Sir Menzies Campbell MP has repeated his call for Trident to be included in the Strategic Defence Review in a letter to Defence Secretary Liam Fox. Following the announcement by the Chancellor that the Ministry of Defence will be responsible for paying the cost of a Trident replacement, Sir Menzies has said that it must now be “de facto” under consideration.

Sir Menzies also raised questions about the need for continuous “at sea deterrence” as there “is no immediate nuclear threat to the United Kingdom” and if scaled back the life of Trident could be extended by several years.

In his letter Sir Menzies said:

“As you are aware the Coalition Agreement allows the Liberal Democrats to propose alternatives to the like for like replacement of Trident. This provision is now much more significant in view of the Chancellor’s decision that the cost of Trident must be borne by the defence budget and not funded from other government sources.

“In truth the logic of the Chancellor’s decision is that the Trident replacement has now de facto become part of the defence review.

“Is it not now time to reconsider the whole approach to Trident, to include it formally in the defence review and to ensure that this element of our defence receives the scrutiny which strategic, political and financial circumstances demand.”

Sir Menzies Campbell MP has branded claims by the Labour party that all three Scottish RAF bases could close as a result of the Strategic Defence Review as “naïve and damaging scaremongering”.

The speculative comments from one Scottish Labour MP and two of their MSPs came after reading an article about potential future MOD budget cuts.

Sir Menzies said:

“This type of scaremongering from the Labour party is naïve and damaging.

“All political parties committed themselves to a full scale strategic defence review following the General Election. For Labour now to complain about the nature of the current review is curious to say the least.

“Labour MPs would be better advised to concentrate on why their government failed to provide proper equipment support for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and presided over damaging shortages of helicopters in both operations.

“I have consistently supported RAF Leuchars during the 23 years I have been an MP and am a regular visitor to the base.

“Leuchars is a vital component of the air defences of the United Kingdom and provides the 24 hour stand by aircraft known as the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) which protects Britain’s airspace from intruders. The QRA has been much busier recently in tracking Russian aircraft probing our air defences.

“The case for RAF Leuchars is overwhelming, not least because it is due to take delivery within a few weeks of the first of the Eurofighter aircraft which will make up three squadrons at the base. In addition there are units of the RAF regiment and the Territorial Army deployed at Leuchars.

“Leuchars is central to Britain’s defence.”

North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell has today highlighted his concern at the news that a third of service personnel are not currently registered to vote. For those who are registered, a short election campaign may mean they do not have enough time to use a postal vote.

Commenting, Sir Menzies said:

“It is unfortunate but not surprising that so many of our serving personnel are not registered to vote. Many will have joined the Forces before they were eligible to vote and regular deployments overseas or to different parts of the UK make it hard for servicemen and women to make sure they are on the electoral register at any given point. Some may be unaware that they can use a postal vote, register as a ‘service voter’ or to nominate someone to vote in their place by proxy.

“For those who are registered to vote in the coming election but who are serving overseas, even casting a vote can be logistically extremely difficult. But for those who are fighting to spread democracy and aid free elections in places like Afghanistan it is only right that every effort is made to ensure they can vote in British elections.

“The General Election could be called any day now. I have written to the Ministry for Defence to ask what it is doing to ensure signing up does not mean signing away your right to vote.”

The news that medics from 612 Squadron at RAF Leuchars will be among the 1000 Scottish troops soon to be deployed in Afghanistan “underlines the extent to which reserve forces are contributing”, according to North East Fife MP and member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Sir Menzies Campbell.

“This announcement underlines the extent to which reserve forces are contributing to the effort in Afghanistan, and also points up the folly of the previous proposal from the government to cut the training hours of the Territorial Army”, said Sir Menzies.

“The public will want to be assured that both regulars and reservists alike are fully trained and properly equipped.

“The whole community will wish them godspeed and a safe return.”

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s speech today about Afghanistan, Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Sir Menzies Campbell MP said:

“The weakness in the Prime Minister’s case is that it depends not only on President Karzai’s good faith but also his competence, neither of which have been much in evidence in recent times.

“To succeed with Karzai, the allies will have to be willing to “hold his feet to the fire”. The position is most certainly not helped by President Obama’s long deliberations on a new strategy. He has left a vacuum at a time when decisiveness is essential.”