Scottish secretary Michael Moore in last bid to shield bases from cuts

THE Scottish Secretary Michael Moore is to tour defence bases in a last ditch effort to protect Scotland's military installations from his government's cuts.

Moore will visit the Govan and Scotstoun shipyards on the Clyde, where thousands of people are employed building aircraft carriers, as well as RAF Kinloss, RAF Lossiemouth and the Rosyth Naval Base.

Reports suggest that the two carriers being built in Scotland are threatened by the defence review being undertaken by the Tory/Lib Dem government.

Moore has had meetings with the Defence Secretary Liam Fox and has made a formal submission, which was copied to David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

Moore said: "I think it is really critical and certainly this is the way I have been trying to argue with the MoD and others that we actually show that Scotland makes a huge contribution to the UK's defence - strategically with its bases and industrially in its capabilities."