Labour will today try to compel ministers to report annually on the fighting strength of the military. The party’s defence spokesman John Healey will attempt to introduce the requirement by amending the Armed Forces Bill, which will be debated in the Commons. It comes after the Daily Mail revealed on Saturday that 32 of 33 infantry battalions are short of battle-ready personnel. The infantry as a whole needs 14,984 soldiers but has only 11,301 who could be sent to the battlefield, according to the report. "I would be really worried about reducing further the size of the British Army," he told the Commons Defence Committee.

Source: Daily Mail February 08, 2021 00:01 UTC