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It’s the type of policy you’d expect to hear from a pub bore at six pints deep. But Rishi Sunak caused shock-waves on Saturday evening, when it was revealed that the Tories would look to bring back National Service for all 18-year-olds if re-elected.
In what appears to be an attempt to woo older voters considering a switch to Reform, the Prime Minister has proposed ‘mandatory placements’ for some 700,000 British citizens once they turn 18, ranging from active service to community work.
The plans state that teenagers will work weekends, on a monthly basis. Sunak says there will first be a royal commission, to be followed by an open pilot system – before becoming ‘mandatory’ by the end of the parliament in 2029.
However, this policy has been savaged overnight. The Tories have already been reminded of the ‘National Service’ youngsters carried out during the pandemic, staying indoors to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and sacrificing their social lives.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham told youngsters that voting for change on Thursday 4 July is the ‘real National Service we need’. Former Labour advisor Ayesha Hazarika also lashed out at the proposal, branding it as ‘a gimmick’:
“National service is a gimmick. We have a country that has so many systemic problems. Whether it’s fruit picking to the state of our care service. Now we have this idea of sticking plasters, trying to get young people to solve these structural problems”
“We need an army that is properly paid and properly resourced. We need fruit pickers. And we need agricultural workers, too. This idea of getting young people to fix these problems is not the answer” | Ayesha Hazarika
Less than 24 hours after Sunak’s declaration, some major policy flaws have already started to emerge. James Cleverly elaborated on a few more details during his Sunday morning media rounds – which sounded flimsy at best.
First of all, the Home Secretary confirmed there would be no legal enforcement of the service, and no punishments for those who do not attend their placements, making the ‘mandatory’ part of this scheme utterly redundant.
Secondly, Cleverly also confirmed that only those who opted to do the military service, rather than the civic option, would receive payment. As estimated by The Spectator, fewer than 5% of the roles available will be within our armed forces.
That leaves us with more than 95% of eligible candidates for National Service going without pay, and no legal obligation to attend. We can only seeing this being a roaring success, honestly…
