The British government has denied any plans to introduce compulsory military service, after the head of the British army said that a “citizen’s army” would be needed to fight a future war with a country like Russia.
Army chief General Patrick Sanders said that preparing for a possible land war would “involve the whole nation”. He praised European countries closer to Russia for “clearly laying the foundations for national mobilization.”
Sanders, who has long argued for increased military spending and is due to step down this year, added that “over the next three years, it should be realistic to talk about a British army of 120,000 personnel.”
He continued during a speech to the International Armoured Vehicles Conference in London: “But this is not enough. Taking preparatory steps so that we can put our societies on the brink of war if necessary is no longer a matter of desire, it has become necessary.”
He reported that “Ukraine clearly reflects that regular armies start wars, and citizen armies win them.”
For his part, Max Blain, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said that the government “has no intention” of introducing compulsory military service.
He said: “The British army has a proud tradition of being a volunteer force. There are no plans to change that. Engaging in hypothetical wars is not helpful.”
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has also used tough language in his handling of the threat to the United Kingdom. Last week, he referred to Britain as “moving from a post-war world to a pre-war world.”
Despite this, the government does not have plans to increase the size of the army from its current level of around 74,000 full-time soldiers from 102,000 soldiers in 2006. The government says it will increase military spending from 2% to 2.5% of GDP, which is still significantly lower than its equivalent during the peak of the Cold War.
