Royal Navy: Grant Shapps says applications to join force reaches eight-year high as worldwide tensions rise

Grant Shapps said there has been an eight-year high in Royal Navy applications and a six-year high in those seeking to join the Army, with the RAF also experiencing a boost in interest from potential recruits. Mr Shapps did not put a number on the applications received but his hopes of “making progress” on recruitment come after warnings that military personnel are leaving faster than they can be replaced.

Speaking as MPs considered military action to protect Red Sea shipping, Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke (Elmet and Rothwell) said there is “concern about the stretch” on the Royal Navy. He told the Commons: “It is a world-class leading navy but it is suffering from personnel issues to crew the ships and I think the responsibility of this does lie back at the Treasury in being able to provide the revenue streams that are needed to make sure that capital equipment can be used most effectively.”

Mr Shapps said that £288.6bn is available for equipment over the next 10 years, adding: “That’s got to be matched by making sure that we have the sailors, the airmen and women and the Army able to resource those. “I have some good news for him, which is we’ve seen – since we’ve been talking very actively about these issues – an eight-year high in applications to the Royal Navy, a six-year high in applications to the army and 42 per cent increase this January to last January in applications to join the Royal Air Force.

“So, I predict we’re making progress.” Government figures show there were 185,980 service personnel in the UK forces as of July 2023. The combined full-time trained strength of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, and the full-time trade trained strength of the Army was 132,350, a decrease of 3,830 compared to July 2022.