The Government's Decision to disband Harlow's Territorial Army is a disgrace

Like many in Harlow, I am appalled at the Government's decision to disband our Territorial Army - as reported in this week's Harlow Star.

My view is that it is short sighted and a massive slap in the face for the town's volunteers who are prepared to put their lives on the line for their country.

The decision to merge the group with a troop in Chelmsford is extraordinary.

I call upon Harlow Labour MP Bill Rammell - the Government's Armed Forces Minister - to think again.

It makes no sense whatsoever. Bill Rammell has said the move will help the Government save £32.5 million and 'help us to prioritise resources to the frontline in Afghanistan'.

But, if this Government had not wasted and squandered our money to such a massive extent then such short-sighted and misguided changes would not be needed.

There are a number of incredible stories about how ministers have wasted our money.

For instance they bought 14 specially armoured vehicles for £4.5 million then sold them for £44,000, including to a private security firm working in Baghdad, at a time when the MoD was short of them.

In addition, the order for the new stealth Nimrod plane has not only been cut nearly in half, from 21 to 12, but the cost of the project has also risen from £2.8 billion to £3.5 billion, with the project now seven years behind schedule.

As Armed Forces Minister, Bill Rammell should be made to overturn this ludicrous decision. Nothing that the Government has proposed makes any sense.

As I understand it Harlow (Territorial Army) will close while Hertford and Chelmsford will remain.

It is a poor excuse to use financial reasons to close Harlow TA in order to adequately finance Afghanistan. Harlow still occupies a better strategic position to take volunteers from the region.

The current battery has a healthy number of volunteers, especially cadets, which provides a great benefit to the town through its young people and to the Army in terms of potential future recruits.

The cost of keeping the Harlow centre open could be mitigated by working with the community in Harlow including Harlow and Essex councils to make better use of the facility, perhaps to the extent of finding alternative accommodation for a TA centre and turning the whole TA centre over to other community or commercial uses.

If this were not bad enough, It is wrong that the Government have also cut £20m from TA reserve training over the next six months. This will hit recruitment, while some serving TA soldiers will simply quit. This will damage the TA's ability to deploy in future. We oppose that cut.

It is vital everything possible was done to maintain the number of Territorial Army reservists who at one point accounted for one fifth of the force in Iraq and for one eighth of the force in Afghanistan.

It is Conservative Party policy to increase the amount spent on TA training and condemned the decision to do the exact opposite. The dedication and commitment shown by these soldiers is astonishing and everything possible should be done to make sure this country has the troop numbers it needs if we are to continue committing soldiers to these wars.

P.S.For further information, please see THIS weblink from the East Anglia Daily Times

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device