The reaction to National Service on here

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

Many European countries (including Scandinavian countries) have NS. Are they ‘ridiculous’? Or are their much-coveted-by-Mumsnet-users communities better because of their sense of individual responsibility and contribution?

If 24 days (that’s how long it would be in total) of delivering prescriptions or volunteering as a hospital guide has you talking about human rights violations and Nazi Germany, then it’s very clear that you’re so pampered a bit of NS would do you good.

Everyone on here expects the world in terms of a ’village’, generous benefits, a caring society, but wants to do fuck all to contribute to it and think the notion of them having to do ANYTHING for anyone else is insane.

It’s nuts!

I’m sorry, but I’m not typing out a million different volunteer roles just for one post, here’s some however you don’t need training on: socialising with the elderly at a nursing home, animal shelter- I do this- clean out cats, no training required, homeless soup kitchen.

Really? Is that the best you can come up with? 🙄😂

Well exactly - interesting that from my post that was the ONLY thing @wellington77 picked up (apart from litter) - but why would a young person working take time off to pick up littler? Why should they - do you?

I worked as a volunteer for 10 years, it was a complex and stressful role - required training, supervision, de-briefing but ultimately led me into my career- it was worth the commitment but it IS a commitment - not 24 hours. Again, why should charities invest their time and energy to engage, train and support volunteers for 24 hours?

All of which fall foul of the not giving the pissed off ones access to people/creatures they could harm. These are even worse ideas than your litter suggestion.

Luckily dc4 is 20 so beyond this. I would absolutely resent my children doing this - they worked, did hobbies, played sports and were learning. Plus having fun and family time. Two of mine are now scout leaders because they got so much out of it themselves - how about making something like that compulsary for young people? My children have also played sport at county level - time consuming and worthwhile. They helped out at home, played tennis, went away whenever they could and sometimes just RELAXED, Not all 18 year olds are in a bubble; some are parents, some work, some are young carers, some are fully involved in a hobby that might become a career. Yes, some do bog all. Most young people I know are engaged, polite, busy and lovely. Governmetn, when you are so utterly useless, do not even try to tell my motivated, engaged, intelligent children what to do.

A: the countries you are comparing to have a very good offer to the young. Strong welfare stare, free and decent education ul to degree level, free sports funding for everyone under 26 etc etc, the UK doesn't.
B: many 18 year olds at university are working weekends to get through it so they would be asked to give up 25% of their income.
C: we are still supposedly a free country and the first thing we are going to tell 18 year olds on leaving school is they are not.
D: one reason for doing this by James Cleverly was that people wouldn't date people who had different views which is a frankly ridiculous reason.
E: it's compulsion not volunteering. And actually that's a form of slavery.
F: why 18 year olds, why not everyone including politicians? Let's see how popular it is then.

working with the elderly or in a soup kitchen would require a CRB check? No? who pays?

Working with animals requires some training and knowledge and a level of supervision (teen mauled by rescue dog - charity taken to court - anyone?) All these require a charity/employer to do basic checks as a minimum, provide training, insurance etc - for the grand commitment of 24 hours - why would they bother?

I work with 16-18 year olds who are NEET for complex reasons - we can't find volunteering opportunities as it is - where are they all coming from?

It's the "if done properly" that's the issue for me. It would be rushed through without thought like the rest of the Tory's alleged good ideas. No doubt they'd find a way for their chums to make money from it too.

The way the backlog in the courts is going, they'd all be middle aged by the time they got to prison anyway. Maybe we ought to conscript them all into the judiciary.

ill see that well said and raise it. Young people have been thoroughly screwed over by a generation far more concerned with property values, pensions triple locks and inheritance tax. Throughout the pandemic kids were obliged to throw their interests under the bus to protect those who, although older, were more privileged than themselves. And they did it. And what thanks are they getting? The only reason this has been proposed is Sunak making an ill thought out bid for any support from the wealthy gammons who make up the Tory faithful these days and distracting from his own party’s horrifying record of nepotism and incompetence

Volunteer your fucking selves then.

Asset stripping cunts, another way to fuck the population to plug the holes of coffer dipping corruption that has meant our public services are on their knees.

I don't believe in using extra words where not needed - what you posted is simply that, bollocks.

You're right about corrupt Tory donors.

But also, the principle itself is fundamentally implausible even if run by someone other than Serco/someone who's bought a peerage. We're talking about the voluntary sector having to absorb hundreds of thousands of people who haven't chosen to be there, probably won't have any relevant training and would only be around a couple of days a month. Its not a recipe for success even if run by actually competent people.

DS is 17. Works 40 hours a week as an apprentice. He has the Air cadets, is doing his Duke of Edinburgh and also plays rugby at the weekend. I’d like to know where he is to find the time!

The tories are dodgy as fuck but not to the point where they’ve stolen enough to put our public services on their knees. That’s a mix of austerity, an unproductive public and rising levels of ‘need’.

Bravo!

(another minimalist - yes that's all I've got)

What have you done as service to the country?

Not all teens are good for nothing losers with no direction in life.

Probably because she can’t afford the extra 15%

@MaryMaryVeryContrary how much volunteering do you do?

So all the kids that 'need a kick up the arse' - do we think they will be offering themselves up to this scheme? I can't see that happening, especially when they've clearly said it won't be compulsory.

Almost as if the tories are just trying to push a further wedge between the rich and the poor

Maybe after all this patriotism Rishi could think of something to actually tangibly bolster the young - like maybe give them half a chance getting a mortgage before the age of 40

I doubt they do ,i work in a supermarket and cant being doing with all the weekend uni students ringing in sick at least once a month, being on their phone during work hours seeing to one light and some how not seeing the other 8 flashing lights , ingnoring customers refusing to do this that and the other despite being part of the job and needing to go to the loo every 30mins probably to go check their phone as we have told them no phones on shop floor and them doing bat all whilst i run about like headless chicken, however that is most likely to do do with working for a shite company with no managment structure at all and i sometimes think they should bring in someone from a armed forces back ground to sort the place out

Bollocks

god what a brain drain all this arguing is.

It's interesting as Sweden abolished National Service in 2010 but brought it back 2018

What is truly interesting is that Rishi is using the playbook of the current Swedish right wing government (Conservative/anti-immigrant nationalist led coalition) almost to the letter

• A few weeks ago Rishi/Ministers make comments about the coming of war to Europe (mirrors 11 Jan 2024 Sweden's Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin saying Swede must prepare for War - )
• Last week later the Sunak government is putting out advice on people putting together a prepare for war kit (In Sweden 31 Jan 2024 the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency puts out lists of prepare for war kits sending half the population out for batteri emergency radios and bottled water - a boon for Clas Ohlson)
• Sunday - Sunak announces National service (Swedish defence Minister announces it is compulsory for all Swedes who have turned 18 to give their details to the Military for Military service purposes and all Sweden aged 18-70 can be called up for compulsory National service within the military or civil defence)

Those that would be offered jobs probably already have a career path to follow and are only doing this sort of thing because they have to.

Me thinks someone wants to cut down their salary bill and get rid of the pensioners doing the job for minimum wage and have a never ending supply of free labour