Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Owen Smith MP, met today with representatives of the Campaign to Save the Welsh Cavalry (1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards), the future of which is in jeopardy as the Conservative-led Government consider reductions in the size of our Armed Forces.
Mr Smith also heard concerns that the future of the Royal Welsh Regiment, one of the two other Welsh cap-badged regiments, may also be under threat and pledged to do all he could to fight for their protection in the forthcoming review.
Mr Smith took receipt of a petition raised to save the Welsh Cavalry and spoke after to veterans of the regiment, from the 1960s to the present day.
Earlier in the day, Mr Smith met with Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan to impress on her the vital need to retain the Queen’s Dragoon Guards.
After the meeting, Mr Smith said:
“In our meeting, I urged the Welsh Secretary to do all she can to preserve the Queen’s Dragoon Guards and to make sure the regiment’s identity and recruiting record are factored into the Review. The Secretary of State assured me that she is pressing at “the highest levels” of government and we sincerely hope that she is pressing hard enough.
“There is widespread and cross party support for the retention of all of the welsh regiments, including the Royal Welsh, and I am deeply concerned to learn it may also be at risk. We will continue to make the case as strongly as possible that none of our Welsh cap-badges are lost and we will be holding the Welsh and Defence Secretaries responsible when the final announcement is made.”
ENDS
(Pictured: Owen, with Welsh Labour MPs, receiving the petition from Pete Wisher, Chairman of the Save the Welsh Cavalry campaign)
