Top Army Chief Warns of Britons Facing Draft in Potential UK-Russia Conflict

I feel these rumours might be running riot a bit, I should point out that Gen Sanders didn't mention draft at all and stated he was opposed to conscription (like almost all commanders) - he's talking of national effort in more general terms, not forcing people into combat. He's also talking about the potential of the next 20 odd years, not this summer. I'm certainly no expert, but I don't think the UK militaries weaknesses are the sort you can throw 20 odd thousand unwilling people at expect a drastic improvement.

That said, I wouldn't be too surprised if Sanders was put on gardening leave soon with comments like this.

I personally don’t think that this kind of thing will happen in the first place (Britons facing call-up to fight in the armed forces if UK goes to war with Russia). I mean if it does happen then I won’t do it personally.

Maybe I’m being naive though.

Possible I'm also naive but me neither, we like to see ourselves as a pretty high tech and well trained force so hard to see where unwilling conscripts would effectively fit in combat tbh. For things to have got to that point I think we'd have to pretty much already be in the middle of WW3 with significant losses and the idea of life as normal was already out the window whether you fought or not.

I suspect what the former and departing Generals are getting at is that these are the sort of uncomfortable but extreme questions that have to asked if the Government & MoD don't put more resources in to maintain the forces, things seem to have been pretty grim for them for a long time in terms of wages and procurement.

I was talking to my friend about this the other day, and if the call went out I think I would answer it.

The call to do what exactly though? protect your home or go on a crusade?

It seems to me to be highly unlikely this will be needed however it makes full sense to have an actionable defence plan for a wide array of risks & circumstances (and if the wave of coronavirus taught us anything, being able to have a thought out actionable plan it is a far better position then being forced to react without capability).

On a wider note, i do think the time has come for national service to re-enter the conversation. Although I would extend it from military & defence services to military, health & social care & other important socioeconomic areas (perhaps education).

I really dont see that ending overly well though. Leaving aside the military would take a dim view on having a load of hostile draftees dumped on them absolutely nobody wants to pay for that. After all, its not exactly just free labour and the whole point of a western army is its high tech, high trained and relatively nimble. Not something that is usually very conducive to having masses of irritated people forced to do it for a few years then go home again (with a couple of exceptions anyway).
Might not be so bad an idea for the care and health fields but i imagine the same issue is in play that most people absolutely do not want to be ordered to do things by a government for reasons they neither understand nor agree with.

I dont believe in most of the values this country stand for so I aint fighting

You're welcome to leave at any point.

You know im not going anywhere and theres lots of us who feel the same way

Congrats on Ukraine for killing 30 civilians in Moscow theatre
Or was it even Ukraine? from Israeli poltiicans words