Military chiefs are urging the UK Government to seriously consider reintroducing conscription after the US and Israel struck Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a drone hit the runway at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. The attack led to the evacuation of family members of British personnel from the base, which also houses two schools.
Senior military figures have warned that Britain must act swiftly to train thousands of new recruits. While countries like Poland and Latvia have reintroduced compulsory military service, the UK Government remains opposed. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat MacFaddon has stated that conscription is "not on the table."
However, military analysts caution that complacency could be catastrophic. Former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Sir Richard Shirreff has said Britain must introduce conscription immediately or risk being powerless. Colonel Hamish De Bretton Gordon has echoed these concerns, urging the UK to prepare for conscription or face surrender.
Mandatory military service was introduced during the First World War and persisted until 1963. The British Army now has only 70,000 active personnel, the smallest since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. De Bretton Gordon stressed the need to modernise the military, ensuring the right equipment and training. Sir Shirreff suggested "selective conscription" should be considered, noting that an army of 70,000 may not deter Russia in the long term.
The drone strike followed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer allowing US forces to use British airbases for defensive purposes against Iranian missile strikes. He confirmed British forces would not be directly involved, and the bases would only be used to target missile storage depots and launchers threatening Iran's neighbours.
