Carmichael urges Prime Minister to reconsider TA cuts (North Tayside Liberal Democrats)

North Tayside Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Carmichael urges Prime Minister to reconsider TA cuts

October 14, 2009 5:33 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael has today written to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Defence urging them to reconsider their decision to stop weekend exercises and all other TA training for the next six months in a bid to save money.

Alistair Carmichael MPMr Carmichael's letter to Gordon Brown MP and Bob Ainsworth MP comes on the day that the Prime Minister confirmed 500 more soldiers will be sent to operations in Afghanistan. The TA currently has hundreds of soldiers in Afghanistan with approximately 1,200 troops a year in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans

Commenting Mr Carmichael said - "As a result of this six month ban, TA soldiers will not get paid. Local people in the Northern Isles know very well the contribution that TA members are making to our military operation in Afghanistan. We have seen local TA members on active service throughout the country on a number of occasions. The fact is that our regular army now relies enormously on the contribution of TA soldiers. It is simply wrong that we should be scaling back on their training while continuing to expect them to serve alongside full time soldiers. This is the worst sort of false economy."

The size of the TA has fallen rapidly since Labour came to power, from more than 57,000 to a trained strength of around 19,000.

Notes to editors: The TA is the largest of all the reserve forces It was officially formed on 1 April 1908 There are about 35,000 people in the TA, 19,000 of whom are fully trained Reservists were first engaged in active service during World War I Some 6,900 TA personnel were mobilised for the invasion of Iraq