SNP DEMAND STATEMENT ON TA U-TURN.

SNP DEMAND STATEMENT ON TA U-TURN.

CUT TRIDENT NOT TA TRAINING.

The SNP have called for an immediate statement to parliament following a report in the Daily Telegraph that Gordon Brown is set to u-turn over planned cuts in Territorial Army training amid fears that it would turn into a political disaster rivalling his humiliation over the Gurkhas.

SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP, who has led calls for the TA cuts to be abandoned, demanded clarification that the cuts will not happen, and urged the prime minister to make a further u-turn and abandon Trident replacement plans.

Mr Robertson said:

“Downing Street has learnt nothing from the Gurkhas fiasco, and it looks like Gordon Brown is yet again being forced into a humiliating u-turn. The prime minister must make an immediate statement to parliament and end the uncertainty over the TA cuts.

“The fact is that Labour keep making the wrong choices on cuts – whether its cutting Scottish spending in the teeth of recession or cutting TA training while blowing billions on a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons. These choices underline just how out of touch Labour is.

“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.

“The TA are more than ‘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. You can’t cut training for six months without a knock on effect down the line in terms of operations and recruitment.

“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.”