Former NATO Chief Urges UK to Reintroduce Mandatory National Service

Lord George Robertson, former NATO secretary general and ex-UK defence secretary, has called for the return of compulsory national service to strengthen civil and military resilience. He recommends a Swedish-style system in which people aged 16 to 70 take on defined defence roles—ranging from military duties to rescue, healthcare and childcare—in the event of war or crisis. Robertson noted that Britain operated peacetime conscription between 1949 and 1963, and highlighted similar models in Finland, Germany and Austria that combine military and civilian service obligations. He urged the government to include a “defence readiness bill” in upcoming parliamentary business, arguing that a society-wide approach is crucial given rising threats from state actors.

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