National Service if Tories are re-elected

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

Thoughts? 🍿

It wouldn't impact on dc going to uni. They would just do the volunteering bit. If they have weekend jobs then employers would have to release them for it if it was a compulsory scheme. If everyone is doing it then it is normal and it would only be for a year.

I am on the fence but I do think it would appeal to some young people and we do have a NEETs problem. Would need to see more details before I can decide.

So, reading the proposal, three things jump out at me:

1. not a cat in hell’s chance of any of this being ready in 2025 if it went ahead. A Royal Commission does not run to that timetable. And the substantial amount of preparation involved will take years in itself. I’d be astonished if anything happened during the next Parliament really.
2. the funding for this largely comes from junking ‘levelling up’. The replacement for Structural Funds will be raided. So we abandon the communities which may well be breeding some of the most disengaged young people in the UK. If we’re going to steal that money, investing it in health and education might at least make some sense in general benefit but not for a glorified Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
3. most of the potential jobs listed in this ‘very well thought through’ proposal are either far too skilled to be done by a volunteer for 25 days or add very little for the cost. Distributing fire safety leaflets? Not to mention the time and money spent vetting people to work for most of the organisations mentioned.

And I note too that there is reference to helping with natural disaster clear up. But the Government has minimised and minimised climate change prevention measures. Climate change, not war, is what is most likely to devastate the lives of our young people.

I think addressing wage stagnation and housing costs will engage a lot more younger people.

The cyber defence stuff sounds like it could be quite good

This is where I am. We do have a huge NEETs problem and some people seem to make excuses about why they can’t do anything and I feel like any scheme implemented would fail because they simply wouldn’t turn up or feel like it’s their right to claim benefits and not to anything if they don’t want to.

I can’t think how else to give them a kick up the arse?

All Tory MPs should be made to do NS first and then have a vote on whether it's still a good idea.

At least we will lose weight, and that’s a canny amount of tea, to be fair.

@MistressoftheDarkSide they’re fighting for different ground.

The Tories are relying upon older voters turning out in force. Labour are targeting younger people.

In the long term the Labour strategy is the best as you’ll have a generation of supporters, not because you’ve done anything for them but because the Conservatives have ridden roughshod over them simple to appease older voters.

Stupid thing is from conservatives that it’s policies like this which will bring young people out in force to vote… except for the fact that most of them can at present breathe a sigh of relief and say “oh it’s ok he doesn’t mean me”… YET.

We don't - despite the usual ageism on here, I don't know anyone my age (late sixties) who wants this. None of them vote tory anyway.

Woken up to this news this morning and I'm fuming.
How fucking dare they continue to use our young people's future as political pawns.
This thread has already thrown up so many issues with this back of a fag packet policy that is solely designed to appeal to the sort of people who wank over spitfires that I wont reiterate them. Suffice to say that I'm sure one of their mates will get the contract to supply the uniforms for this and siphon off £££ of taxpayers money and get a new boat or something.

It works in Singapore, although it is only for males I think. They do 1 or 2 years NS then go on to Uni. Those who do it then have to attend various training or assignments a couple of times a year. The men I worked with were all really proud of their achievements doing this.

I think it is a good idea, that would address many of our societal problems but it is too late here. It has gone past the return. Our country is too fucked up to turn it around.

Have just read an update via Sky News, that no-one would be jailed for refusing national service. Another back of a envelope policy then.

If I was an 18 year old again I wouldn't mind doing national service for a year. As I feel I would be doing my duty, doing my bit for my country and remembering my grandfather who also fought in a war. It would also give me a year to think about what to do.

However, it feels bad to force teens. Is that morally OK? I can imagine that a lot of them would try to get out of it.

Tbf I suspect you’d have a huge proportion of people claiming mental health issues. Then what???

My children’s grandparents are in their 80s and don’t want it either.

There's one great big hole in Sunaks argument. The MOD move at glacial speed approving recruitment candidates that it's in a fine mess. They've farmed it out to a private company by all accounts. They've sold/leased out barracks.

We really don't have the capability to organise this. Watching Russia they don't either.

@MaryMaryVeryContrary

But is it really about NEETS or about opportunity and more about building up an army that should be built up with proper investment and recruitment. Basically, a band aid for shit Tory policy on our military and years of hollowing out

I am the only one who thinks the Tories want to lose this election? The timing and now crazy shit like this and flights to Rwanda. Pretty sure these are not top of most people's concerns right now.
Has he forgotten older voters likely have grand children/great grandchildren? And he will lose the votes of parents. I'm sure they want to lose. Otherwise how about tackling the horrendous cost of living, housing crisis, total lack of public services. Is anyone going to tackle these?

Well they claim it to get out of work anyway.

We’re going to end up with so few taxpayers that they’ll have to force many of them back to work by stopping benefits.

I was just thinking, if I was 18, I would like to do it.

It'd feel like an honour helping my country for a year.

And I would be doing my grandad ( who fought in world war two) proud

I am struggling to understand why we are brushing all of our young people with the same brush as if they are all need this. This to me is an admission by them that lots of things in society are not working (school, lapsed parenting, mental health help, living in poverty). So instead of fixing those things they will introduce another thing to fix it. I’ve worked bloody hard so that my potentially delinquent children ( they lost their dad at a young age so could have gone down any road with their grief ) are good teens, they don’t need any national service or external help here, they needed that when their dad died but it wasn’t there so you know what I parented. Don’t need any help from you Rishi now.

“ appeal to the sort of people who wank over spitfires…”

😂😂😂😂

I agree but that isn't what this is about.
This is about winning back elderly and middle-aged Tory voters in the heartlands. Just as their notion about getting rid of the National Insurance is just about winning votes.
If they had the long-term security of the country and the health and welfare of the nation at heart they would be having an honest conversation about how much more tax we should all be paying- especially the most wealthy- to pay for increased defence spending, pensions, NHS, education, social housing.

I imagine the vast majority would choose volunteering 1 weekend a month over the military. That way they could choose something they’re interested in or feel they would enjoy. Literally no 18 year olds will go into the infantry as part of National Service.

Totally agree with @LuluBlakey1