Applications to join the British armed forces have surged amid rising tensions around the world, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has claimed. Shapps revealed there had been an eight-year high in Royal Navy applications and a six-year high in those seeking to join the army. The RAF is also experiencing a boost in interest from potential recruits. Shapps was unable to put a number on the boost in applications. He said: “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 hig…