Conscription in the UK would likely target unemployed graduates first, while workers in key industries could be exempt, according to historian and author David Swift. He suggested that those who refuse to comply would face fines rather than imprisonment.
Fears over the potential reintroduction of compulsory military service have grown amid escalating threats from Russia. A close ally of Vladimir Putin said he could not "100% exclude" the possibility of "semi-military" action against British installations, after the UK Armed Forces provided Volodymyr Zelensky's troops with blueprints to produce their own Storm Shadow missiles. A UK security source acknowledged that Russia is "preparing something", and Prime Minister Andy Burnham suggested a Russian attack is "inevitable". This follows a direct threat to London from Putin's regime.
Who Would Be Targeted?
Conscription involves the government mandating enlistment of citizens into military service. Over the past 126 years, the UK has seen only two instances of conscription: the first ran from 1916 to 1920, and the second from 1939 to 1960.
Speaking to the Express, Swift said: "Today, since there is such an urgent need to rebuild Britain's defence industries and industrial capacity, I would expect that people in these important occupations would be exempt." He added: "Or even that people could be 'conscripted' into working in these industries."
Swift indicated that "Military conscription would target unemployed graduates - this would be very popular with lots of people."
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Swift detailed the penalties that could be imposed on Brits who fail to comply with a conscription order. He suggested that fines, rather than custodial sentences, would likely be handed to those who refuse to register.
He explained: "I imagine it would be fines rather than imprisonment or anything like that, due to lack of prison capacity, difficulty enforcing and lack of legitimacy, and that 'conscription', if introduced, would be very much focused around monetary reward."
Swift proposed that Britain might mirror Greece's approach. In Greece, failing to register resulted in a €6,000 (£5,213.19) fine, though in 2019 the country contemplated abolishing the penalty altogether.
Background and Official Stance
In 2024, former British Army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders called on the UK to prepare for "national mobilisation" and a "citizen army" in light of the threat posed by Russia. However, successive UK governments have maintained that a highly skilled, professional volunteer armed force remains the most effective means of defending the country.
