Army could be drafted in to fulfill NHS and Borders roles during strikes, says Nadhim Zahawi

Contingency plans revealed by Conservative Party chairman come as tens of thousands of nurses and paramedics prepare for industrial action in the approach of Christmas in a dispute over pay and working conditions

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Nurses strike: Army could be deployed to help NHS, says Zahawi

Soldiers could be drafted in to fulfill critical roles within the NHS and border forces to minimize disruption from a wave of strikes, Nadhim Zahawi has said.

The Conservative Party chairman has confirmed the military could be used to drive ambulances and staff ports as the government prepares for mass walkouts later in December.

The Cabinet Office later said around 2,000 military and civil servants were being trained to support a range of services in the event of strikes.

They include up to 600 members of the armed forces and 700 personnel from the government's specialized rapid and emergency response team, as well as other elements of the civil service.

"We are looking at the army, we are looking at a specialized intervention force which we actually put in place several years ago," Zahawi said.

"In unfortunate circumstances, if you have, for example, a strike at Border Force, you need to be able to ensure that there is minimal disruption".

Pressed on Sky News' Sophy Ridge program to ask if soldiers could come and fill these roles, he replied, "Correct.

"We need to make sure our borders are always secure and that's something we guarantee.

Nadhim Zahawi discusses contingency plans on Sky News

"Things like driving ambulances, other parts of the public sector, we have to try to minimize disruption".

The Cabinet Office added: "Decisions still need to be made on the deployment of troops for these tasks, but these are within the range of options available if strike action in these areas goes as planned.

“The priority over the coming weeks is to protect the public who may need to access emergency services support and to limit disruption as much as possible, particularly at a time when increasing numbers of people will be traveling for the festive period and NHS services are under huge pressure due to the impact of Covid."

Mr. Zahawi also said that unions are trying to negotiate wage increases above the rate of inflation...