McMILLAN CALLS TO HALT COASTGUARD CLOSURE

SNP MSP AT THE CENTRE OF FIGHT TO SAVE CLYDE COASTGUARD WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT OF CONSULTATION

SNP MSP Stuart McMillan will make a final plea tomorrow (Saturday) to the UK government to reverse their current proposals to close the Clyde coastguard station.

The Tory-Lib plans will see the Clyde MRCC in the next four years with responsibility for the busy and extensive waters being divvied up between centres at Belfast and Stornoway.

At a meeting in Greenock tomorrow Mr McMillan will join campaigners at a rally in the fight to keep Scotland's busiest coastguard station open.

There is now only 13 days until the end of the consultation and the West of Scotland MSP will be joined and supported in a show of local solidarity by other elected political representatives and trade unionists.

Mr McMillan said:

“As the clock ticks the people of Inverclyde and all over the West of Scotland are becoming increasingly aware of just how serious this is.

“We can only hope that the Westminster Government pay attention to the specialist needs of our rugged coastline which has some of the busiest waters for tourists and most significant shipping channels for trade anywhere in the UK.

“I got involved in politics to try and help people, not to put peoples’ lives into danger, and putting peoples’ lives into danger is exactly what the UK government proposals will do if the cuts are made.

“I wonder if the people behind these proposals have looked into the possible loss of lives when there is a delay when there is a call out from Belfast or Stornoway?

“And there is no substitute for local knowledge. Not only will the teams from the other centres be stretched if they have to look after Clyde’s huge and busy area but they won’t know the coastline the way the team here do.”