Troops To Patrol UK's Borders In Brexit 'Last Resort'

A top Home Office civil servant has suggested that troops patrolling Britain’s borders could be a 'last resort', if the UK left the EU without striking a deal.

The Home Office permanent secretary, Philip Rutnam, was questioned in the Commons Home Affairs Committee on whether the UK could sufficiently staff the borders in all possible outcomes of Brexit negotiations.

Speaking to Labour MP Yvette Cooper, the chair of the committee, Mr Rutnam said:

"I think it would be unwise to rule anything out. It seems clear to me that any use of the military would be an absolute last resort."

"Our preference – strong preference – is to deal with the border and security needed at the border, through border force and that is the basis in which our planning is proceeding."

In the event the Armed Forces were deployed, uniformed military patrols would then be charged with checking travellers and goods arriving in the UK.

However, Mr Rutnam reassured the committee, adding that they had already started recruiting an additional 300 border forces officers to ensure all possible Brexit outcomes were covered for.

James McGrory, the executive director of Open Britain, expanded on the comments to the Independent:

"In Northern Ireland in part particular, such an action would be an appalling regression to the border of the past that ministers keep promising to avoid.

"And after years of defence cuts, it's not like we can spare large numbers of soldiers to perform functions that are properly the preserve of the police and border force."

This would not be the first instance of the British military stepping in to help ease under-staffing issues.

It memorably did so in 2012 when private firm G4S failed to train enough security staff at the London Olympics.