Tory Rebels Warned: 'Do Not Put Army At Risk'

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

The Defence Secretary has warned rebel Tory backbenchers that if they put the recruitment of Army reservists on hold they will put regular soldiers at risk.

Philip Hammond told Sky News that any move to "pause" the recruitment drive for part-time soldiers would not reverse the cuts being made to the regular force.

Instead, he said, it "would put at risk our ability to support the regular Army properly in any further enduring operations like the one we have been carrying out in Afghanistan."

Tory rebels led by Basildon MP John Baron are preparing to vote against the Government plans to axe 20,000 Army jobs and replace them with reservists on Wednesday afternoon.

Under the plans, the newly named Army Reserve, formerly the Territorial Army (TA), would increase in size to 30,000 by 2020.

Armed Forces reservists sign up

Mr Baron told Sky News the Government's plans needed to be put on hold so they could be "properly scrutinised" to see if they are viable and cost effective.

He said: "There are so many questions that remain unanswered, let's stop for a moment and properly scrutinise these plans. If they pass that scrutiny test by Parliament then, fine, they can proceed."

But Mr Hammond issued a robust warning to Mr Baron and his fellow rebels, saying: "What they are trying to pause is the recruitment of the reservists.

"Reduction in the size of the regular Army is already under way and it cannot be reversed, so the effect of this amendment today would not be to make the regular Army larger - it (would) be to prevent us recruiting the reserve that will support that regular Army in the future."

A gunner carrying out a training exercise in Northumberland

He admitted that training a reservist was about a fifth of the cost of a regular soldier.

However, he said it was not about getting an Army on the cheap but holding a force in reserve for times of "stress".

Mr Hammond said the expanded reserve force would give the Army a "surge" capability.

Figures released earlier this month showed the Army's reserve numbers fell from 19,220 in October 2012 to 19,090 in October 2013, raising further concerns about the ability to meet the Government's target.

This week, soldiers from 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, were cheered by crowds in Rochdale and Bury as they marched through the towns following their return from a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

They face the possibility of job losses as the Government restructuring proposals involve axing their sister 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and merging the two together.

Regular and reserve army units prepare for operations in Afghanistan

Captain Rex Anderton told Sky News: "There's a lot of disappointment but we're a very reactive force (and) we've learnt to deal with change as it comes.

"One of the good things about the British Army is that we adapt and overcome whatever the decisions (that) are made at a higher level."

Veteran Fusilier Stephen Taylor, who served for six years in the regular Army and 10 years in the TA, told Sky News: "When you're a regular you're training every day of your life, seven days a week. When you're in the TA, you're allowed to go home.

"Reservists can only do so much. You need the regular Army to train the other people up, but the reservists can only do half the job."

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, said: "To reverse course at this stage would be destabilising and damaging. Increasing and rebuilding the Army Reserve is crucial to delivering the fighting force of the future.

"To do otherwise would leave a gap in our capability and deprive talented young people of an opportunity to benefit from military service."

:: Watch coverage of the debate on Sky News

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