Defence secretary Philip Hammond heckled by ex-soldiers

Former army colonels interrupt minister’s speech at Tory party conference to protest at disbanding of Lee Rigby’s battalion

Two former army colonels dramatically disrupted the speech of the defence secretary, Philip Hammond, at the Conservative party conference, with cries of “you’re a disgrace” in protest at his decision to axe the battalion of murdered drummer Lee Rigby.

The Tory cabinet minister was hit with a volley of abuse from protesters about the disbandment of the second battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers as he gave the first ministerial speech of the conference in Manchester.

As he was heckled from the floor, Hammond tried to get the two men to sit down and offered them a meeting. However, they continued to shout abuse and were led out of the hall by security officials, as the minister talked loudly over them about the armed forces “continuing to serve around the clock”.

Speaking afterwards, Ian Brazier and Joe Eastwood, both Conservative voters, said they felt forced to take direct action because Hammond had not responded to their pleas for an explanation and freedom of information requests.

Brazier, who served in the regiment for 34 years, said he was angry that the government was trying to cover up the reasons why the “best recruited battalion” in the army was being axed.

“I was left with no choice,” he said. “I have asked, I have written, I have petitioned. I have been denied. It has been evaded and avoided. Yes, I’m angry. My soldiers, the people I had the honour to serve with have been betrayed.”

The wider military cost-cutting will destroy Britain’s defence force, he said, because it was not being done in a “rational” way.

“It won’t be a defence force. It will be incapable of producing anything like the reach the minister thinks it will,” he said. “The first duty of government is to defend our nation, not dismantle its defence capability. I thought the Tories understood defence. I’m afraid to say I was wrong.”

Brazier said his message to David Cameron was: “Prime minister, you have a duty to the soldiers. Discharge it, sir, and get someone who knows what they are doing to look after the soldiers.”

Hammond had been telling his audience about Britain’s “determination to stay a leading player on the global stage” on the day it emerged he would create a cybersecurity defence force.

When he said the UK had the “best armed forces in the world with the finest and bravest men and women serving in them”, the retired colonels stood up and started shouting at him.

Asked why he would disband the fusiliers battalion, Hammond replied: “They are serving us now as they always serve us round the clock. Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, would you like to sit down? Would you like to sit down? I’ll come and talk to you happily later on, let me complete my speech. Ladies and gentleman what is happening right now as we sit in this conference hall is that our …read more