Labour MP Alex Ballinger has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce national service in the UK, suggesting Britain should follow Finland's conscription model. Ballinger, a former Royal Marine who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on the armed forces, made the remarks at a reception at the residence of the Finnish ambassador on Thursday.
Finland's Conscription System
In Finland, all men aged between 18 and 60 must complete military or civilian service for up to 347 days. Ballinger said: "There's a national service setup in Finland, which I think, personally, I would love to have national service in the UK."
"But I think there's a lot we can learn in the way you conscript people and get the whole of society behind it," he added, in comments reported by The Telegraph.
Lessons From a Border Nation
Ballinger argued that the UK should "learn some of the lessons" from Finland, which shares a border with Russia. He said: "Those countries like Finland, that are literally sharing a border, have a much larger threat than we do."
"And I think we need to recognise that and we need to learn some of the lessons from the way you've been managing that threat over all of these years. I know you are doing things like shaping your infrastructure."
Previous Proposals and Current Context
Former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak proposed compulsory national service in the 2024 general election. Under those plans, which were criticised by Labour, 18-year-olds would take part in military placements or community service.
The call comes as the Government has launched a new campaign urging Britons to stockpile bottled water and tinned food in case of emergencies.
