A former MI6 boss has quietly called upon members of the public to ready themselves to fight for their country. Sir Alex Younger, speaking in an interview with BBC’s Today podcast, claimed the nation has been “infantilised’ since the end of the Cold War.
He believes Britain should adopt a similar approach to Sweden where conscription is partial so the call to step up is not nationwide. Speaking in the interview, he said a blanket approach to the situation was not what’s needed, but rather hand-picking people based on the skills they have.
“I don’t think this is about blanket conscription. But I think it is about thinking about ways in which the broader country would participate and contribute to security in a time of an emergency, which you know is no longer impossible to imagine,” he told the BBC.
In the radical changes he put forward, he said having a reserve of forces would allow Britain to call upon its peers with little notice, in the event of an emergency. Sir Younger looked at Sweden’s approach where their government has the power to “compel” people to provide a service.
This, he said, is only rolled out when it is absolutely needed. The topic of conscription has been floated repetitively as Vladimir Putin’s threat of a Western invasion looms. He has previously spoken of NATO triggers, and fears of a wider war have been exacerbated by conflicts not only in Ukraine, but in the Middle East.
Head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, has previously said Britain should launch a citizen army – where people are told to fight and are given the appropriate training.
The Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas has also waded into this discussion today – urging Britain to grow its army in the event of war escalation.
