ANGUS ROBERTSON MP DEMANDS RETHINK ON TA CUTS PLAN.

ANGUS ROBERTSON MP DEMANDS RETHINK ON TA CUTS PLAN.

SNP Westminster leader and party Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP has called on the UK Government to think again over plans to cut Territorial Army training over the next six months in a bid to save money.

The news comes as official figures from the Ministry of Defence confirm a £4.3bn defence underspend in Scotland between 2002 and 2007, underlined by evidence that 9,500 defence jobs have been lost in Scotland since Labour came to power.

Mr Robertson said:

“Downing Street must think again over these damaging cuts. You can’t cut training for six months without a knock on effect down the line in terms of operations and recruitment.

“We have only just found out the scale of the massive defence underspend in Scotland which confirmed the 9,500 defence jobs losses since Labour came to power. It is a real worry that the TA now face cuts too.

“The TA are more than just weekend warriors - right now five hundred territorial officers are making a significant operational contribution in Afghanistan. Closing down training for the next six months could have real repercussions, and Ministers have not addressed that.

“It is just typical of Gordon Brown’s government to cut back on TA officers in the name of cost cutting, while pushing ahead with plans to spend billions on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons.

“The SNP have a simple suggestion for the prime minister if he wants to make efficiency savings – he should focus on cutting Trident before he cuts the TA.”