MoD CUTS OVER 500 JOBS IN EDINBURGH OVER 6 YEARS
REDFORD BARRACKS CLOSURE THREAT SIGNALS MORE PAIN FOR
SCOTTISH COMMUNITIES
The Ministry of Defence has cut 580 military and civilian jobs in Edinburgh since 2012, with communities in the Capital bearing the cost of misguided Tory policies.
Successive UK governments have hammered Scotland’s armed forces and systematically dismantled Scottish regiments with a proud military past, rooted in local communities.
These latest figures provided in a response to a Freedom of Information request by the SNP show a 12.3% reduction in the MoD headcount across a range of Scottish sites, with Edinburgh losing 34% – almost triple – of military jobs in total.
This follows the announcement that the Tories intend to close a further eight military bases across Scotland, including Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks, amounting to a 20% reduction in Scotland’s defence footprint and serious implications in terms of jobs and damage to communities and local economies. MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, has yet to receive any response for the MoD, having written to Gavin Williamson (Secretary of State for Defence) almost 2 months ago.
The SNP supports further spending on conventional defence infrastructure and jobs in Scotland while arguing vociferously against the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system at a cost of £205 billion to the taxpayer.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon Macdonald, said: “These are devastating
figures, which reveal the extent of MoD cuts in Edinburgh.
“There’s barely a community that isn’t being hammered, as the Tories grind down our armed forces, hollow out Scotland’s proud military past and spare little thought for local
communities and the jobs that depend on the military.
“But what’s worse is that they don’t appear to be done wielding the axe. The Tories want to cut a fifth of Scotland’s defence estate in the coming years – meaning more jobs cut
and more economic damage.
“And all of this so they can afford fund the UK government’s biggest vanity project of all –
wasting £205 billion on renewing Trident, which Scotland doesn’t need or want.
“It makes no sense. The MoD need to rule out further job losses and rethink the closure of Redford Barracks, and other bases across Scotland.”
Tables of MoD personnel 2012 – 2018 available here.
