Young people won’t fight for the UK – except in one scenario | UK | News
Calls for the return of compulsory national service in Britain are growing louder amid fears over the country’s ability to defend itself in the event of a third world war; but a former army officer warned that the idea was a “non-starter” except for a script.
The intervention comes amid repeated calls for military service, or conscription, over concerns about the size of Britain’s armed forces compared to rival forces. Russia maintains nearly one million full-time troops against Britain’s approximately 140,000 troops, and many European countries, including France and Germany, have moved to reintroduce forms of military service in response to growing global threats; many commentators are calling on Sir Keir Starmer’s government to do the same.
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Crawford, now a former military officer and defense analyst, poured cold water on the possibility, arguing that while the sentiment behind national service was understandable, the practical hurdles were too great.
Crawford responded to multimillionaire author and podcaster Scott Galloway, who argued that “Britain should implement compulsory national service to rescue its missing young men.”
Galloway cited Israel’s model of compulsory national service as evidence that structured service could combat the epidemic of depression among young men, arguing that it provided purpose beyond individual concerns.
Would young Britons accept national service?
Writing for GB News, Crawford acknowledged the underlying problem and wrote that a significant number of young British men were adrift without direction or purpose. He cited the rise of incel culture, the “manosphere” and the popularity of figures such as Andrew Tate as evidence of this.
He pointed to polling showing that over half of 18 to 30-year-olds would refuse to fight for their country “under any circumstances” – a finding he said underlined the cultural gulf any government would need to bridge.
What are the practical obstacles to national service in Britain?
Crawford argued that the size of the enterprise made universal national service impossible. ONS data shows the number of young people aged 18 to 24 in the UK is between 5.7 and 5.8 million by the beginning of 2026. He said it was “out of the question” that this number would be required to undertake national service, meaning some form of a vote would be required.
Beyond numbers, physical infrastructure does not exist; Crawford argued that there were nowhere near enough barracks or training facilities to accommodate a large influx of soldiers. He stated that the armed forces, in their current state, are having difficulty recruiting enough volunteers for regular ranks. Exceptions would also be needed for medical workers and critical infrastructure personnel, further reducing the potential hiring pool.
Does the British army require national service?
Crawford also highlighted institutional resistance within the armed forces, noting that the British army had always preferred volunteers over repressed men. He quoted an old military proverb: “One volunteer is worth ten oppressed men.”
“The idea of producing sullen soldiers who would rather be somewhere else has little appeal to professional soldiers, sailors and airmen,” he wrote.
National service has deep roots in British culture and persisted from the final stages of the First World War until the early 1960s. His legacy lives on in the national consciousness through sitcoms such as Dad’s Army and It Ain’t Half Hot Mom, which poked fun at military life. The Beatles were among the first generation to be exempt from this requirement.
Will national service return to Britain?
Crawford’s decision was final. “I believe this is a non-starter in general practice unless Britain faces another crisis of national survival akin to the two world wars of the last century,” he wrote.
He added: “Young people today will no doubt be relieved that this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. But I would never say never. The time may come.”
