, departments, and jobs to the private sector.
"On 20 February this year, David Cameron wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the government would create a new presumption that all "public services should be open to a range of providers competing to offer a better service" - the only exceptions being national security and the judiciary.

This was meant to reduce overall government budgets AND add a kickstart effect to the economy.

These cuts have now been reduced or eliminated across whitehall apart from the MOD who is still going ahead and scrapping ships, aircraft, squadrons, bases.

OK :ok:

This is yet another report based on a snippet of information by The Scotsman, its then been picked up by the Guardian. All since denied by the M.O.D. I'm not saying its all hogwash, but the Scotsman is invariably having its reports that Leuchars will close denied by official sources.

Personally, I go with the idea that a much larger number of Infantry personnel suddenly descending on St. Andrews would be like a Hells Angel Gang turning up and setting up Headquarters in Tunbridge Wells. If its true the whole idea will prove a fool hardy one regarding the impact on the local area, thinking particularly of St. Andrews!:(

FB:)

IF (such a big word .....) Fort George is to shut I wonder if the incumbants will be moved to Kinloss? Moray Barracks, anyone? Now, that would keep the real estate in MOD hands - Kinloss used as a day div/excercise site, with ATC/Fire/etc detached daily from Lossie? Shut up Baldrick?

Surely Rupert/Peregrine play golf,don`t they ?...sorry. they do it on horseback!

GF, in the short term. It would not be long before the runway needed refurbishing and someone would have done trackies on it.