Brexit troop mobilisation

Matthewfalle

does anyone know what they plan to do with the 3,500 troops they say they are preparing for mobilisation in case of a "no deal" departure from the eu?

i've googled it but to no avail.

can anyone help please?

briantrumpet

Matthewfalle wrote:

does anyone know what they plan to do with the 3,500 troops they say they are preparing for mobilisation in case of a "no deal" departure from the eu?

i've googled it but to no avail.

can anyone help please?

Stop the illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Oh, sorry wrong thread.

rjsterry

Gavin Williamson was making comparisons with the 2012 Olympics when they had to cover G4S's lack of manpower. Make of that what you will.

tangled_metal

I think it was said by someone in parliament (possibly forces minister) that they would be available to support any department that needed help.

At a complete guess in thinking border agency and customs. Not doing the more technical aspects that you need training for but the grunt work of marshalling traffic at ports. Sort of helping out security more than actual customs or border checks. However like the MFs I have no information based of official pronouncements as to their expected function post hard Brexit.

It was once considered comforting to the general public to know that there are troops available to assist in times of national stress.

I'm sure that is the case without having the announcement but you don't get a placebo effect by keeping it quiet.

Matthewfalle

Cheers guys!

So acting as uniformed security guards? Just muscle power for shifting stuff around harbours/warehouses?

If not that, for what? Are riots being foreseen?

I don't want to sound argumentative (for once!) but the MFs truly cannot understand what use it would be to get the Army (or any of the Forces really) involved.

~ Infanteers aren't particularly bright or civilian friendly
~ Medics (RAMC, RADC and QARANC) can't transfer their military protocols across and can't use military kit on civilians
~ Engineers aren't trained on civilian equipment and are very good at twhat they do but the MFs can't see how their skill sets fits a no deal exit
~ The loggies guys need something to loggie
~ The "chefs" are just censored and no one deserves to eat that no matter how hungry you are. The MFs would rather eat dead rat.
~ Hereford are quite busy doing whatever they do
~ There's no need for AGC
~ The rest of Army just do Army stuff. 16 AAB aren't going to pop down and help at the local Tesco.

And at the end of the day there is no budget for this.

Is it just another pointless statement from HMG?

TDV and the MFs were discussing this last night - she is the brains of the gang and she has no idea and was just mocking the statement.

We truly do not know.

Any other ideas what is behind the statement?

tangled_metal

Placebo!

We have a lot of respect for our troops. They can do anything with very little kit. To have 3500 of our brave men and women available is comforting to a nation divided or stressed over something.

Cynic? Of course I am. But that doesn't stop the fact these troops are probably the same sort of number that are available for emergencies in the UK at any other time. That there's not a real role for them. That it's not about a government trying to sound like they're on top of the smooth and yadda yadda yadda.

capt_slog

I heard it too, and also went "WHAT?!"

I felt disturbed rather that reassured, are they proposing martial law?

lettingthedaysgoby

They are going to form a ring round Westminster to prevent us from hanging every lying scumbag politician from the nearest lampposts.

bianchimoon

Training them to pick potatoes in Lincolnshire?
Using them to surround parliament in case the people revolt against their incompetence ?
Keeping truckers in line at channel ports?

rolf_f

I hope we have enough guns for them all.

cougie

It's all going so well.

laurentian

They cynic in me tells me tha they have announced something that is a fairly normal state of affairs (ie there being troops on standby) but that it has been spun to suggest that they are there to quell civil unrest in the event of a "no deal". The overall idea being to further suggest the potential perils of "no deal" and the merits of of TMs deal.

surrey_commuter

probably right that there are probably 3,500 permanently available for civilian purposes. I read somewhere that they would be deployed to free up police and that there planning functions could be handy.

daniel_b

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

They are going to form a ring round Westminster to prevent us from hanging every lying scumbag politician from the nearest lampposts.

Maybe it is a sophisticated plan to initiate a coup?

robert88

Rolf F wrote:

I hope we have enough guns for them all.

tangled_metal

Just curious about something. In these divided times is it more or less acceptable to suggest violence against someone or some group you disagree with even in jest?

For example the comment about hanging every one of them upthread. Perhaps you want to warm your knives up ready to stab them in the front so they can see it coming? Wasn't that the kind of thing a tory bexit supporting mp said anonymously to a newspaper reporter?

Is it acceptable or not? Just so I know. It's always good to keep abreast of the latest etiquette. Especially with social media changing things so quickly.

bompington

laurentian wrote:

They cynic in me tells me tha they have announced something that is a fairly normal state of affairs (ie there being troops on standby) but that it has been spun to suggest that they are there to quell civil unrest in the event of a "no deal". The overall idea being to further suggest the potential perils of "no deal" and the merits of of TMs deal.

