The BBC are running a headline which states "Army may face cuts to fund TA reservists", clearly as a TA officer I'm pleased that the review of reserves is likely to increase the support for and expectations of the TA. As a Conservative I'm less pleased to hear that the regular army may face a further financial squeeze.
The UK is unusual in that the full time element of its armed forces greatly outnumber the part-time element, with the regular army being three times the size of the TA. The Indian army the reserves are almost twice the size of the regulars and in the US Army they are almost equal in number, it isn't surprising to hear that the MOD is looking at shifting the balance here in the UK too.
I hope that this situation won't create tension between the regular and reserve forces which have worked increasingly closely over the last few years, it's worth remembering that the TA is part of the army, not a separate body. The story would be more accurate if it said that the funding was to be rebalanced between the regular and reserve elements of the British Army.
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James, I respect the commitment you put into the TA (and we have a recently engaged mutual TA friend in common so I know) and second what you say. I'm not surprised that you blogged on this so promptly.
However I fear this story has undeserved legs. It started in the Telegraph which headlined it using "could". Which almost always means "won't".
There's even an unnamed Whitehall 'source' stamping on the story and saying that the (forced) review will be sidelined. And yet the BBC have blown the story up for as much effect as some tenuous origins allow.
I think we can all stand easy here.
Damn, Liam Fox has just killed my theory live on television. And to think I wanted him to win the leadership contest.
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