Britain must be prepared to consider bringing back national service, even if it “goes against the grain”, the architect of the UK’s defence review has warned, in one of the starkest interventions yet on the state of the armed forces.
George Robertson, who previously served as NATO Secretary General, told MPs that the UK needs a broader “all-of-country” approach to national security amid growing concerns over military readiness and rising global threats.
His comments follow mounting pressure over the government’s delayed defence spending plans, which a House of Lords committee warned are now six months overdue.
Lord Robertson has already accused the government of what he called “corrosive complacency” in its approach to defence, warning that Britain is failing to adapt fast enough to modern security threats.
National service — abolished in 1960 — required all fit young men aged 17 to 21 to serve in the military. While ministers have made no formal proposal, the idea is gaining renewed attention as the number of armed forces personnel continues to fall.
Robertson’s remarks represent one of the most senior endorsements yet of exploring compulsory service, with comparisons drawn to countries such as Finland, which retains conscription, and Germany, which has recently expanded voluntary military service models.
He told a parliamentary committee that Britain should engage in a “national conversation” about defence readiness, warning that modern threats extend well beyond conventional warfare.
These include sabotage, cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and espionage — areas he said require whole-society resilience rather than relying solely on the armed forces.
MPs also questioned whether the UK should adopt elements of the Swedish model, which assigns civil defence responsibilities to the population aged 16 to 70.
The debate comes amid wider concern over shrinking troop numbers and pressure on recruitment, with defence planners warning that current trajectories may leave capability gaps in the years ahead.
While ministers have not endorsed the return of conscription, the renewed prominence of the idea signals growing unease within parts of Westminster about whether Britain is adequately prepared for an era of heightened geopolitical instability.
Lord Robertson called for a “national conversation” on defence on Monday to make the public aware of “acts of sabotage” and cyber-attacks.
Lord Robertson said: “Inside the United Kingdom, I think there is a view that we are safe. We don’t notice what is happening elsewhere, and yet it is happening day by day, cyber-attacks and attacks on undersea cables, all of these things are ongoing,” he said.
He added: “[In] the 1930s, we didn’t prepare until the crisis was actually on us. It would be horrible to think that it would take an actual crisis, an actual attack on the United Kingdom, before we woke up to the kind of threats that are facing us.
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