Older Britons want to bring back military service - but the young aren't as keen

48 per cent of Britons have voted in favour of compulsory military service in a new YouGov poll.

When asked if they supported or opposed bringing back compulsory military service for young people, only 36 per cent of the 2,693 people quizzed responded negatively.

Not surprisingly, young people were massively less keen on the idea than the older generations – just 10 per cent of 18-24-year-olds were up for a bit of national service, while 74 per cent of those aged 65-plus – those far too old to qualify – thought it was a great idea.

UKIP voters were overwhelmingly in favour of the proposal, with 82 per cent showing their support, compared to just 31 per cent who voted SNP. 66 per cent of Conservative voters were keen, while just 36 per cent who voted Labour liked the idea.

There was a divide on geography grounds, too: residents of Wales and the Midlands found the idea more favourable that those in London, with 53 per cent voting in favour, compared to just 35 per cent of those in the capital.

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National Service was phased out in Britain from 1957, ending for good in 1963.

Sweden recently reintroduced military service, and French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that France will soon do the same after a break of nearly 20 years.

Greece, Austria and Finland are among the many European countries that still have military conscription.