Would the UK army regard it as a sign of contempt if the UK prime minister appointed a Scotsman or a Welshman to head the Ministry of Defence?

I have done my best to translate the news item from the Spanish press: a military association regards the appointment of a Catalan (woman) to the post as a sign of contempt!

http://www.elecodiario.es/espana/noticias/471448/04/08/Gobierno-ame-ve-un-desprecio-poner-a-chacon-en-defensa-por-ser-mujer-catalana-y-embarazada.html

A.M.E. sees "contempt" in Chacón being put in charge of Defence, for being "a woman, Catalan and pregnant"

MADRID, 12 (SERVIMEDIA) The Asociación de Militares Españoles (AME) stated today that the appointment of Carme Chacón as new minister of Defence means a "contempt" for the Army for being "a woman, Catalan and pregnant".

In declarations to Servimedia, the president of AME, José Conde, confessed to having been “shocked” when he heard that Zapatero had chosen Chacón as minister of Defence, since it seems as if he wants "to annoy" the soldiers.

Conde stated that they "are many things" that make him reject the appointment of Chacón, since several of her characteristics make her hardly compatible with the post she is going to occupy.

Besides criticizing the "ignorance" of the military career that Chacón has, he warned that a Catalan is not the most suitable person to be minister "given what may happen" when the Constitutional Court issues its decision on the appeal against the Statute of Catalonia.

"It is clear that the armed forces have to defend the unity of Spain and, if the Statute breaks it overnight, what is going to happen? Besides, after the burning of the photos of the King, Zapatero appoints a Catalan. “Does he mean this to be a provocation, or what?", added.

Conde criticized that a pregnant woman is going to be minister of Defence when "many men and many women could be chosen from" but he admitted that that is a "temporary" problem.

Finally, the president of AME asked Chacón to make the right decisions in her new post, and to listen to the demands of the soldiers’ associations.

(SERVIMEDIA) 12-APR-2008 PAI/jrv

See http://www.ame1.org/tribuna_lst.asp#