Crockart in blast at army barracks plan

A CITY MP has criticised a review of the armed forces, citing the case of a Lothians barracks earmarked to take on 600 extra troops.

Mike Crockart, the Edinburgh West representative, said plans to “transform” defence staff and facilities had not been thought out.

Glencorse Barracks has been identified as one area to house hundreds more military staff.

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The Labour MP said: “Despite frequent opportunities to explain their thinking and to justify the proposed changes, the Ministry of Defence has singularly failed to provide any sort of coherent rationale.

“I have asked over 80 parliamentary questions around this issue, and the stock response to my questions seems to be that research is ongoing, and no answer can be provided until more is known. I fully agree that reform of the armed forces is necessary, particularly in the current economic climate.

“However, I do think that the Ministry of Defence needs to be able to offer clear and balanced explanations as to why it makes either economic or strategic sense to close barracks and disrupt the lives of many hundreds of service families.”

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