These are the five groups most likely to be drafted in the UK if WW3 actually kicks off

The idea of WW3 feels less like a distant nightmare and more like something people actually discuss over a pint these days. With tensions rising, the big question remains: Who would be first to get drafted in the UK if WW3 starts?

On the News Agents podcast, Keir Starmer said that “nobody is talking about conscription” and that such a proposal has “never crossed my lips.” But with ex-Army commanders warning the UK could be “effectively defenceless” if Russia went all-out, loads of people are still nervous. So, if WW3 starts, these five groups of people will get drafted first in the UK.

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1. Young and fit men

History shows us the first in line would be young blokes aged 18 to 25. Back in 1939, single men aged 20 to 22 were literally called up six months before the war even started. Once fighting began, the rules quickly expanded to include all men from 18 to 41. The logic is simple: The younger you are, the quicker you can be trained, and the longer you can serve.

2. Single people without kids

Next up, those without families would be pulled in. During WWII, the government deliberately drafted people who didn’t have children first, trying to avoid leaving loads of kids without parents at home. So yeah, if you’re young, single and living at home, don’t be shocked if you’d be near the top of the pile.

3. Women on the frontline

This one’s a bit different. The UK has never officially conscripted women for direct combat, but by 1941 women between 20 and 30 were drafted into war-related work like nursing, munitions and auxiliary roles. According to the Mirror, a modern YouGov poll even found 72 per cent of Brits support drafting women if WW3 kicked off. At first, women would probably be channelled into medical, intelligence, and logistics roles. But if things got really desperate, frontline service wouldn’t be out of the question.

4. Reservists and ex-soldiers

Then you’ve got the people who already know how to fight. Former soldiers, current reservists and even people who did National Service back in the day would almost certainly be called back. According to the Sun, Colonel Hamish De Bretton Gordon even warned recently that with an army of just 70,000 regular troops, Britain would “struggle to deploy a brigade for any period of time.” So yeah, anyone with past military training would be drafted sharpish.

5. Older age brackets

If the war dragged on, the government wouldn’t stop at young people. During the second World War, conscription stretched all the way up to men aged 51. And even those between 52 and 60 had to take on some form of civil defence role. Basically, nobody could totally dodge it forever.

Obviously, not everyone would be shipped to the front. Some professions would be considered too vital to national security to risk losing.

So, would it actually happen?

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For now, the government is insisting it won’t. But ex-generals and MPs aren’t ruling it out. Afghanistan veteran and MP Mike Martin said earlier this year, “There’s a significant chance we could end up at war with Russia. And if that happens, there’s no question we’d be conscripting the population.”

Basically, the official line is no, but history, and the current vibes, suggest it’s more of a never say never.