Pete Wishart MP and Roseanna Cunningham MSP back the petition, which calls for an immediate defence review of the Government decision to reduce the number of infantry battalions in the UK and, pending this, cancel the creation of a Scottish super-regiment. It is hoped the petition can be completed for presentation to the Westminster parliament on November 30.

Mr Wishart said, “I fully support the latest efforts by the Save the Scottish Regiments campaign to petition the Westminster parliament to reverse the merger decisions.

“The target of one million signatures is achievable, if the support that the people of Perthshire have given so far to the campaign is anything to go by.

“Defence Secretary John Reid should be made to think again before he carries through this treacherous act to destroy the historic tradition of the Scottish Regiments.

“Once more, I would urge the people of Perthshire to give the campaign their support.

“They can either obtain copies of the petition from Roseanna’s or my office or download them from the Save the Scottish Regiment website at http://www.petitiontoparliament.co.uk/ .”

Ms Cunningham added, “Individual regiments with a long tradition and a wellspring of respect in their local areas are to be cast aside and replaced by an amalgamated unit that will sever forever the ties between local communities and the infantry.

“Recruitment figures have already started to tumble.

“While Scottish soldiers fought Blair’s battles in Iraq, he was betraying them back home.

“It is still not too late for the Government to admit their mistake and reverse this decision and I urge them to do so.

“The Save the Scottish Regiment’s Campaign have not given up the fight and neither should the Scottish people.

“Let us raise as many signatures as possible on this petition.

“The Government may want to take St Andrew off the Black Watch cap badges but with this petition we can deliver a real St Andrew’s Day Surprise and show them the huge weight of public opinion that there is behind the retention of the traditional structure of the Scottish infantry regiments and for the Black Watch, in particular.”

Meanwhile, Murdo Fraser MSP also fired a salvo at the government as the latest recruitment figures emerged, showing the army is now 2130 soldiers short of its required manpower.

Mr Fraser said the cause within Scotland was the amalgamation decision and called for army chiefs to retain the individual regimental identity of the Scottish regiments in order to retain the link with regimental associations and communities throughout Scotland.