MORE than 2000 military and civilian jobs have been axed by the UK Government in the last seven years – breaking a Better Together pledge made in 2014.
The Unionist campaign promised there would be 12,500 Armed Forces personnel in Scotland by 2020. But it is a commitment the MoD is on course to miss by 25%, with fewer than 10,000 personnel currently employed in Scotland.
New SPICe figures also reveal the UK Government has cut 2190 military and civilian jobs in Scotland since 2012.
SNP defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald blamed “misguided” Tory policies for the job losses after the UK Government earmarked several military bases across Scotland for closure, with the Army also set to withdraw from its historic heartland at Fort George, near Inverness.
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The news comes as it was revealed the Tories’ promised wage rise for low-income workers will still leave Scots hundreds of pounds short of the real living wage.
Chancellor Sajid Javid has said he will raise the minimum wage – rebranded by the Tories as the national living wage – to £10.50
by 2024. But SPICe forecast the real living wage will rise to £10.90 by 2024. The Tory proposals mean that a minimum wage worker on 35 hours a week would be paid £728 less than the real living wage, which is independently calculated to meet the cost of living.
SNP MSP said the Tory move is a “con” adding it shows “why Scotland should have full powers over our economy”.
The Spice figures also show a 14% reduction in the MoD headcount across a range of Scottish sites, with South Ayrshire losing all of its military personnel since 2012 and Stirling losing almost 50% of its MoD jobs.
McDonald said: “Scotland’s military footprint has been systematically hollowed out by the UK Tory government – landing a devastating blow to communities across the country.
“Years of brutal Tory cuts have removed any trace of the Army from large parts of Scotland with absolutely no regard for the jobs that depend on a local military presence. “Of course it’s good news that the UK government has reversed their decision to close RM Condor airfield in Angus, and defer the closure of Redford Barracks in Edinburgh to 2025, but they aren’t done wielding the axe yet.
“Truly historic military sites are being purposefully run into the ground by the MoD before they are closed for good in the next few years – and to add insult to injury, we know that these closures aren’t even expected to be cost-effective.
“The MoD must ditch these plans to close our vital military bases in Scotland – an unjustified and poorly planned decision.”
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