The UK government has put hundreds of soldiers on stand-by to cover for ambulance crews, firefighters, and Border Force staff as a wave of strikes are set to disrupt crucial public services in the run-up to Christmas.
According to the Cabinet Office, about 2,000 British military personnel, civil servants, and volunteers from across government have been training as part of the government’s contingency planning.
They include up to 600 armed forces personnel and 700 staff from the government’s specialist Surge and Rapid Response Team, as well as from other parts of the civil service.
The Cabinet Office said no decisions had been taken yet on the deployment of troops, but that they were part of the “range of options available” should the strikes go ahead as planned….