| Black Watch veterans joined politicians and campaigners to launch a final push ahead of what is being described as “May-day” for the historic regiments.
The campaign is endorsing the SNP’s candidates in the Dundee East and Dundee West seats.
And there was a fresh call today for people to vote tactically to remove Labour from power.
Sheltering from the elements under the arches of the City Chambers, campaigner Anne McMillan said their effort “continues in all weathers and all circumstances”.
“The support is phenomenal,” she continued. “This is a very, very important issue in this election — people are starting to realise this will be the only chance they get to vote to save the regiments.”
The campaigners said they were sending out an SOS to all citizens in the area, particularly those who do not normally support a political party, to vote for the survival of the regiments in their current form.
The decision of the election on May 5 would, they continued, either save the regiments or “put them into the realms of history.”
Angus SNP Councillor Frank Ellis said, “Today is a rally for all the regiments. It is extremely important that people get out and vote in this election, but don’t vote Labour. This is a vote of conscience.”
Under Labour plans, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the Royal Scots would come together to form one battalion of the new Royal Regiment of Scotland, along with battalions of The Black Watch, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, the Royal Highland Fusiliers and the Highlanders.
The MoD insists change is essential to provide a more “agile, flexible and deployable” army capable of meeting the evolving strategic challenges of the post-9/11 era.
The handful of former soldiers who gathered in the City Square today, however, remain convinced that the existing set-up needs to be retained.
Dundonian Gordon Coutts, who served with The Black Watch, said, “It looks like things are going pretty well, and hopefully we can turn things around with this campaign.” |
