Spending cuts could spell the end of Gurkha regiment

The Gurkha regiment could face the axe as part of the battle over defence spending, a Conservative MP said yesterday.

Patrick Mercer, a former Army officer, said everything was "up for grabs" as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) attempts to balance the books.

He said the Gurkhas were now more expensive after winning a high-profile campaign for better rights and there had also been a rise in "home-grown" recruitment.

"I think everything at the moment is up for grabs, particularly in terms of the balance between whether we cut kit or whether we cut manpower," he said.

His remarks come after it was reported that the Gurkha regiment, part of the British Army for nearly 200 years, could be one of several sacrificed as a result of a government dispute over defence funding.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox is said to be pressing the Treasury to provide more money for the MoD to meet the 20 billion cost of replacing the Trident nuclear deterrent. Trident is currently excluded from the review of the UK's security and defence requirements, which is due to report next month.

The reports follow a high-profile battle led by actress Joanna Lumley to improve Gurkha rights, including the right to settle in the UK.

An MoD spokesman said: "The complex process of a Strategic Defence and Security Review will be concluded in the autumn. Speculation at this stage about its outcome is entirely unfounded."

Major Tikendra Dal Dewan, chairman of the British Gurkha Welfare Society, said: "I sincerely hope that the recent speculation is unfounded."