It's time to "think the unthinkable" and consider introducing conscription to ready the country for a potential land war, Britain's former top NATO commander has said.

General Sir Richard Sherriff, ex-deputy supreme allied commander of the military organisation, warned that the UK defence budget is not big enough to expand the armed forces alone.

"Britain's armed forces have traditionally and culturally relied on long service volunteer highly professional soldiers with huge experience - and that is really the way we would all want it to go on."

The head of the British Army said UK citizens should be "trained and equipped" to fight in a potential war between NATO and Vladimir Putin's forces.

Major General Charlie Herbert, a military analyst who has served as a senior NATO adviser, said Sir Patrick was trying to "provoke a debate", nationally and within government, about the size of the army and the defence budget.

"There's a 1939 feel to the world right now," senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood told Sky News on Wednesday, warning conscription was a possibility.

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