Armed Forces: Bring back national service in wake of new Russia threats, ex-Royal Marine Labour MP says

Bring back national service in wake of new Russia threats, ex-Royal Marine Labour MP says Alex Ballinger said he would 'love to have National Service in the UK' Sign up to the News Newsletter Email address Sign up I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us A Labour MP and ex-Royal Marine has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reintroduce National Service, modelling it on Finland's conscription system to address escalating Russian threats. Alex Ballinger, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on the Armed Forces, made the appeal at a reception hosted at the Finnish ambassador's residence. "There's a national service setup in Finland, which I think, personally, I would love to have National Service in the UK," Mr Ballinger told attendees. "But I think there's a lot we can learn in the way you conscript people and get the whole of society behind it." TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say He argued that Britain needed to draw on the experience of nations bordering Russia, adding: "Those countries like Finland, that are literally sharing a border, have a much larger threat than we do. "And I think we need to recognise that and we need to learn some of the lessons from the way you've been managing that threat over all of these years." Finland's conscription programme obliges all males between 18 and 60 to undertake either military or civilian service lasting up to 347 days. The system has produced a reserve force of nearly 870,000 personnel - among the biggest in the entire Nato alliance, which Finland joined in 2023 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. During the 2024 general election campaign, Labour firmly rejected Rishi Sunak's proposals to reintroduce National Service for 18-year-olds. A Labour MP and ex-Royal Marine has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reintroduce National Service, modelling it on Finland's conscription system to address escalating Russian threats | REUTERS The Conservative plan would have required teenagers to either sign up for a year of military service or dedicate one weekend per month to community volunteering. Wes Streeting, now Defence Secretary, attacked the Tory policy at the time, declaring that the then-government was "in no position whatsoever to lecture anyone about service". Mr Burnham, who was serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester during the campaign, said: "The national service we need from our young people is to vote for change on July 4." Britain's own National Service scheme formally came to an end in 1960. LATEST UK NEWS Urgent manhunt underway as man shot near Royal Artillery Barracks in London Man arrested in investigation into spitting incident at statue for murdered MP David Amess Romanian crime gang targeted pensioners using cruel cash machine distraction scam Alex Ballinger, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on the Armed Forces, made the appeal at a reception hosted at the Finnish ambassador's residence on Thursday evening | FACEBOOK: ALEX BALLINGER Mr Ballinger's call for National Service comes amid broader tensions over defence funding. Chancellor John Healey is expected to allocate £4.7bn in next Wednesday's Budget to address a shortfall in the defence investment plan, which was only partially funded by his predecessor Rachel Reeves. Yet he is not anticipated to outline how Britain would reach either three per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 or Nato's 3.5 per cent target by 2035. Mr Healey himself left his role as Sir Keir Starmer's defence secretary in June, citing the former prime minister's unwillingness to commit to the three per cent goal. Since moving to the Treasury, however, he has declined to make that same pledge. Gen Lord Sanders, who led the Army until June 2024, described it as "incredible" that Mr Healey would not use his inaugural Budget to set out a clear path for increasing military expenditure. Despite Mr Ballinger's plea, a government source told The Telegraph confirmed that neither the Prime Minister nor Mr Streeting intend to bring in National Service. The source pointed instead to the Government's newly launched Be Ready campaign, which advised households to build up supplies of food and water as a precaution against cyber attacks. "This week, the Government has launched its Be Ready campaign to provide the British public with the simple steps they can take to improve household preparedness," the source told the newspaper. "By following the guidance, people can ensure they have the basic essentials they need to manage everyday emergencies like storms or power outages." Official guidance recommends keeping emergency kits containing three days' worth of non-perishable food, bottled water, an FM radio and blankets. The backdrop to these warnings includes revelations that Russia has been using fishing trawlers to conduct surveillance on Britain's vital undersea cables, raising the spectre of a sabotage campaign capable of knocking out phone and internet services. 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