I’ve just returned from the morning lobby briefing, where the Prime Minister’s official spokesman was grilled on the unfolding G4S debacle. He rather surprised journalists by claiming ‘the story is a good one’ on the Olympics because all the venues have been delivered on time and the Government had thought to put contingency plans in place on this matter, which it can now use given G4S’ failure to recruit sufficient numbers of security staff.
‘There are going to be millions of additional visitors to London over the next few weeks and people will notice the difference, but we have plans to deal with those challenges and we have contingency plans for all of these things.’
The spokesman said the government had been monitoring the progression of G4S’ recruitment drive, and refused to speculate on whether additional numbers of troops might be required should there be a bigger shortfall than first envisaged. When asked whether the Prime Minister had known that plans for using troops were being considered in April, the spokesman said David Cameron has been ‘involved in the process of planning’. He’ll also be involved in daily COBRA meetings on the Olympics from now on.
As for the troops, there will be a statement from Philip Hammond this afternoon on how their service at the Olympics is to be recognised. But this morning’s Telegraph carries a letter from military top brass calling for the government to recognise something else as well. Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon, General Sir Michael Rose and Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham warn that defence cuts will weaken the armed forces’ capabilities and national pride, and call for the government to ‘recognise that the armed forces are unique in the service they give the nation, and that they have been plundered enough’. It’s worth remembering that some of the troops checking bags at Olympic venues in the next few weeks will have already received their redundancy notices: a medal from the government for sacrificing their leave may seem rather small consolation.
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