I am inclined to agree with this. The placebo of "our troops" being around to help is probably outweighed by the nocebo (useful word that) of "it must be desperate if they need the army".

Not that most of us needed to be told.

coopster_the_1st

Matthewfalle wrote:

does anyone know what they plan to do with the 3,500 troops they say they are preparing for mobilisation in case of a "no deal" departure from the eu?

i've googled it but to no avail.

can anyone help please?

It's to help with packing and directions for all those remoaners who have lost all rational thought and can't see anything through their tears after being led to believe armageddon is about to occur because of Project Fear.

Or it is Olly Robbins' scare tactics to try to 'bounce' Labour MP's into voting for his negotiated deal.

You decide...

rick_chasey

Yes it’s to bounce MPs and public opinion into agreeing her deal.

Blair did it in 2003.

robert88

Joking apart, the army is trained to reach objectives with the utmost expediency. That's not what we have been witnessing over the last 2.5 years.

tailwindhome

Matthewfalle wrote:

does anyone know what they plan to do with the 3,500 troops they say they are preparing for mobilisation in case of a "no deal" departure from the eu?

i've googled it but to no avail.

can anyone help please?

I haven't seen anything specific but I imagine it's for their logistics expertise.

DeVlaeminck

Apparently it is to cover staff shortages in industries dependent on EU labour, so yes potato picking, hand car washes, minor surgical procedures, that kind of thing.

lettingthedaysgoby

Tangled Metal wrote:

Just curious about something. In these divided times is it more or less acceptable to suggest violence against someone or some group you disagree with even in jest?

For example the comment about hanging every one of them upthread. Perhaps you want to warm your knives up ready to stab them in the front so they can see it coming? Wasn't that the kind of thing a tory bexit supporting mp said anonymously to a newspaper reporter?

Is it acceptable or not? Just so I know. It's always good to keep abreast of the latest etiquette. Especially with social media changing things so quickly.

To be clear - I'm suggesting violence against both sides. This whole process has done nothing but show them up to be the self servicing duplicitous wastes of oxygen they truly are.

Hope that's cleared things up.

oxoman

And I thought it was to man the border and stop Johnny foreigner getting in.

tangled_metal

lettingthedaysgoby wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

Just curious about something. In these divided times is it more or less acceptable to suggest violence against someone or some group you disagree with even in jest?

For example the comment about hanging every one of them upthread. Perhaps you want to warm your knives up ready to stab them in the front so they can see it coming? Wasn't that the kind of thing a tory bexit supporting mp said anonymously to a newspaper reporter?

Is it acceptable or not? Just so I know. It's always good to keep abreast of the latest etiquette. Especially with social media changing things so quickly.

To be clear - I'm suggesting violence against both sides. This whole process has done nothing but show them up to be the self servicing duplicitous wastes of oxygen they truly are.

Hope that's cleared things up.

I'll revise my question then.

Is it acceptable to suggest violence to anyone even if it applies equally to both sides of the political debate?

lettingthedaysgoby

Tangled Metal wrote:

I'll revise my question then.

Is it acceptable to suggest violence to anyone even if it applies equally to both sides of the political debate?

Compared to the violence, misery and division they're going to inflict on the entire country via their idiotic posturing, then yeah, I think me wishing them to be strung up is pretty reasonable.

tangled_metal

What violence will Brexit unleash?

Pross

Didn't think we had 3,500 troops left after Capita's farcical attempts to take over recruitment.

orraloon

Tangled Metal wrote:

What violence will Brexit unleash?

When the benefit junkie Leave voters in Lincolnshire and other similar sh!tholes realise they will be required to go work in the vegetable fields at minimum wage instead of sitting in their local 'Spoons all day gambling on their phones? Seeing as how all those pesky E European, hard working, tax paying grafters won't be allowed in as they won't earn more than £30k p.a.?

tangled_metal

orraloon wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

What violence will Brexit unleash?

When the benefit junkie Leave voters in Lincolnshire and other similar sh!tholes realise they will be required to go work in the vegetable fields at minimum wage instead of sitting in their local 'Spoons all day gambling on their phones? Seeing as how all those pesky E European, hard working, tax paying grafters won't be allowed in as they won't earn more than £30k p.a.?

Can't we kick them out and keep the hardworking E Europeans instead?

BelgianBeerGeek

Chances are it’s just Gavin Williamson gobbing off at the Cabinet table. Unless the plan is to make them all Special Constables a whole bunch of military bods won’t be much real use.