Defence Secretary Philip Hammond today tried to avert a major Commons defeat on Army cuts by offering rebels a concession.
His new plans - to allay fears that his military reforms would weaken the army - will require an annual report to Parliament on the state of reserve forces.
Twenty Conservative backbenchers were this morning threatening to oppose his plans to replace parts of the regular army with reserves.
But Mr Hammond said they would do “serious damage” if they defeated his reforms in today’s vote.
Mr Hammond took to the airwaves this morning to warn: “It would be very chaotic for the Army to have the course on which it is set interrupted at this stage. To reverse it would simply create confusion in the ranks.”
Tory rebel ringleader John Baron told BBC Radio 4: “Some of the accusations against this amendment have bordered on hysteria.”
