New rules make it easier to call up reservists for war

The government is to announce new powers making it easier to mobilise tens of thousands of former armed forces personnel to prepare for war.

New rules will mean reservists remain on call for an extra decade, and lower the threshold for them being called into service.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the election of US President Donald Trump have put pressure on the government to ramp up defence spending and readiness for action.

Labour has pledged to increase defence spending, but the government has not denied reports that the Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard warned the prime minister and chancellor about a £28bn shortfall forecast for spending plans just before Christmas.

Legislation on the armed forces containing the changes will be published in parliament later, with some parts seen by ministers as a crucial part of the conversation about Britain’s readiness for conflict.

The measures affect the segments of the armed forces reserve who are former service personnel rather than volunteers – known as the strategic reserve.

Currently, the age limit for the strategic reserve is 55. This will change to 65.

The threshold for members of the strategic reserve to be mobilised will change too.

Under existing rules they are called upon in the scenario of “national danger, great emergency or attack in the UK”.

That threshold will be lowered to “warlike preparations”, which is already the threshold for reservists who have left active service in the past few years.

The changes, which include technical measures the government has to renew at regular intervals, will come into force next year, if passed by parliament.

Last year the Strategic Defence Review called on the government to “reinvigorate the relationship with the strategic reserves”, estimated to have about 95,000 members.

At the same time, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden told parliament that the UK must “actively prepare for the possibility of the UK coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario” as he published a national security strategy.

McFadden told MPs the nation was “in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening security” and pointed to Russia’s war against Ukraine as “the most obvious and pressing example of this”.

The document also referred to “Iranian hostile activity on British soil” and “adversaries” planning how to disrupt energy or supply chains.

Labour set out plans to increase overall defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027, costing an additional £6bn a year. It has also said spending will rise to 3.5% by 2035.

A threat from Trump threat to withdraw US protection from NATO countries also led Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to pledge to meet a new Nato target to spend 5% of the UK’s GDP on national security by 2035.