Anger at Yorkshire Regiment redundancy rumours

Rumours were rife that Ministers have decided to axe the regiment’s 3rd Battalion but are delaying the announcement because it is politically unpopular.

It came after Patrick Mercer, Conservative MP for Newark, told the BBC last week that he understood the regiment's third battalion, part of which is currently deployed to Afghanistan, would be cut.

Armed Forces Day is next week and Mr Healey will attend Rotherham's celebration tomorrow.

The Yorkshire Regiment recruits heavily in Rotherham and surrounding parts of South Yorkshire and Mr Healey said that getting rid of the battalion would mean 650 soldiers losing their jobs.

Mr Healey said: “This is a hammer blow to our communities and it is an unacceptable way to treat our brave service men and women.

“The battalion were deployed to Helmand in Afghanistan in April.

“Soldiers who are risking their lives and their families back home should not have to put up with uncertainty about their jobs.

“The Defence Secretary must end speculation immediately and reassure local people that 3 YORKS soldiers will not be made redundant on their return from Afghanistan.”

Mr Healey has joined other local MPs in writing a joint letter to the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond criticising the cuts.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said this week no decisions had yet been made.

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