Lord Robertson, the former Nato chief who authored the government's strategic defence review, has called for Britain to consider reintroducing national service to protect against modern threats. Speaking before the joint Parliamentary committee on the National Security Strategy, the Labour peer argued that a Swedish-style system, where every resident aged 16 to 70 has a legally defined role in civil resilience, should be on the agenda.
Swedish Model as a Template
Under Sweden's system, all citizens between 16 and 70 are legally obliged to contribute to national defence in wartime, through military conscription, civil roles such as rescue services or infrastructure maintenance, or general national service. Lord Robertson noted that while such a model might challenge British traditions, the nature of current threats—both civil and military—makes it worth considering. He lamented that the defence readiness bill proposed in his review, which would involve society as a whole, is unlikely to appear in the upcoming King's Speech.
Pressure on Government Over Defence Spending
Lord Robertson's comments come amid growing criticism of the government's defence spending plans. Last week, a House of Lords committee he chairs urged the government to publish a clear, costed path to spending 5% of GDP on defence. The government's ten-year Defence Investment Plan, promised by Defence Secretary John Healey for last autumn, is now not expected until summer. Lord Robertson accused the government of 'corrosive complacency' on defence, a charge he extended to society at large.
'Inside the United Kingdom, I think there is a view that we are safe. We don't notice what is happening elsewhere, and yet it is happening day by day—cyber-attacks, attacks on undersea cables, all of these things are ongoing,' he said. He warned against repeating the mistakes of the 1930s, when preparation only began once a crisis was imminent.
International Context
Britain ended national service in 1960, which had required all physically fit men aged 17 to 21 to serve 18 months in the armed forces. Other nations, including Finland and Germany, have maintained or reintroduced conscription or voluntary military service in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lord Robertson emphasised the need for a 'national conversation' to raise awareness of ongoing sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation, and espionage from hostile states like Russia and Iran.
The Daily Mail's 'Don't Leave Britain Defenceless' campaign continues to urge increased defence spending. Lord Robertson's intervention adds to mounting pressure on the government to address the Armed Forces' readiness for conflict.
