March against regiment merger plans
Hundreds of campaigners are due to take to the streets today in protest over Government plans to merge Scotland’s regiments.
The organiser of the Edinburgh demonstration, Save The Scottish Regiments, has warned the Government that it faces a sustained campaign against the proposals.
The Government said this week that it wants to merge the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the Royal Scots with four infantry regiments, including the Black Watch, to form a new Scottish super-regiment – The Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon insisted that the move was intended to provide a more “agile, flexible and deployable” Army. Under the reform plans, the number of infantry battalions across the UK will be reduced from 40 to 36.
Today’s march will take place along Princes Street from 11:00 GMT and several leading MPs, including SNP leader Alex Salmond, the Liberal Democrat’s Menzies Campbell and Conservative MP Peter Duncan, are expected to attend and address the crowd at a rally in Princes Street Gardens.
Save The Scottish Regiments has pledged to launch a campaign of tactical voting for the next general election, expected to take place next year. The organisation also plans to contest key marginal seats against Labour.
Jeff Duncan, of the Save the Scottish Regiments, said: “Make no mistake – this is an attack on Scotland’s heritage and history as well as the end of the line for the most loyal and ferocious soldiers of the British Army.”
