Nicholas Soames said cuts could not be reversed after they happened

Leader Michael Howard said on Tuesday that his party would bring back any Scottish regiment axed by Labour.

But on Wednesday Nicholas Soames said they would not be able to reverse any cuts if they had been implemented.

The Tories said that this was not a contradiction but the Scottish National Party said Mr Soames should be sacked.

SNP leader Alex Salmond said: "The Tories have been caught in the line of fire over their refusal to back Scotland's historic regiments.

New super-regiment

"Once again they have been caught short, going back on promises. They are full of hot air."

Mr Soames' comments were made in an interview on BBC Radio Scotland's Newsdrive programme after the Council of Scottish Colonels proposed the merger of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers into a single battalion.

It would be one of five in a new Scottish super-regiment.

Once a regiment has gone, it cannot be brought back Nicholas Soames Shadow defence secretary

On Tuesday, Mr Howard told the Tory conference that the Tories would reinstate any historic Scottish regiment scrapped by Labour before the next election.

Speaking on Newsdrive later that day, Mr Howard explained that his party would spend more on defence than the current government.

"That makes it possible for us to make this pledge to Scotland: if Labour cut one of the historic regiments in Scotland we will bring it back," he said.

The following day, Mr Soames was asked how he would go about reversing any such cuts.

He said: "We can't reverse the decision.

"If we get into power, say in May, and the changes have not taken place, we will stop them dead in their tracks.

Wholly opposed

"But I mean if there isn't an election and we don't get in until later and it's all been done clearly we can't reverse them because we couldn't then undo the thing once it's been done.

"We are wholly opposed to it and we think it's the wrong thing to do."

When interviewer James Cook recalled Mr Howard's pledge, Mr Soames said: "I'm afraid that he hadn't consulted me about that.

His pledge has not made it to the end of his conference, let alone to the election Alistair Darling Scottish Secretary

"It would not be possible to reinstate."

And he added: "Once a regiment has gone, it cannot be brought back."

A Tory party spokesman later said that Tories would reverse any cuts if they won the next election.

"We recognise that it becomes increasingly difficult to physically reinstate regiments as the years pass, since facilities may have been disposed of," he said.

"The reality, however, is that these cuts will not be implemented for at least four or five years."

Clear promise

He said that meant the Tories could reverse the decision and reinstate all the regiments if they won the next election.

However, Scottish Secretary Alistair Darling claimed that the Conservatives' interest in the regiments was "profoundly dishonest".

He said: "Michael Howard wants the people of Britain to believe that we can trust him and that he will keep his promises.