Robertson: Tories are betraying Scottish battalions

UK Political Editor

Tuesday 3 July 2012

THE Conservatives were last night accused by the SNP of betraying the armed forces in Scotland as expectations rise that at least one Scottish battalion will face the axe within days.

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MICHAEL SETTLE UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, is widely expected on Thursday to announce to MPs which parts of the British Army will be cut to meet the planned 20% reduction in the regular force from 100,000 to 80,000.

Last month, it was suggested that on grounds of recruitment – a key criterion – the Royal Regiment of Scotland should lose two of its five battalions. The latest Ministry of Defence figures showed the Highlanders battalion had a 24% shortfall in recruitment while the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders had one of 16%.Some English battalions are also having recruitment problems, with, in one case, The 1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment suffering a 23% shortfall.However, a Tory backbencher responded to suggestions that Prime Minister David Cameron had reduced the planned cut to the Scottish regiment to minimise the political fall-out in the context of the Scottish independence debate, by saying: "There is a great deal of resentment among Army officers in the way that excellently recruited English battalions are going to the wall when badly recruited Scottish battalions are staying."Yesterday, the Nationalists pointed to previous Conservative pledges to reinstate axed Scottish units from cuts imposed by the previous Labour administration.Angus Robertson, the SNP's defence spokesman at Westminster, said: "After promising to reinstate Scotland's historic regiments the Tories are now running down our armed forces even more. Reports over the last few months threatening the future of our recruited units are another intolerable betrayal of our armed forces by the UK Government."The Moray MP argued that for more than a decade Scotland had been short-changed in terms of defence, losing 11,000 jobs and undergoing a £5.6 billion underspend."Labour destroyed the regimental integrity of Scottish units and the Tories are breaking their promises to restore them and are planning more cuts," added Mr Robertson.

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Robertson: Tories are betraying Scottish battalions

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