Anger over bid to eject veterans

Published on 21/10/2012 00:00

DEFENCE minister ­Andrew Robathan has been accused of trying to have veterans ejected from the public gallery in the House of Commons.

The Conservative armed forces minister approached Lindsay Hoyle, the Deputy Speaker of the Commons, about noise from the gallery during a debate about plans to close 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The gallery was packed with members of the Fusiliers, some of whom were quietly applauding when MPs spoke in favour of the government keeping the regiment going. Robathan reportedly asked the Deputy Speaker to have the gallery cleared – a request that was rebuffed.

Defence sources acknowledged that the minister had spoken to Hoyle about the level of noise from the gallery during the debate on Thursday but not that he had requested it be emptied.

But the claims were cited by Labour yesterday as fresh evidence of the “breathtaking arrogance” of the government, following allegations that Chancellor George Osborne tried to occupy a first class train carriage with a standard ticket on Friday.