Scott Galloway, the London-based multimillionaire author and podcaster,has said in the Daily Telegraph that ‘Britain must implement mandatory national service to save its lost young men’.
In a wide-ranging interview, he suggests that one of the reasons Israel has one of the lowest levels of young adult depression in the world may be because they have compulsory national service, which gives young men in particular something bigger than themselves.
It’s an interesting idea, but one which faces significant opposition in Britain from both young people and the military (although service in the military need not be the only option for national service).
In a recent poll, more than 50 per cent of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 said they would not take up arms for their country “under any circumstances”.
Britain’s experience of compulsory national service includes the latter half of the First World War and the Second World War, plus its aftermath right up to the early 1960s.
Popular television sitcoms like ‘Dad’s Army’ and ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’, which satirise the experience, are firmly ensconced in the national mythology. And famously, the Beatles were part of the first cohort that was no longer required to complete it.
The UK military has never been keen on conscription, preferring an all-volunteer force, which has been the historical norm. “One volunteer is worth ten pressed men”, as the old adage goes.
The idea of training glum recruits who would rather be somewhere else is not in the least appealing to professional soldiers, sailors and airmen.
On the other hand, there is widespread concern that a sizeable proportion of Britain’s youth, young men in particular, is unsettled and adrift with no clear idea what their purpose in life is.
The incel culture and ‘manosphere’ trends are indicative of this. The popularity of influencers such as Andrew Tate and others also bears witness to this.
Mandatory national service would hit a brick wall in Britain | Getty Images
So perhaps there is a place for some sort of mandatory or voluntary national service in the UK. Many European countries have some form of it.
But its implementation could prove tricky. Based on population projections and recent estimates, there are approximately 5.7 million to 5.8 million young people aged 18-24 in the UK as of early 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Clearly, obliging that number of people to undertake some form of national service is out of the question, so some sort of ballot would probably need to be implemented.
Then there would be exceptions, with professions like medical workers and critical infrastructure staff excepted. Even then, the UK does not have the facilities to house and train such conscripts; there are insufficient barracks, training areas, and so on to cope with such a large influx of draftees, nor would the regular armed forces be able to provide the training staff that would be needed.
They can barely fill the regular ranks as it is. So, while the idea of some sort of national service is attractive to many politicians of various ideological persuasions, the practicalities are daunting.
I believe it is a non-starter in general application unless Britain were to face another crisis of national survival akin to the last century’s two world wars.
Today’s youngsters will no doubt be relieved that it is unlikely to happen any time soon. But I would never say never. The time may come.
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