ok, lets actually have a quick vote on the Compulsory National Service at 18 idea

[cannonballz]

I dont think any of the threads running have an actual poll. I can't believe anyone would go along with enforced labour of 18 year olds, particularly when dictated by someone so immensely wealthy, privileged and so utterly out of touch.

Lets see

Serious question: why were you going to vote tory?

Terrible idea, but that’s partly because it’s not supposed to ever be implemented. The Tories know they’re on the way out. Policies like this are just aimed at winning a few votes back from Reform, which is the best they can hope for.

Managing volunteers is hard. Managing conscripted teenage “volunteers” would be harder still and a huge waste of resources, while treating kids on national service as a genuine contribution to our armed forces is frankly insulting and again a waste of resources that we don’t really have.

Who is going to supervise them? Who is going to train them? Who is going to transport them? Who is going to compensate them for lost earnings? Who is going to pay their rent while they are unable to earn? Who is going to dream up tasks for totally unskilled and unsuitable young people to do? Do you think they will actually be chasing burglars or running into smoke filled buildings with no experience, qualifications or training? Who is going to pay for this? Who is going to compensate other unskilled or skilled workers for their lost earnings because their job is now being done by a conscripted 18 year old? How is the impact on their life trajectory going to be managed? Who is going to fill the gap in teaching, medicine, lawyers, etc, while all 19 year olds are held up by a year or longer before starting their adult life?

How are all these young people going to feel about enforced labour?

God save us from dog whistle right wing politics.

Actually helping 18 year olds get jobs, introducing some kind of compulsory work experience offer for big companies alongside the apprenticeship levy, making the education system less shit so we don’t have 1 in 5 adults functionally illiterate, these I’d get behind.

Why are the conservatives allergic to actually figuring out why we have problems and addressing the causes? Instead of putting showy sticking plasters everywhere!

I think it should be volunteering for the benefit of the community but calling it National Service is the wrong name to use. Austria has Military Service but also has Public Service or Civilian Service. Calling it National Service is madness.

Would you really want the youth of today being taught how to use weapons?

@Jessie21 I am on the same page as you! I think the volunteering aspect could be a really positive step for many at that age, depending on what schemes they could volunteer for or what new skills they could learn, with army training once or twice a month being an option (however some may relish being enrolled for year and thrieve)

The majority of mumsnetters come from a position of privilege, where their kids grew up doing two or three hobbies and will probably get to go to Uni. Not everyone has had this direction or support! And perhaps if the Tory government had not taken funding away from Youth Services over the past decade it wouldn't be needed. Learning new skills and volunteering can arm people with valuable skills and a sense of direction, which can set young people up for life.

I'm not a Tory voter, I hate them! But parts of these proposals aren't as horrific as the majority of you are all exclaiming! I have volunteered throughout my life (starting at 16) for various different organisations and it has enriched my life no end.

Just frustrates me reading these disparaging comments about a whole generation. The teenagers I know are hardworking and polite. I also have met a number of rude adults and retired folk, many who have never volunteered a day in their life, and many who feel no pride in this country. Maybe it should be compulsory for them also? You can’t force people to feel national pride through things like this, build a country for people to proud of. Maybe use the levelling up money to actually level up neighbourhoods that need it and properly invest in solving social issues that exist.

Call me a cynic but this, teamed with the disastrous announcement speech in the rain, makes me think they actually WANT to lose the election because something Bad is coming and they don't want to be in charge when it happens.
It just doesn't make sense. They aren't that tone deaf.

Some people do, but others become disillusioned as they feel they get nothing in return. They see all the wealth of the ruling elites while they're living as a family in a mouldy bedsit 'temporarily' for years, in their position I wouldn't give a shit either. I possibly wouldn't just see it as the current government that has done this to me, I might blame the people that elected them knowing what they re doing to people like me! Why would I want to protect them and serve them?

Here are the Tories saying they are the only party which we should trust in a dangerous time and have clear plans and once again an impulsive ridiculous idea just gives labour's " stop the chaos" more weight...

Many 18 year olds work, losing one weekend a month makes a big difference to that income, plus could affect how many employers might want to take on 18 year old knowing they are not available every weekend. The article I read said something like ‘plus we would have trained reserves if we did go to war’ so let’s not pretend it’s not national service dressed up as some community spirit type thing. This government have shown they have no respect for the average citizen and that they are untrustworthy. I think this is every bit about having people trained for war but trying different ways of finding approval for it. As others have said, let’s see a government invest in education, health and rehabilitation, rather than making the rich richer. Invest again in charities and services that supported communities to address social issues. At the heart of it I feel angry, I guess, that a handful of world leaders could potentially be dragging us into wars that the majority of us presumably don’t want.

