A MAN driven by passion for regiment and parliamentary democracy took The Black Watch battlebus deep into Angus yesterday.

Owen Humphrys admits that anger at the Government’s treatment of Scotland’s regiments and its “disdain” for parliament motivated him to act.

The burning rage was also enough for him to part with a four-figure sum to hire and decorate the 49-seater battlebus for the duration of the General Election campaign.

Mr Humphrys, who lives in Wiltshire, has been active in the campaign against regimental cuts since the threat became public last summer.

He will spend three full weeks in Scotland arguing the case for keeping the six independent infantry regiments in Scotland as well as putting pressure on Labour candidates.

To him, the outcome of this election is far from a certainty and, therefore, neither is the fate of The Black Watch and the other five regiments.

The bus also visited Perth yesterday and was welcomed to the city by Perth and North Perthshire Tory candidate Douglas Taylor.

He was delighted to back calls for the retention of The Black Watch, pledging that the Conservatives are absolutely dedicated to the cause.

“The battle bus is a great idea for keeping this issue at the forefront of voters’ minds,” he told The Courier.

“We have come here to wish campaigners well on their tour of the country.

“In Perth and North Perthshire we have succeeded in bringing both Michael Howard and Conservative deputy leader Michael Ancram here to underline our commitment to all of the regiments in the British army that are under threat.

“This battle bus will attract further high-profile support elsewhere.”

Although extremely concerned over the future of Perth’s regiment, Mr Taylor was keen to remind voters there is far more at stake.

“It is vital to remember that this is a national issue and not just a local concern,” he remarked.

“Regiments and battalions south of the border are under threat and a Conservative government will not only halt all of these cuts to our over-stretched troops but will actually increase the size of infantry.”

Yesterday’s Angus tour through Forfar, Kirriemuir, Brechin, Montrose and Arbroath was a dry run for some serious campaigning in Labour marginals.

Tomorrow Mr Humphrys and Black Watch veterans will take their battlebus to Dundee before a visit to the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat where Chancellor Gordon Brown is standing. “We would be happy to share a hustings with the Chancellor but that’s not the way of politics now. It is all soundbites,” Mr Humphrys said.

“It is outrageous to me that The Black Watch should have been sent to Iraq to fight and die and while out there get told they are being disbanded. They were out there securing democracy for Iraq.