IN THE contentious issue of this government's decision to close the Divisional HQ at Imphal Barracks and transfer its role to Scotland, the proposed relocation of the Defence Vetting Agency to York is a smokescreen of Mandelsonian proportions concocted by Labour spin doctors desperately trying to save face.

The DVA was formed from its constituent single service parts a year ago. At that time it could, and should have been formed at Imphal Barracks in the spacious accommodation just vacated by the Manning and Records Office which also went to Scotland.

This has nothing to do with the Divisional HQ except, that is, in the politically manipulative minds of Hugh Bayley MP and Coun Rodney Hills.

Government spin claims that the move to Edinburgh was driven by operational effectiveness and cost efficiency. Wrong on both counts.

How can it possibly be so when over three-quarters of the new Command's military establishments, installations and budget will be in the North of England where they could be managed far more efficiently and cost effectively from York?

The hypocrisy of this whole shabby deal, hailed by Coun Hills as a 'triumph', is sickening. The truth was correctly identified by Labour Lord Mayor Derek Smallwood as a bribe to buy votes in a Scottish parliament at the expense of York. It is in that cause that our city is to lose the status, prestige and quality jobs of a major military HQ which has rightly been ours for almost 2000 years.

The people of York will not forget this perfidious betrayal of their interests and will doubtless express their anger at the ballot box next May.

Ken Beavan,

Albemarle Road,

York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.