National Service if Tories are re-elected

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

Thoughts? 🍿

Scandinavia have no opposition to the scheme and it brings their society together. Young people are valued for their service.

They start careers and university a bit older and wiser, also gives them the opportunity to mix with lots of people.

I think it's a great leveller for the countries involved.

I am not sure it's for the UK though, reading on here as there are objections

The issue isn’t his tech ability, the issue is his lack of credibility - no one actually voted for RS. He was installed. In my view he paid in one shape or another to move in to the PM role.
The downfall of Boris was mostly his doing, and the Sunak team. Now RS can say he was a PM he will move on to something new, I very much doubt Rishi wants to carry on for another 4 years (well I am certainly getting that impression) he has completed what he set out to do.

There would surely be exclusions like there are for most things. It might however improve mental health problems for some, teaching them motivation and resilience . I'm not saying that would fix everyone struggling but it could help some.

I’ve posted earlier in the thread but my main objection is that the conservatives wouldn’t be interested in a well thought out, European style model like other posters have had a good experience of. It would be a chaotic, uncoordinated system that’s prioritised around selling off the administration to their unqualified mates to make maximum money like everything else they do (see covid PPE etc). The actual benefit to young people would be last on the list of Tory priorities behind making cash and trying to salvage some of the vote they’re losing to reform. Same as if we went to an insurance based healthcare system under the tories we’d get something that had far more in common with the US long before we got something similar to a European system.

I think that's actually our whole national defence policy? It would be a little irresponsible if it wasn't. Donald Rumsfeld's known unknowns etc.

Not only this but what would actually be the strategic benefit to Putin of a land invasion of Britain? Why is he doing it? The expanse of continental Europe sits between Russia and the UK physically if he wants resources (which we’re not that rich in other than oil, which is something Russia already has). It’s tactically difficult and disproportionately expensive to target us unless for some reason he has decided to fight and win an enormous land war across several NATO countries. A cyber attack is far easier, quicker, more beneficial.

Teens can take voluntary jobs now if they want to.

It's not our whole national defence policy, no.

Exactly. Honestly you'd think sunak had suggested shipping them off to the frontline in Ukraine or something all the hysteria.

Invest in early years funding, in education and opportunities for young people. Invest in health care and CAMHS. Support families and lift people out of poverty. Give people prospects and a future, end Tory austerity that grinds people into hopelessness and dead end lives. Start early. That's how you solve the problem.

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Gold DofE celebrations at Buckingham Palace. I do wish the media showed those thousands of young people who had genuinely volunteered in their communities, learned a skill, participated in sport, challenged themselves with residentials and expeditions. I wish the media had highlighted those young people who were a real credit to their families/schools/youth organisations and I wish the government could properly fund it so no young person misses out.

I would say much of the country is separate by region, wealth, nationality, religion and sometimes gang culture .

Lifting young people into a neutral environment may reap benefits our future country.

Our friends in Denmark served in different areas such as army and social care. They made friends with people of all backgrounds and love the scheme.

Another excellent question.

Not to excuse anything about the invasion of Ukraine, including the stupidity, but it is at least possible to conceive of why Russia might think a puppet regime there would be of some benefit. I'm not saying it's remotely justified any of the things they've done to get it, even just from the perspective of the Russians who've been killed, but there is that if nothing else. A land invasion of a country thousands of miles away from them that hasn't been successfully invaded in a millennia ticks none of those boxes.

Easy to see why they've focused on other ways to attack us instead.

If it comes to war they will conscript. This is just a sop to the hard right, along with all the other things, like Rwanda and bashing the sick and the disabled.

I agree with this.
Many kids have no aspirations or work ethic nowadays and working in secondary school, I know that all too well.
A handful of kids will have an idea of what they want to do come year 10/11 but the majority do not.
There is a total lack of respect for anyone including teachers and other staff and we are sworn at, threatened, having things thrown at us everyday simply because SLT are powerless, the police are powerless and there are no boundaries left.

Having worked in countries where there is NS, it really isn't such a bad idea. It gives the youngsters a sense of pride and responsibility.

Well, planning for known unknowns will be. Russia is a known enemy and it's plans for us are unknown. The UK is a huge target. Anyway I don't want to catastrophise. My essential point is the future cannot be predicted and the past shows the unconceivable can happen and on that at least we can agree? Or agree to disagree. Not much more to say really as neither of us has a clue about what we are talking about (unless you are in the MOD. I'm not)

I felt at my most empowered by being able to earn good money in my teens. I worked in the country where I also did national service, and the pay was brilliant, could never have earned that in the UK. Feeling needed, rewarded, empowered.

Give young people great jobs & really good pay, make home ownership something actually attainable again to give them motivation to work hard for that good pay. Then they can afford to go on adventures and survival courses if they want in their free time. This “national service” stuff is a distraction and doesn’t lift anyone up.

I won’t bother asking my local Tory candidate - it’s Liz Truss, whose carelessness about detail and callous disregard for those with the least resources needs no revealing…

I think his claims that he couldn't manage his whatsapps if he changed his phone goes straight to his credibility.

Oh yes and how many do?! Not many I'd guess. You struggle to find them with parttime jobs too busy on tik tok and snap chat.

This is a not an outrageous suggestion. He could've maybe called it something different than 'national service' but still, a year of discipline and routine will probably be the making of some of them and a weekend a month volunteering will not kill them, I promise.

How do you know it's over 65s who are most in favour? I'm no where near 65 and think if it was done well it could be very beneficial. I have also both volunteered and worked as a nurse for the NHS during my life.
As for
After a working life where they made money for themselves, got to choose how to spend it, and made their own selfish decisions
that's just pure, nasty ageism.

This type of intervention if needed on the 18 year olds they are targeting is because all the other interventions or so called support failed them years before . This will fail them too .

Yeah right. My kids and their friends are nothing like that. Don't lump all young people in together - as it's simply not true.

@lentilrice want kind of war are you imagining they'd conscript for?