Rishi Sunak Proposes Revival of National Service with Military and Voluntary Paths for Youth if Tories Secure Election Victory

Rishi Sunak pledges to reintroduce National Service if the Conservatives are victorious in the upcoming general election. The Prime Minister has announced a proposal that offers 18-year-olds the option to engage in a year-long full-time military role or participate in a volunteering program one weekend per month for a year.

Political journalist @robpowellnews

Sunday, May 26, 2024, at 8

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Rishi Sunak has announced plans to implement a compulsory National Service program for youth should the Conservatives be victorious in the upcoming general election.

In the initial major policy release of the election season, the Prime Minister introduced a proposal that offers 18-year-olds an option between a year-long, full-time military service or participating in a volunteer program one weekend per month over the course of a year.

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The assignment will be exclusive, determined by screening tests to ascertain eligibility, and will include roles within the military or in cyber security operations.

The proposed program involves youth dedicating 25 days to serve with entities like law enforcement, fire departments, healthcare services, or non-profits that assist elderly individuals living in isolation.

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Mr. Sunak stated that the new framework would offer "transformative chances for the youth" and enable them to acquire "practical skills."

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister stated, "To those who argue that enforcing it is unfair, I argue: citizenship involves duties as well as privileges. Being British means more than just the line you stand in at passport control."

The Conservative party has proposed that implementing National Service could reduce crime rates, arguing that studies indicate volunteering boosts social responsibility.

The details of the strategy would be formulated by a newly established Royal Commission, which is a type of advisory panel created to examine major matters.

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According to conservative outlets, the panel will consider potential non-penal consequences for teenagers who opt out of National Service.

The organization would also define any exceptions to the plan.

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The National Service Act was implemented in January 1949, mandating that all healthy men aged 17 to 21 were required to enlist in the military for 18 months. This duration was extended to two years starting in 1950.

The program concluded in 1960, but the final individuals conscripted under national service were released in 1963

The Tories project that the initiative will have an annual expense of £2.5 billion by the fiscal year 2029/30. This amount will be financed through funds originally allocated to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, coupled with stricter measures to combat tax avoidance and evasion.

In response, a spokesperson for the Labour Party described the announcement as "desperate," stating: "This isn't a plan – it's merely a review that might rack up billions in costs, necessitated solely by the Tories' reduction of the Armed Forces to their smallest since the Napoleonic era."

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