Where are extra troops going to come from if we end up in a war with Russia? - Jayne Dowle

"Obviously, if we get involved in a general war with Russia, we’ll be conscripting the population - there’s no question about that.”

No question about that? Really? The Prime Minister needs to lay his cards on the table and tell us the truth.

Martin’s is quite the admission, the boldest assertion yet that British lives could end up on the frontline as tensions escalate, despite efforts being made to bring about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Chilling words indeed, but at least the man has the courage to say what many of us are thinking about, talking about and asking.

It really is time Sir Keir Starmer stopped shrugging off the questions and allowing others to speak for him on this emotive matter. A week or so ago, Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told television viewers in an interview that the government “is not considering conscription”, but acknowledged the “major increase in defence expenditure”.

How will the dots be joined? And why do other political voices disagree? We are regularly reminded that British armed forces stand at well below fighting capacity; according to government figures, overall, they are at least 5,440 personnel below target, and that is just professional soldiers, sailors and air force, not extra boots on the ground.

As of April 1, 2024, the total size of the full-time UK armed forces (trained and untrained) was around 148,230 personnel.

Over half, 56 per cent, of those were in the British Army, with the remainder split equally between the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

All three service branches need an increase in recruitment; the Army by 1 per cent, the Royal Navy/Royal Marines by 5 per cent and the RAF by 10 per cent.

The figures also showed an overall fall in the number of troops between 2023 and 2024, with 4,430 more personnel leaving the force than joining it.

This hardly makes anyone feel secure, and efforts at upping professional recruitment so far seem lukewarm at best. It’s no secret that British military leaders are rarely in favour of conscription; the preparation, the training, the sheer logistics of bringing in unwilling new recruits, provides a huge challenge.

However, the question we all want answered is staring us in the face. If we are to protect ourselves and play our part in a ‘coalition of the willing’, where are extra troops going to come from?

If it really is from our sons and daughters, we need to know. Gather together any group of young people and inevitably, talk turns to what they might do in a war.

What started off quite light-heartedly a couple of years ago is now taking a far more serious tone; my son, Jack, who is 22, has already said two of his friends, who served in the RAF, would ask to immediately return to service. He’s decided that should the call come, with a background in care work, he would try to become a medic if possible.

A recent poll, for another national newspaper, found that only one in 10 of his generation would willingly fight for their country, and 41 per cent said that there were no circumstances at all in which they would take up arms.

As a parent, this all sends an absolute chill down my spine.

And we wonder why the nation’s mental health is at an absolute nadir, especially amongst the young. There has been much hand-wringing of late over the lack of confidence young people feel about their future; increasing numbers are opting out of work altogether, choosing a life on benefits.

The Covid pandemic upended their life expectations, but the threat of war hanging over their heads is making everything seem pointless; they can see no joy in planning for the milestones older generations took for granted, a decent well-paying job, a home of their own, the ability to bring up a family.

Labour backbencher Paulette Hamilton, who represents Birmingham Erdington, talking to reporters in February, hit the nail on the head, pointing out that “young people have not engaged but they’re going to have to, because our borders are being threatened and you cannot continue to bury your head in the sand.”

Such heartfelt contributions are important, but leadership is all in difficult times. Instead of relying on individual MPs to voice our concerns, we need courage and direction from the very top.