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When did the UK have conscription and could it return? Age and legal grounds explained

Downing Street has dismissed a warning from the head of the British Army that members of the public could be called up to fight in the event of a war with Russia.

General Sir Patrick Sanders, who has been a vocal critic of cuts to troop numbers, said the UK should “train and equip” a “citizen army” in preparation for a potential land war with Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Speaking on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: “The British military has a proud position of being a voluntary force. As I say, there’s no plan for conscription.”

They added that “hypothetical scenarios” about possible future wars were “not helpful”.

The news comes as the British Army is at its smallest for more than 300 years.

What does conscription mean and how does it work?

Soldiers marching in line
Conscription is not currently in place in the UK (Photo: ilbusca/Getty)

Conscription occurs when a military needs people to fight in a war, but there aren’t enough volunteers.

Known as “the draft” in the US, conscription legally requires people to sign up and fight if they are physically able, with penalties, such as imprisonment, if they don’t.

When did the UK have conscription?

In January 1916, the Military Service Act was passed.

This imposed conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, but exempted the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and certain classes of industrial workers.

During this period, which coincided with the First World War, conscription lasted until 1920.

From 1939 to 1960, a second period of conscription in the UK took place.

This coincided with the Second World War.

National Service, a standardised form of peacetime conscription, was introduced in 1947 for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 21.

National Service was brought to an end in 1960.

What was the UK conscription age?

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses RAF military personnel in the Poseidon hanger during his visit to Royal Air Force (RAF) base Lossiemouth in Moray, north east Scotland on December 18, 2023, to recognise soldiers for their service. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JEFF J MITCHELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Rishi Sunak addresses RAF personnel in Scotland in December 2023 (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/AFP)

In the Second World War, men between 18 and 41 were conscripted, while in the First World War the age range of those called up was 18 to 40 before it was extended to 51.

As conscription is no longer in place in the UK, there is no current conscription age in place.

However, chemical weapons expert Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, told i that age should “not be an issue” in terms of who could get called up in the event of conscription.

“I’m 60 and still a serving reserve officer,” he said.

There are around 85 countries around the world that have some form of obligatory military training.

These include Israel, Turkey, Cyprus, Brazil and North and South Korea.

Russia conscripts over a quarter of million young men aged 18-27 each year.

On the official website of the Russian ministry of defence, it states that mandatory service is “not a fun ride, no matter where you find yourself serving your country, but being a real man is being able to take the pain and hardship. This experience will make your further civilian life so much easier”.

And in the Netherlands, both men and women receive a letter from the ministry of defence stating they are registered for military service at the age of 17, but this is not enforced.

Is conscription legal in the UK?

There is no current law in place in the UK for conscription.

And comments made by No 10 on 24 January suggest that this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

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