THE FUTURE of the British bases in Cyprus is back in the spotlight after the British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a senior advisory role on the future of Dhekelia and Akrotiri to the controversial Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft.
The appointment was confirmed by British Defence Secretary Liam Fox last night. He said the peer would undertake the role to the review British military instillations in Cyprus, despite objections from opposition Labour politicians and the deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
According to reports Nick Clegg made it clear he was “not keen” on the appointment, but the prime minister chose to go ahead.
The high level appointment raises concerns that the British military presence on the island could be scaled back as part of David Cameron’s wide-ranging cuts.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman told Reuters the review would cover “what we have, how we use it, if we can use it better”, but did not say whether a base could be closed.
Over 3,000 troops are currently based here at an estimated cost of £300m a year to the British taxpayer, with Akrotiri being the largest RAF base outside the UK.
Ashcroft, the multimillionaire former deputy chairman of the Conservative party caused outrage last year when he confirmed that he was a “non-dom” and does not pay tax on his earnings abroad in the UK.
It is understood that he will work with Conservative MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer in the review of Cyprus military establishments, which is part of the strategic defence review.
For Labour, Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: “People will be surprised that such a contentious and controversial character has been put in charge of something as strategically important as British bases in Cyprus.
“The Tories’ major donor should not write government policy. Many in the Armed Forces will be bewildered by this decision.
“There needs to be ministerial involvement in this. Military expertise, not the self interest of the coalition parties, must drive the study.”
Speculation about the fate of Dhekelia on the east coast has been rife for years, with SBA authorities rubbishing recent reports of closures in the local and foreign press.
The other British military facility at Akrotiri on the south coast of the island is an important airbase providing support for the NATO effort against Libyan leader Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
It is also currently providing logistic support to alliance troops in Afghanistan and is also an important electronic surveillance hub.
Both British military bases were retained by Britain when it granted independence to Cyprus in 1960. They total 98 square miles.
The strategic defence review was announced by the British government in October 2010 and set out ways to cut defence spending by 8 per cent over four years.
