Army should not be used as ‘ultimate backstop’ in strikes, defence chief says

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin suggested army personnel should be allowed to get on with their day-to-day jobs

The armed forces are not “spare capacity” for striking workers, the chief of the defence staff has said as he cautioned against relying on the military as the “ultimate backstop” during industrial action.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of Britain’s armed forces, said it would be “slightly perilous” to expect them to be used routinely in the event of strikes by public sector workers.