Mandatory National Service for 18 yr olds Sunak decrees

[Heavenssakes]

How do you feel about mandatory National Service for 18 year olds - Sunak says he will introduce it if he wins election.

This is so not what I want for my DC, nor something they want to do. 1 years military service, when they have worked hard towards getting into Uni, and developing a career?

It's like steppng back into the 1950s.

Only saving grace, I can't imagine the forces wanting or being able to deal with thousands of press-ganged kids.

I fear for Sunak's sanity.

https://news.sky.com/story/sunak-says-he-will-bring-back-national-service-if-tories-win-general-election-13143184

Absolutely no. I have a pre teen and a young teen and I cannot even express how against this policy I am.

If it's something that they want to do, great, I'll support them. But being 'forced' to do so, absolutely no.

At this point now I believe that Sunak is doing all he can to make the Tories unelectable. This can be the only explanation for this fuckwittery

Just pandering to elderly voters imo. Bring back national service is a refrain I have heard from many older people fairly frequently although tbh as I am talking about the generation who lived through the war many of those I am referring to have passed away from age now.
I am expecting him to suggest bringing back hanging next.
I severely doubt this will ever happen.

Absolutely not, it's like he's trying to make sure he definitely doesn't get re-elected!

Never going to happen

I think there is a large sector of older people who often say "bring back national service", as if it's an answer to all anti social behaviours and crimes. I think it could actually be a vote winner.

(against it personally)

How the hell would that even work? So they go to uni for a year, start racking up student debt and accumulating compound interest on it, then take a year out to do their military service? WTactualF!?!?

But at least the Tories ‘know what a woman is’ eh?

I think it shouldn't just be a military thing though. They should get the option to work in the NHS instead as well. anyway it won't happen coz the Tories are out.

Sunak could say that it'll be compulsory for everyone to walk on their hands for two hours a day and ride an elephant for the rest of the time. Who cares? He'll probably lose his seat in 6 weeks.

I’m not a Tory and won’t be voting for them…but…

it’s not all about conscription into the army? It’s a choice that includes other options including nhs, fire service, police, charities - and only includes one weekend per month?

a bit like a D of E or old National Citizen service scheme we used to have that were voluntary? These actually help get university places and can be very enriching.

other countries have similar and the youth do very well. There’s no way it will all be about the military- that would be political suicide and quite rightly so.

The last YouGov survey on this, done in 2024, suggested hardly any support for this , in any age group.

I told my 17 year old he just said - well I won’t do it ..🤣🤣🤣.. it’s not what I want for him either

It's just culture wars nonsense IMO.

I've met similar folks over the years, except when pushed on it they never mean their own grandchildren. For some magical reason national service never applied to their own family.

But it's not really mandatory fighting on the front line, is it? I mean, I'm no Tory, but have a proper read of the plan before you choke on your cornflakes:

As for the numbers, under the plans there would only be 30,000 places for the armed forces placement – which would be competitive. So the vast majority of 18-year-olds would end up being rejected from the military option and taking the civic route of community work. (From the Spectator).

Here's another bit of info (from the article you linked to, op)...

The placement would be selective - with tests used to decide who is eligible - and involve working with the armed forces or in cyber defence.

The voluntary option would see young people spending 25 days with organisations such as the police, the fire service, the NHS, or charities that work with older isolated people.

I can imagine a lot of young people would be quite interested in working in cyber defence, tbh.

I know it won’t happen but-
Just regarding the policy you need people available to organise these sort of programmes. NHS, fire etc don’t have the capacity. Charities find it hard investing in or training someone eg to do gardening or help in a school then that person is finished and new person (of whatever age).

Also they would need police checks for things like the NHS.

It works very well in some other countries. I was with a Finnish friend and her son recently and he’s finishing school and heading off to do his national service soon.

He’ll be living at home as it’s close by and he’s very excited about doing his bit, meeting new people, being part of something, supporting his country, and they’ll pay for him to do a degree.

If the Tories weren't already certain to lose this election, they definitely are now. I will not allow my children to be press ganged into the military. My children are not being subjected to this nonsense. Sunak has lost what was left of his marbles if he thinks this idiocy is a vote winner.

We have a generation of weaklings, so, maybe!

But it's not really mandatory fighting on the front line, is it? I mean, I'm no Tory, but have a proper read of the plan before you choke on your cornflakes:

This.

But I guess that isn't going to draw posters in to froth is it?

lets see Sunak perform some sort of service before he gets to talk about imposing it on others.

National service ended in 1963, so no one born after 1943 is likely to have experienced it first hand. I certainly don't know any oldies who are calling for reintroduction. Doesn't seem like a vote winner to me, especially as I'm sure Sunak s own children are likely to be exempt.

Shows how very out of touch he is! I work with disadvantaged and SEN teenagers and the logistics of them managing this makes my head hurt. Thankfully it’s just a fantasy. They would actually really benefit from good quality work experience, but the costs involved in supporting their access to it would mean they’d probably just be excluded.

Pandering

If he really meant it he had 15 years to do it 🤷‍♀️

So therefore he doesn't mean it ...