Independent readers divided over calls from top general for ‘citizen army’ in Britain

Have your say: While some said the British Army simply needs ‘proper funding’ others say conscription would ‘teach the young respect and pride’

The head of the Army said at least 45,000 reservists and citizens should be trained up in the next three years to top-up the current army size of 74,000 (PA)

Conscription in Britain would “teach the young respect and pride” and could be “life-changing in a good way”, some Independent readers have argued.

However others have countered that the British Army simply needs “proper funding” and to make “military service more attractive”.

The discussion comes after comments from General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing Chief of the General Staff (CGS), were interpreted as suggesting that conscription could be required in any potential future battle with Moscow due to the British Army being too small.

Sir Patrick, in a speech at the International Armoured Vehicles conference in south-west London on 24 January, said Britain should “train and equip” a “citizen army” to ready the country for a potential land war.

Pointing to Sweden introducing a form of military service for its population, the head of the army said at least 45,000 reservists and citizens should be trained up in the next three years to top-up the current 74,000, in what he called a “whole-of-nation undertaking”.

Here’s what you had to say:

‘Conscription is not going to happen’

Every family facing an equal chance of a family member being killed, injured or left with PTSD might mean that politicians and generals face more and harder questions.

Questions about why go to war - is this one for political advantage or oil company profits?

Questions too about competence and corruption in, for instance, the equipment and housing provided.

For these reasons, conscription is not going to happen.

andysmart1948

‘Teach the young respect and pride’

I do think it needs thinking about. It will take the young off the streets and teach them respect and pride. Possibly a career. It would only be a couple of years out of their life and might make them better citizens, hopefully, might...

Then there is the other argument, it teaches them how to use guns etc. So could go the other way. Needs thinking about for sure.

Bubs

‘Britain needs to expand its regular, professional forces’

My first reaction is no.

Israel and Russia have conscripted armies and the USA conscripted men to fight in Vietnam. Argentina had hundreds of conscripted youths in the Falklands. From those experiences, we can see just how ineffective poorly trained and disciplined amateur soldiers are, particularly when faced with either well-motivated irregular troops or well-trained professionals.

The exception to the rule (as it so often is) is Finland. However, as with education, I can’t see any British government following their lead- far too much of a departure from Thatcherite dogma!

Britain needs to expand its regular, professional forces, probably by tens of thousands, by making military service more attractive. I have served (a while ago now) but would be unlikely to make the same decision now. For one, the shrinking of our forces means there’s hardly anywhere left to go, even in the UK, let alone overseas unless you’re in the Navy. There are frequent overseas deployments (which are generally detrimental), but these are not the same as an overseas posting.

Pay still isn’t great, accommodation is quite often inadequate (a consequence of Portillo selling off the entire MoD estate to private interests whilst making the taxpayer still responsible for upkeep and repairs) and privatisation pervades whole areas of military life now.

The other option would be to continue the privatisation and shrinkage but stop pretending to still be a global military power.

That said, I can see the political attraction of having hundreds of thousands of working-class men and women with years of active military service behind them. It certainly focused right-wing minds after the Second World War and made Attlee’s political platform much more “persuasive” and enduring!

Northwing

‘Life changing in a good way’

Other countries have conscription that works well not just as a means of defence but using the armed forces in other ways too. Conscription teaches those called up a lot of things including personal pride, discipline, interpersonal skills and responsibility to others.

I think it would be a great idea. Having been a conscript in Australia when they still had it during the Vietnam War era I thoroughly enjoyed my two years and consider it life-changing in a good way.

Stardust

‘Plan for the worst scenario’

Is it wise to train street thugs to kill professionally? Then this was always the way, remember Wellington’s opinions during the Peninsular War.

It is still best to plan for the worst scenario unless we wish to just capitulate without any fight.

Martyn

‘Dire need of expansion’

Everyone in the UK knows that our armed forces have been hollowed out and are in dire need of expansion. Everyone it seems, except this awful government.

Devon Dumpling

‘The young are a cause without a rebel’

It would be a massive turnaround from the pandemic. Five minutes ago we were too weak to defend ourselves from almost nothing. But now the prospect is trench warfare... hm.

I’d bring in conscription in the hope that it builds character. The young are a cause without a rebel, our establishment is the worst in the whole of British history and if you make the young strong enough to defend themselves, be careful what you wish for.

TheRedSquirrel

‘What would this army be defending?’

We don’t want a land war, or any war, so we don’t need a bigger army. The government, Tory or Labour, can stuff that where the sun doesn’t shine.

What would this army be defending? Not democracy, because it’s been comprehensively traduced. The right of the government to ban the right to strike for millions? The filthy streets, inadequate schools and collapsing healthcare? The pre-eminence of profit for the rich above the wellbeing of the many? The right of the government to bomb people without asking us? The right of Israel to be excused from all law and decency?

We will no longer defend the fading imperial powers. Try forcing us, there’ll be a general strike. The future lies with the global south. It at least seems to have retained some respect for the law and humanity.

nakaserokid

‘Properly funded’

No conscription, that just turns professional soldiers, sailors and airmen into instructors.

We need properly funded armed services, professional procurement to avoid waste and the equipment required to defend our country. we currently have two aircraft carriers with borrowed air wings and unable to leave port without other nations’ ships to assist in forming a carrier group, an army short on men, armour, helicopters ammunition and much else and an airforce smaller that British Airways.

Laurence

Some of the questions and answers have been edited for this article. You can read the full discussion in the comments section of the original article.

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