While I agree that volunteering can be a really important and enriching part of a young persons life, I totally disagree that this is the way to go about it. What is disenfranchising young people at the moment? It’s a housing crisis, watching their parents go to food banks to feed them, an awful educational experience for many of them - lack of teachers, crazy rules to try and address behavioural issues, not being able to get timely effective care for physical and mental health issues. Forcing some volunteering on these young people at 18 is too little too late, we need to make their lives better earlier.

@Megablueberry as I said you talk from a position of privilege. The teenagers you know probably have been afforded a lot of opportunity! A lot of 'rude' teens are mainly that way because of poor parenting and lack of opportunity and are bored. There is a lot of anti social behaviour in this country and to pretend otherwise is ignorant! Parents don't parent anymore, there is a lack of youth services about so I don't see how compulsory volunteering would be a bad thing! (And no, I don't agree with the funding model either)! A lot of these comments are from people who probably have decent kids and don't want the government to force their precious kids to do something they don't want to do.

@LetsGoRoundTheRoundabout of course!!! The ideal solution would be compulsory volunteering from 14 years during school time! But then the same people would complain that it is diverting from children's education! It is not just the government to blame however (they should be blamed for the lion's share) but I read post after post on here about children having phones and social media at young ages or spending too much time on their PS5! Kids need to learn independence and how to live outside of a screen! Volunteering opens their eyes to the world and can give valuable experience! I will always push it as a positive thing, as it is!

Given that in the unlikely event of another Conservative government, their majority would be smaller, the chances of getting such legislation through would be slim to say the least.

They couldn’t manage to get no fault evictions through in 14 years.

It's back of the envelope thinking.They're not even pretending to have thought this through. Have they any idea how much it costs to house, train, feed teens and get them to a stage where they are capable of whatever you are teaching them? He knows it won't happen.

I agree with Richard Osman that Rishi & co are desperate to lose the election. They've run the country into the ground, they've demonstrated heartless greed and contemptuous incompetence and now they want to scurry away and let some more principled crew clean up the shit.

well, this really is the final straw. If Tories get in we will be moving to Ireland. Thankfully my husband is Irish and all our children have Irish passports. All my children have so far gone on to University after school. They have studied hard and also worked to top up loans whiich didnt cover rent let alone living costs. Some are still studying, some have graduated and got jobs. They have an excellent grasp of "life skills" thanks very much and did not need to spend a year in the millatary to achieve this. Older dc also all did the NCS scheme (which is being phased out btw) which included a community project. Some also did Duke of Edinburgh which included voluntary work.
They have all also lived through covid which saw their education and life chances signifcantly disrupted, and have born that with resilliance and patience.
Youngest son is currently doing GCSEs. There is absolutely no way I will allow a government to to dictate to him what he will do when he leaves school.
Having recently read Prophet Song, this is all quite scary (although yes I know that was set in Irelend LOL)

Because they don't care? They are all of the Roger McGough The Leader poem mindset:

I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I'm the leader
I'm the leader

OK what shall we do?

When I was in 6th form, many years ago, we had something called Social Studies where we either went for tea, cake and chats with the older generation in the community or helped out at a private children's nursery. Taking children to the toilet and feeding them yoghurt which is all I did there put me off having my own.

@SirAlfredSpatchcock I’m really confused by your post. Why would Labour want to take young people out of jobs to do national service. This thread is discussing a potential Tory policy, not Labour.

@TroysMammy sounds like you got something from it 😂

It's yet another cheap labour scheme (as in work, not the political party, just in case anyone isn't sure). The government has to find the junior ranks from somewhere to do the fetching, carrying, bottom wiping, pothole repairing etc....

Sure this huge gap in the workforce has nothing to do with Mogg the (financially) fat cat and his merry band of Banditeers having scared away all the Europeans. Plus few sane Australian/Irish/New Zealanders etc want to come and work here unless they have family reasons say.

I don't care where my nurse/doctor is from as long as their training is good and they can communicate but there are also huge cracks appearing with qualifications for some international nurses are showing (with some countries being apparently worse than others, according to conversations I've had with colleagues at several trusts across England).

Still, I'm sure kids at the top private schools and Oxbridge will be exempt so that's all that matters, eh.

Am I missing something? The proposed scheme isn't aimed at young people like your children. They are privileged to have come from a supportive background, done well at school and gone on to university.

Young people who are struggling, aimless, with poor prospects, could benefit from some structure and direction in their life. Charitable work or national service could provide opportunities for these kids. The armed forces have given countless young people education, direction and purpose.

It's compulsory for all at 18