Ex-First Minister Yousaf Demands Army on English Streets – Has He Lost the Plot?

Humza Yousaf Calls for Troops in English Cities – But Shouldn’t He Focus on Scotland?

Backbench Member of the Scottish Parliament and former disastrous First Minister Humza Yousaf has apparently “demanded” that Sir Keir Starmer deploys the British army to restore law and order in English towns and cities.

What’s it got to do with him, you may ask? He’s a member of the devolved Scottish legislature in Edinburgh, not a Westminster MP, and he represents – I use that word loosely – the good people of the Glasgow Pollok constituency.

Ah, but you see he’s a Muslim, and is speaking out on behalf of fellow followers of Islam across the UK who he believes are victims of right-wing fomented Islamophobia. He may well have a point, but perhaps his time would be better spent tending to constituency matters?

There are a couple of reasons why deploying the army in support of the authorities is probably not a good idea.

The first of these is that, by and large, the police are coping. Hard-pressed at times it is true, but they have been remarkably restrained in the face of pretty severe provocation.

The second is that the army is not normally particularly well trained or equipped for such a task, although it can always carry out such a role if asked.

There is a long history of troops being used to quell disorder in Britain stretching back to the 18^th century and beyond. It did not always end well. Outside of Ulster, soldiers were last used in the manner during the General Strike of 1926. Their resultant unpopularity persuaded politicians not to repeat the error.

If, however, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were to authorise the commitment of, say, the Parachute Regiment or the Royal Marines to bring peace back to the streets of Hull, Rotherham, Southport, Weymouth and other cities there would be only one winner and it wouldn’t be pretty.

But there’s always the danger that soldiers on the streets would further enrage the assorted anarchists and ne’er-do-wells that we have seen venting their anger on the police.

So it’s best left to the police, I think, who as I have said seem to be managing. Whether they are appropriately equipped to deal with the levels of violence we have seen over the past few days is another question.

Watercannons, anyone?

Lt Col Stuart Crawford is a defence analyst and former army officer. Sign up for his podcasts and newsletters at www.DefenceReview.uk

Lt Col Stuart Crawford’s latest book Tank Commander (Hardback) is available now

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