Conscription has been ruled out by Downing Street after a warning was issued that Brits may have to fight Russia in a potential war.
In his address to the International Armoured Vehicles conference in Twickenham on Wednesday, head of the army General Sir Patrick Sanders said the UK needed a military that could not only grow quickly but also "train and equip" a citizen army.
Sanders emphasised that the Army, which is predicted to have just 72,500 fully trained soldiers by 2025, would not be big enough to fight an all-out war with Russia even if it numbered 120,000.
Now, an official spokesman for the Prime Minister said "there is no plan" for conscription.
Rishi Sunak has ruled out conscription
PA
A No.10 spokesman said: "The British military has a proud position of being a voluntary force. As I say, there’s no plan for conscription.
"I think these kinds of hypothetical scenarios, talking about a conflict, are not helpful and I don’t think it’s right to engage with them."
He added that the Government had invested "significant sums into our Armed Forces".
However, a senior Whitehall source told The Telegraph "a wider conversation" needed to be had within the Government about operating in a more dangerous world.