Speaking in support of Councillor Struan Mackie’s motion to the full Highland Council on 27th March regarding the UK’s Strategic Defence Review, Inverness Councillor Dr Michael Gregson has stated that the Highlands have “a key role as we enter increasingly unstable times.”
Speaking in Inverness, he emphasised the importance of this Review:
“The Highlands have a long and proud military tradition.
“I am firmly in support of the Council’s Armed Forces Covenant and the strong presence of the Royal Regiment of Scotland 4th Battalion The Highlanders at Cameron Barracks, and the 3rd Battalion The Black Watch at Fort George.
“And there is a strong network of Reservists in our area.
“The military is very much part of the fabric of Highland communities.
“Along with Moray, Highland is one of the areas with the highest percentage of veterans and their families.
“And there is a strong presence of SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity.
“Highland Council has an Armed Forces Champion, and a Cadet Champion.
“We should not underestimate the significance of the UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review.
“The North Atlantic challenge, the Arctic Framework, and our NATO obligations, require the whole network of security and defence establishments, and their associated contractors and workforces.
“At a time of escalating international geopolitical tensions, the UK’s interests must be secure.
“This encompasses the whole gamut of offshore and subsea infrastructure, as well as busy and important maritime routes and traffic.
“Moreover, the vulnerabilities created by climate change add greatly to the need for Britain’s northern territory to be protected and secure.
“As Councillor Mackie states in his excellent motion, NRTE Vulcan in West Caithness is a site of great skills and important capabilities in the Royal Navy’s submarine programme.
“As the UK Government conducts its Strategic Defence Review, I strongly support the retention of NRTE Vulcan, as an essential part of our national security framework in the months and years to come.”
