A coalition of 13 British peace and faith organisations has launched a petition demanding the UK Government rule out military conscription or any compulsory form of national service involving the armed forces. The move comes amid intensified debate over military service, with the Conservatives having previously proposed a national service scheme and Labour expanding military gap-year opportunities.
There is currently no conscription in Britain, although concerns about World War 3 have fuelled renewed discussions on how the armed forces could be expanded. The coalition, which includes ForcesWatch, the Peace Pledge Union and Quakers in Britain, said compulsory military service would represent a major threat to young people's freedoms.
Coalition warns of risks to young people
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Emma Sangster from ForcesWatch said: "Conscription is now a threat held over young people in the UK. People talk patronisingly of national service being good for young people, as if it didn't pose significant risks to their physical and mental health, and impose the moral burdens of warfare on them."
She added: "We do not accept that militarised security will bring real human security. We do not accept that young people in this country should be drafted into its service through compulsory measures. It's hard to believe that anyone would want that for their children and future generations."
Context of rising tensions
The concerns follow Britain's handover of blueprints for Storm Shadow missile components to Ukraine, a move that drew a furious response from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the agreement, while Vladimir Putin's adviser Andrei Fedorov warned that Russia would not rule out "semi-military action" against UK manufacturing facilities. The Russian Embassy in London has also warned Britain's involvement would "inevitably carry consequences".
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also been warned that Britain faces an "inevitable" Russian attack on its defence and security in retaliation for the UK's continued backing of Kyiv, with security chiefs reportedly placed on alert. The Government has also previously urged Britons to prepare for the possibility of conflict on British soil, while France announced new plans for military service last year as President Emmanuel Macron sought to strengthen his country's armed forces.
Public opinion and petition
A YouGov survey of 3,044 people found 38% of under-40s would refuse to serve if a new world war broke out, while 30% said they would refuse even in the event of an imminent invasion of the UK. The poll also found 72% supported women being conscripted alongside men.
British peace campaigners argue that any attempt to reintroduce conscription in the UK would represent a major attack on civil liberties and young people's freedom. The petition states: "We reject conscription as a moral affront and an attack on human rights. It deprives young people of choices and opportunity at a vital time in their lives... Joining the armed forces is a political and moral choice that should never be forced on anyone."
It concludes: "With war escalating around the world and record numbers of civilian casualties, now is the time to stand up for peaceful and cooperative approaches to conflict resolution." Britain first introduced conscription under the Military Service Act in 1916, before extending it to men aged 20 to 22 in 1939.
