Five groups most likely to be called up if UK brings back conscription
British soldiers marching in line(Image: Getty Images)Global tensions are escalating, whilst Britain's military personnel numbers continue to dwindle.Should a third world war erupt, certain groups across the UK would face a greater likelihood of being summoned to serve than others. Whilst Keir Starmer has insisted that "nobody is talking about conscription" at present, some specialists remain concerned.Former MP and ex-British Army officer Dr Mike Martin, for instance, has cautioned that conscription could become necessary."Obviously if we got into a big war, we'd have conscription straight away," Dr Martin told Big Issue last year. "Would we need to conscript? Yeah, we would. Because ultimately, we're not at a stage yet where you can replace people with drones. We're a long way off from that. Drones are fine, as far as they go, but you still need people to occupy villages, hold ground, and all the rest of it. And that's not going to change for quite some time."General Sir Patrick Sanders also issued a warning to the Government last year that they ought to be readying Britons for conscription "within six years" should Vladimir Putin persist with his military threats, reports the Mirror.Were conscription to be introduced, these would be the five groups most likely to be impacted, according to the Express.1. Young men aged 18 to 25.Young men aged 21 and 22 faced conscription even prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. Subsequently, the scope expanded to include men aged between 18 and 41.2. Single, childless individuals.Throughout WWII, unmarried people without children were called up first to minimise disruption to family units.3. Women aged 20 to 30 Women are not necessarily exempt from conscription.While they've never been drafted into combat before, during WWII, they assumed many related roles including nursing, munitions, and auxiliary positions. A recent YouGov poll revealed that a significant majority (72%) of Brits support women serving on the frontlines.4. Ex-servicemen.Ex-servicemen and reservists, already equipped with military skills, would be among the first to be called upon in such circumstances.5. Individuals aged up to 51.Reaching an age beyond the conscription bracket may not provide an escape. If a war were to persist for a long duration, older individuals might also be drafted.By the end of WWII, people aged up to 51 were being conscripted. Those aged between 52 and 60 took on roles in civil defence as well.
