SNP candidate for North East Fife, Rod Campbell 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 in Cupar, Kennoway, Leven and St.Andrews.

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, Rod Campbell said:

“ It’s ridiculous that Labour is cutting funding to our soldiers of
tomorrow.

“Here in North East Fife 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.

“The Cadet Corps has been building fine, upstanding members of our
community for nearly 150 years. 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 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 Trident 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.”

Notes for Editors:

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson has tabled the following Early
Day Motion on the issue:

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.