Latvia‘s president has urged other European countries to follow its lead and bring back conscription in the face of Russian aggression.
Edgars Rinkevics said the Baltic state’s allies and neighbours should ‘absolutely’ look into the policy, which it reintroduced in 2023 after a gap of 16 years.
He is the latest European leader to call for nations to up their game militarily as the war in Ukraine continues.
On Friday, Poland‘s government backed giving military training to all adult males, plus female volunteers, as well as ramping up defence spending to 4 per cent of GDP.
However UK ministers today distanced Britain from any plan to force citizens to take arms.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pointed to the Government’s increase in defence spending in recent weeks but said Sir Keir Starmer was not examining bringing in mandatory recruitment into the armed forces.
Conscription was last in place in the UK in 1960, as the last soldiers who served in the national service scheme introduced for the Second World War and Cold War were discharged.
Edgars Rinkevics said the Baltic state’s allies and neighbours should ‘absolutely’ look into the policy, which it reintroduced in 2023 after a gap of 16 years.
He is the latest European leader to call for nations to up their game militarily as the war in Ukraine continues.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pointed to the Government’s increase in defence spending in recent weeks but said Sir Keir Starmer was not examining bringing in mandatory recruitment into the armed forces.
Latvia reinstituted its compulsory conscription policy in April 2023, after having abolished it in 2007. It is mandatory for men between 18 and 27, and lasts 11 months.
Mr Rinkevics was asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky News: ‘Do you think other European countries need to take similar kind of decisions that you’ve taken in terms of spending, in terms perhaps of conscription?’
He replied: ‘Absolutely.’
Mr Rinkevics added: ‘Seeing what is happening in the world, the decision that we took – many other European countries need to follow that.
‘A lot of people are a little bit nervous. People are following the news. Of course, strong reassurances [are] one thing, but another thing is other European governments [have] to make sure that we all get stronger.’
Bit appearing on the same show, Mr McFadden said: ‘We’re not considering conscription, but, of course, we’ve announced a major increase in defence expenditure a couple of weeks ago and we do have to recognise that the world has changed here.
‘The phrase ‘step up’ is used a lot in recent weeks and Europe does have to step up in terms of its own defence.
‘President Trump isn’t actually the first president to say that, but he said it more loudly and with more force than his predecessors. So, I think we’ve got to recognise that moment.’
In last year’s general election, then Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak pledged to introduce a system of national service for school leavers which would include military of civilian service.
Labour branded the policy a ‘gimmick’.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp did not say whether his party supported its introduction, when asked today.
‘We’re not going to, obviously, write our manifesto now. So, I’m not going to recommit to things that were in the previous manifesto,’ he said.