What UK conscription could really look like as five groups most likely to serve first revealed As of January 12, 2026, the debate over a "Citizen Army" has hit fever pitch in the UK following a series of warnings from military experts and former officers. While the Ministry of Defence maintains there are "no plans" for mandatory service, the British Army has hit its smallest size since the Napoleonic era (just under 74,000 regulars), leading analysts like Dr. Mike Martin to warn that conscriptio