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09 December 2009
CADET CUTS TO HIT THE SCOTTISH BORDERS
GORDON BROWN MUST MAKE AN ABOUT-TURN
SNP candidate for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, Paul
Wheelhouse has hit out at the UK Government after a Sunday newspaper
revealed savage cuts to the Army Cadet Force training budget.
The cuts would have an affect right through the Cadet Force,
which includes local detachments Within B Company in Coldstream,
Duns, Eyemouth, Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh, Kelso, and Selkirk.
In a bid to slash £4m from the budget, the MoD will ask cadet
instructors, many of whom are retired army officers, to run training
exercises for free.
Commenting, Paul said:
“It’s disgraceful that Labour is cutting funding to our soldiers
of tomorrow.
“Here in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk the cadet force
instils a real sense of discipline, leadership and community spirit
in our area’s teenagers, and that can only be a good thing. Not
everyone in the cadets wants to join the Army, and the Cadet Corps
has been credited with turning around the lives of thousands of
troubled teenagers.
“The Army Cadet Corps has been a positive influence for our
communities for nearly 150 years. I know from personal experience in
a Combined Cadet Force company how much fun it can be too. For
Labour to serve a hammer blow to such a strong and important
tradition will make it impossible to maintain the same level of
support for these young people.
"Gordon Brown claims to want to increase cadet numbers but he
also wants to cut funding. His sums just don’t add up.
“He's also got his priorities all wrong. If he's is looking to
save money he should start with the £100 billion cost of the Trident
nuclear weapons renewal.
“Gordon Brown was forced to u-turn on the Ghurkhas and the TA,
and now he should about-turn on Labour’s cadet cuts too.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson MP has tabled the
following Early Day Motion on the issue raised in this week’s Sunday
Express:
Army Cadet Force
That this House expresses concern at UK government plans to cut
the Army Cadet Force budget by £4million; believes that the Army
Cadets are the soldiers of tomorrow and these short-sighted cuts
risk the future of an organisation which has given young people a
taste of military discipline and leadership for nearly 150 years;
notes the UK government’s turnaround on residency rights for the
Gurkhas and planned cuts to the Territorial Army, and now calls for
Ministers to abandon proposed cuts to the Army Cadet Force.
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