Political battles as Stirling celebrates Armed Forces Day

When Stirling’s application to host this year’s Armed Forces Day arrived in the Government’s in-tray smiles broke out across Whitehall.

Fellow bidder Portsmouth provided stiff competition as Armed Forces Day falls just three weeks after the commemorations marking 70 years since thousands of troops set sail from there to launch D-Day and liberate Europe.

But the Scottish bid offered something more modern.

With the independence referendum looming it provided the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the Better Together principle with a show of modern military might and a nod to past victories achieved as the British Army.

A senior Scotland Office source explained: “The Ministry of Defence asked for our opinion on the bid and we were delighted a Scottish city had applied, especially one with a decent bid and a realistic chance of winning.

“When we saw that the SNP were backing it we were even more delighted!”

Not least because by awarding the Armed Forces Day National Event to Stirling the Ministry of Defence have spiked the guns of the competing Bannockburn Live programme marking 700 years since Robert the Bruce’s famous victory over the English.

So this weekend will see a packed programme in Stirling with historic re-enactments at Bannockburn and modern firepower on display near Stirling Castle.

Princess Anne will put in an appearance at the Armed Forces Day events and Stirling’s most recent freeman Wimbledon champ Andy Murray has endorsed it.

Bannockburn Live’s music stage will be headlined by two independence endorsing artists Dougie MacLean and Julie Fowlis.

Local Labour MP Anne McGuire said: “I welcome the events to Stirling, they play to two different audiences.

“There will be something for everyone.”

She warned: “I hope there will be no attempt to politicise Armed Forces Day or Bannockburn Live. They are about different parts of Scotland’s past and present.”

But of course there are politics in play. The Red Arrows will be trailing red, white and blue smoke over Stirling Castle.

The Bannockburn events celebrate a battle that saw the Scots defeat the English and ensure their independence, for a few more centuries at least.

Armed Forces Day falls between the D-Day commemorations and the centenary of Britain joining World War One. They led to famous victories achieved not just with Scots, English, Welsh and Irish fighting alongside each other but with Britain a major player amongst allies that shaped the destiny of nations.

Added McGuire: “2014 sees the convergence of many commemorations but it’s also an important year in terms of Scotland’s future.

“I hope people will come to a judgement that we are part of something that means we’re better together as one of the four nations of the UK. I hope they’ll consider all of the issues that make that link as strong as it is, albeit alongside a strong Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

“In a military sense Scotland has made a significant contribution to the UK. But it has also done so in terms of engineers, authors and scientists. We’re very closely integrated across the countries of the UK.”

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond made the point when he announced Stirling would be the focal point of this year’s Armed Forces Day programme last summer.

Previous hosts have included Cardiff, Nottingham, Plymouth and Edinburgh.

He said: “I know that Stirling, with its strong historic military links with the Army and the Royal Air Force will mount a spectacular celebration of our military and lead the rest of the United Kingdom in honouring our armed forces

personnel past and present. Our armed forces are an institution that serve and protect all of us as a United Kingdom.”

Bizarrely, however, the Ministry of Defence have now gone very coy refusing to put up a Minister to talk it up just days away from their landmark event.

It’s believed they are loath to be accused of politicising the forces and are wary of the symbolism of UK military kit including Typhoon jets and tanks parked in the heart of Scotland.

They are hoping the message will be heard loud and clear without anyone having to articulate it.