COUNCILLORS have put aside political differences to plead with Government ministers to save 280 Ministry of Defence jobs in York.

The leaders of all four parties at City of York Council yesterday signed joint letters to Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary William Hague.

The first called for proposals to transfer the 15 Brigade HQ from York’s Imphal Barracks to Catterick, with the loss of up to 80 York jobs, to be scrapped.

The second called for 200 security vetting staff, who work for the Defence Vetting Agency based at Imphal, to remain at the barracks in Fulford Road. This second letter was written after The Press exclusively revealed yesterday that the 200 jobs could be at risk through proposals to merge Government security vetting agencies.

We reported that the Government was consolidating the DVA’s work with another vetting provider, FCO Services, based in Milton Keynes and London, and York Central MP Hugh Bayley was pressing for any amalgamated service to be in York, which was centrally located nationally and had fully experienced staff available.

The letters have been signed by Labour group leader James Alexander, who proposed it, Liberal Democrat council leader Andrew Waller, Tory group leader Ian Gillies and Green leader Andy D’Agorne.

The letter to Mr Fox said: “York is proud of its contingent of both civilian and non-civilian Ministry of Defence staff and York is particularly susceptible to job losses in the public sector due to an unbalanced economy.

“We feel that our pride in the armed forces and associated staff located in York is not a party political issue and we jointly call on you to reconsider this decision.”

The letter to Mr Hague said of the threat to DVA jobs: “We feel that our pride in the armed forces and associated staff located in York is not a party political issue and we jointly call on you to reconsider this decision.”