Britain | Call in the troops, again

The British state is becoming worryingly reliant on its armed forces

Covid-19 has accelerated an existing trend

The new front line

BRITISH SOLDIERS have few battles to fight. But they have plenty else to do. On October 4th, after hurried training, nearly 200 hit the road, delivering petrol to the country’s parched forecourts. The deployment came soon after others had been sent to Northern Ireland and Scotland—to drive ambulances, work in accident-and-emergency wards and run covid-19 testing facilities—and soon before some were sent to Wales. Within days, squaddies were off to help the struggling Home Office collect information about Afghan refugees.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Call in the troops, again”

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