Not A Third World Country After All

Given the fact the Government have overseen the biggest single loss of personal data in the UK ever reported, taken donations illegally (on the back of the cash for honours affair), and have lost the support of the Army chiefs over funding (mind you, this is the same MOD who are paying rent on 8,000 empty properties), you'd have expected them to be a bit more careful when it came to keeping the support of the Police.

But no.

The Police are looking at ways of challenging the ban on them taking strike action over the way the Government are implementing a pay-rise. The representatives of the Police are also talking about taking industrial action without striking - such as mass ringing in sick, refusing to carry weapons etc - if the ban on striking remains in place.

My question is this. If the Fire Brigade go on strike then they're "covered" by the Army, so would the Army be expected to "cover" the Police if they go on strike? If so, two further questions.

Firstly, just how happy are the public going to be to see the Army on the streets? You only have to look at Northern Ireland to see the delight it caused over there. Secondly, how are the already over-stretched Army supposed to do this? I am personally of the opinion that if France attempted to invade tomorrow there aren't enough personnel in the UK to stop them.

I suppose the Government should be thankful we're not quite a Third World country just yet, because if we were, then they'd have all the elements necessary for a coup against them. Mind you, it'd be funny to do it anyway, wouldn't it?