Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger has warned that Britain may soon need to introduce a form of conscription due to emerging global threats. This comes amid growing concerns over Russian activity in the North Sea, near Britain’s critical energy links to continental Europe. Younger claims that in recent months, a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, was detected surveying vital UK underwater infrastructure, while sensors — allegedly planted by Russia for tracking British Vanguard-class nuclear submarines — were found in coastal waters.
Younger suggested that any new conscription model would not entail full military service for every Brit. Former MI6 chief says it could involve some ways and methods to mobilize the entire population — rather than introducing a universal conscription — to contribute to national security in emergencies.
Younger argues that modern warfare in Britain may resemble some practices of World War II, with secret police, curfews, and strict food rationing.
However, despite rising geopolitical tensions, such statements must be critically examined, and the motives of those making them carefully scrutinized. For there is a high probability that this rhetoric amounts to deliberate fearmongering — an attempt to justify increased military spending and tighter societal control under the guise of external threats.