Calls for UK conscription sparks huge divide, poll reveals

After an alarmingGovernment dossiersent an icy chill across the nation warning Brits "must actively prepare" for war, many were left pondering if conscription could make a comeback.

The long-awaited National Security Strategy said major powers like China and Russia are seeking to gain an upper hand in "outer space, cyberspace, the deep sea, and at the Arctic and Antarctic poles". It also said that hostile states could join forces with criminals and terror groups to carry out attacks on these shores.

So we asked if you thought the UK should reintroduce conscription, and the results were split almost exactly down the middle - with 1,604 saying yes they want to see the draft return, while 1,600 were against the idea. Many of you commented, here's what some of you had to say:

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ItsMeeee: "Absolutely not. The NHS doesn't have enough mental health professionals as it is, nevermind if that got reintroduced. Can you imagine all the woke trying to dodge it by declaring mental health reasons?"

Gone2poy: "Conscription no, but National Service yes."

FlameyHelmet: "What a farce, the make believe threats are so far fetched. We're under no more threat than we have ever been. Don't believe the hype, its all lies."

Chrisary4450: "As someone living in Canada with a less myopic viewpoint I can tell you the threat is very real for the UK."

Foghorn: "Gesture politics. Conscription is a colossal waste of money, time and resources. Which is exactly why we scrapped it in the first place. The heads of the armed forces were glad to see the back of it - they don't want surly adolescents who've been dragged in off the streets, they want people who see a career for themselves in the armed forces."

RagnarBrocklebuckle: "Just because some retired general says it's needed doesnt mean it's needed. Ask anybody in the armed forces - they don't want to serve with conscripts. They want professional soldiers they can rely on. Conscripts are just a numbers game . Meat to throw in the grinder."

Tabjunk: "I hope it does come back."

Humhum: "Nobody is going to be conscripted. I'd do jail rather than fight for this miserable country."

Townsrwt: "Be impossible to do, young would run away from conscription."

Mytmidge: "I’ll tell you what it would look like working class lads would be conscripted while the sons of the rich and famous would avoid the draft just like the yanks during Vietnam."

'We are not in a position at the moment to fight a ground war'

In December, Army chiefs urged the UK Government to consider conscription in the face of possible war with Russia. They warned that the country needs to act fast and start training thousands of soldiers to be ready for the looming threat from Vladimir Putin.

The UK's dwindling number of soldiers sparked alarm among national security experts as one former commander sounded the alarm, saying that the country would effectively be defenceless if Putin invaded. Despite the ongoing involvement of British troops in Ukraine and Keir Starmer’s push for peace across Europe, minister Pat MacFaddon recently stated conscription is "not on the table."

Sir Richard Shirreff, former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, bluntly stated in December that Britain must conscript now or risk being powerless in the face of Putin’s forces. Nations like Poland and Latvia have already reintroduced conscription, bracing for the worst.

Colonel Hamish De Bretton Gordon echoed these concerns, urging the UK to prepare for conscription or face the very real risk of surrender to Putin. He said: "Militarily, Britain absolutely needs to look at all the options as has been described. We are not in a position at the moment to fight a ground war. There's no way we'll avoid [conscription] unless we surrender, and I don't think anybody in this country is going to surrender without a fight, especially to Putin."

In response to a previous Mirror poll about whether conscription should be reintroduced, some argued that if conscription were to come into force, women should be treated the same as men. Railywayboots said: "If it ever came to conscription again, especially being a party of equality, women should be called up in exactly the same way as men and be expected to take on the exact same roles."

Florrie wrote: "If introduced it should be for both young men and women. I for one hope it is never introduced. Perhaps the people wanting it don’t have young children or grandchildren."

What do you think? Are you torn over conscription? Or do you come down firmly on either side of the argument? Share your views in the comments below