Ministers accused of 'fiddling' with Army reservist figures to hit ambitious recruitment target

"The announcement has convenient twin benefits, immediately improving the highly politicised headline recruiting statistic, while also freeing-up significant manpower to help fulfil those homeland resilience roles for which reservists are well-placed and sufficiently trained. It is worth noting that the recruiting targets are currently being exceeded, but they were always due to ramp-up later in the decade. So regardless of this subtle reclassification, the Army’s efforts to recruit, train and retain its reservists must be continually improved because the ultimate target is not that six-figure number on a spreadsheet, but a force that is disciplined, trained and ready to serve the nation at home as much as overseas."