MP says campaign to save 2RRF will continue
Today John Baron and other MPs welcomed ex-Fusiliers Paul Ormisher and Tony O’Donovan to the gates of Number 10, as part of an Honour Guard which Fusilier Associations are providing. Ex-Fusiliers, wearing the distinctive Regimental beret and hackle, will be on station during Tuesday Cabinet meetings.
The Honour Guard forms part of the continuing campaign to save the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF), which is due to be disbanded in line with the Government’s planned Army cuts. By the MoD’s own admission, 2RRF was not one of the original five infantry battalions to be cut. But a political decision was taken to axe 2RRF, despite the battalion having an excellent recruitment record, and is especially unjust given more poorly-recruited battalions are being saved.
John said,
“The ex-Fusilier Honour Guard will be a reminder to the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary in particular that we are not going to give up on this campaign. The decision to axe 2RRF was a political one, which bore no recognition of our good recruitment figures and illustrious Regimental history.”
“We were told a few years ago that large regiments were the way to go. Now the MoD is heading in the other direction. Furthermore, cutting regular battalions before we know the reservists can plug the gap is unwise in this increasingly uncertain world.”
Ends
Word Count: 245
Date: 12th March 2013
Notes to Editors:
- The attached photographs show John with the ex-Fusilier Honour Guard outside Number 10 itself, and also outside the gates of Number 10 with Jim Dobbin MP, Mary Glindon MP and Mark Pawsey MP.
- On 18th October 2012, 400 ex-Fusiliers marched on Parliament in defence of 2RRF, to coincide with a Parliamentary debate on the subject. The vote was won 57 votes to 3.
- For more information, see John’s press release ‘John Baron MP wins 2RRF Parliamentary vote as over 400 ex-Fusiliers descend on Parliament’ [18th October 2012].
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