Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that compulsory national service will be reinstated if the Conservative Party wins the next general election.
Under the proposals, 18-year-olds would be given the choice of serving full-time in the armed forces or UK cyber defence for 12 months, or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their local community.
You could also choose to volunteer one weekend a month, or 25 days a year, in your local community with organisations such as the fire service, police, NHS or charities that tackle loneliness and support isolated older people.
Placement is selective and testing is used to determine eligibility.
The plan is estimated to cost £2.5bn a year over the next ten years, and the party plans to fund £1bn of this through cracking down on tax evasion and fraud.
The remaining £1.5bn will be paid for with money previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a package of support for charities and community groups.
The Prime Minister argued introducing the measures, last used in the UK at the start of the Second World War in 1939 and 1960, would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world”.
He said the UK has “a generation of young people who have not had the opportunities they should have”.
The only period of conscription in Britain in modern times was between 1916 and 1920.
Army personnel have fallen sharply from 100,000 in 2010 to around 73,000 in January as a result of cuts made by the British government.
The Conservatives said teenagers seeking to serve in the armed forces would “learn about and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement and civilian response operations”.
The party said it would establish a royal commission to bring together expertise from across the military and civilian community to design a “bold” national service program.
The party said it aimed to open applications for the first pilot scheme in September 2025, then aim to introduce new “national service” legislation making the measure compulsory by the end of the next parliament.
The Prime Minister added: “This country is great, but generations of young people have been denied the opportunities and experiences they deserve, and there are forces that seek to divide our society in an increasingly uncertain world.”
“I have a clear plan to address this issue and secure the future of our country. I will introduce a new model of national service to create a sense of common purpose and renewed pride in our country among our young people.”
“This new mandatory national service provides young people with a life-changing opportunity to learn real-world skills, try something new and give back to their communities and country.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister suggested a Government led by Sir Keir would be characterised by uncertainty and a “more dangerous world”.
“The consequences of uncertainty are clear. No plan means a more dangerous world. If Labor wins, you, your family and our country will all be at risk,” he said.
Sir Keir’s party denounced the announcement as “another desperate and underfunded promise” and pointed out that Sir David Cameron introduced a similar scheme, the National Citizen Service, when he was prime minister.
There was no military element to Lord Cameron’s announcement, instead encouraging young people to take part in activities such as outdoor education style courses as part of his “Big Society” initiative.
A Labour spokesman said: “This is not a plan, it is a review costing billions of dollars, made necessary because the Conservatives have shrunk our army to its smallest size since Napoleon.”
“Britain is tired of the Conservatives, who have run out of ideas and no plan to end 14 years of chaos. It’s time to turn a new page and work with Labour to rebuild Britain.”