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

No, not happy about it. Although it seems to be for those not in education, training or employment ie firmly in the camp of "lazy teenagers laying about at home, in my day they'd have been in national service" that is oft allegedly parrotted by the older tory-voting generation.

There's a huge swing expected from the northern areas who voted tory to "get Brexit done" who will now vote red again as the promised regeneration and better economy hasn't materialised (funny that). This policy is trying to speak to them.

I doubt very much the services want a bunch of disinterested 18yo forced upon them for a year either.

I think you’d have to be older than 81 to have done national service.

Logistically I think it would take forever to organise and there’s more chances of landing planes in Rwanda, but some countries do it well.

I’m not at all against it but hardly think it’s a priority. I’m much more bothered about the sodding frozen income tax brackets personally. If they could announce something that would stop us all feeling skint that would be more useful.

He is just the most dreadful persona and I’ll be holding my nose if I vote Conservative as can’t actually stand him really. But Starmer is worse.

Another genius idea carefully crafted on the back of a cigarette packet

Not sure on the ages. Woukd that be the Suez crisis?

It ended in 1960. Anyone who’d deferred service before then still had to do it. If you’re 81 now you were 17 the year it was abolished.

My father was involved in the Suez crisis during his national service.

I agree. I would support this.

Asked my sons and they were quite enthusiastic about it. I don't think it's such a crazy idea. No one is being 'press ganged into the military', that's ridiculous.

I think it's a ridiculous idea. However, of you believe it to be so valuable to society, why not force people of all ages. Why pick on 18 year olds? I would not be happy for my child to be made to do this. They should be equal in society at 18 and have equal choices.

Why only teens if that's what you believe? Why shouldn't everyone have to do it? Personally I find it ridiculous to pick on only the young.

This was in the Guardian in January this year and Sunak's spokesman said no return to National Service. Another U-turn?

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/24/army-chief-says-people-of-uk-are-prewar-generation-who-must-be-ready-to-fight-russia

Desperate stuff. Won’t happen.

Doing some volunteering is a good idea, and young people can already do this through the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Presumably these older people are in the 80+ age group though (ie not the majority of retired and older people) as my dad's 79 and is too young to have done NS.
Bringing it back is a totally insane idea IMO and is really, really niche.

If part of doing NS was getting your degree paid for I imagine lots would be up for it !!!

Being forced to volunteer 1 weekend a month isn’t volunteering though is it..and National Service, WTF really? ..I cannot believe what I’ve just read on the newspages.
Has he gone mad..😬😵‍💫

I think they’re in the under 80 age group actually. The generation that didn’t win WW2 but very much act as though they did. <whispers> Boomers

You are definitely right. Mil is very pro national service. My son has dyspraxia, sensory processing issues and he would have been shot as a deserter in the world wars. I honestly think she would be pro that too. In fact all my sons would only fit for cannon fodder.

I hope to god if this does come in they excuse the kids on Dla / pip. It might entire a few to sign up but it might equally be hell on earth and pointless if my other son your at sen secondary and illiterate with the mental age of a toddler

I think that would have to be the carrot, a tuition free university place or well paid apprenticeship for a fulltime commitment , with reduced fees for the weekenders. There has to be something in the proposal to make it worthwhile, though actually I can’t see hospitals, schools or other organisations having the time funding or inclination to take on reluctant 18 year old and give them a meaningful and life enhancing experience .

And who monitors how the national service is consistent, oh, I know there could be monitoring companies set up , anyone know any former MPs suitable candidates who would be happy to take it on? For a consideration of course oh hello Mr (or do I mean Lord? ) Gove, didn’t see you standing there with your hand up.

He's desperate.
We could also run the filthy water through our gills like oysters to clean up the shit they have allowed to sluice into the water courses since brexit. Mmmm yunmy.
Might have to get some more toilet paper though

Let me guess anyone with wealth can buy their way out of it?

Thsts my parents and some of my friends your talking about. I think you're being very ageist.

It’s my parents’ generation too. It’s also the age group of the majority of people who talk about bringing back national service when they never did it themselves.

The voluntary option would see young people spending 25 days with organisations such as the police

If the young'uns have to do it, then by definition it's not voluntary.

Yes, indeed. The kind of people who call for this as a soundbite have very firm ideas of who should qualify for it - and, if you press them hard enough, they would have to admit that the government 'should' make it compulsory 'for all 18yos who Bert Higgins of Elm Road, Preston reckons could do with it'. Crystal clear.

Even if we discount the army option and go straight to the civilian alternatives, I think the government might have rather forgotten that there is now no goodwill left amongst young adults in that way.

Maybe in the past, when university education was provided free of charge, young adults might have been game to give away their time cheerfully; but now that there is a very costly price on it, that will weigh heavily on the shoulders of those young people until their early old age. The same successive governments that ascribed that hefty value to young adults' time cannot now expect to get it back free.

What a huge insult to force them to pay so much money for their higher education, with such a large penalty for it for most of their working life; yet to quite merrily delay them for a year by dissonantly considering their time so cheap, but just for that one year. The government will support you to do some token helping out, designed to keep ruffians out of trouble and thus applied to ALL young adults; but not to become tomorrow's doctors, nurses, teachers, other key-workers, professionals that make society happen.