AIBU to think no one agrees with conscription. Does Rushi want to loose the election? This feels like a threat not and election promise?

[Catchlock]

This has been popping up on my SM overnight. I feel like Rushinis doing his best to throw this election.

Who exactly thinks Conscription is a good idea and how would it work??

I’ve been finding it entertaining to imagine what kind of absurdist, The Thick of It style circumstances went into this announcement. Was it an actual joke they can’t admit to and will now double down on? Did someone just say - lol yeah let’s bring back national service hahaha - and now it’s a realpolicy? It’s mental. I am concerned for the mental well-being of the people who came up with it.

Somone mentioned The Thick Of It?

This is my guess.

@WoshPank you read my mind on ‘yes and Ho’ 🤣🤣🤣

But Britain is not Israel and Singapore, we have an entirely different cultural outlook that is far more liberal and values freedom of choice at an individual level.

There’s no ‘voluntary’ element to National Service so it would be an entirely different policy.

I've no issue IF it can be set up properly. Too many ❄️. But it won't be organized well so moot point

That also applies to many of the young people who need "sorting out" though.

I'm not necessarily for the military bit, but that's selective and paid and only seems to be aimed at people who might have an interest in a military career. I don't understand how monthly volunteering for a year could be anything other than positive - for the volunteer and for the community and country.

So I assume you'll be volunteering one weekend every month then?

It's a load of tripe designed to fool gullible types like many on here and the cohort of backwoods Tories who hate having a brown man as party leader.

Conscription would not be accepted by the armed forces top brass and Britain is no longer the homogeneous society it was when national service existed.

Yes - something similar to jury service for a month or so. So random call up duty for everyone over 18.

Can you imagine the frothing 😁

Not for or against, but can't see how it would be paid for. It would be a very expensive project

It’s just one of what I expect will be a long line of ill-thought through “headline grabbers” aimed at limiting the impending carnage. What next? The workhouse? Death penalty? Corporal punishment?

I still wouldn’t agree with it, but I wouldn’t actually mind if this had been a long-standing aim, had been thought through extensively with contributions from the major stakeholders, and formed part of an overall vision for the future of the country. Sadly, it’s not; it’s cobbled together and desperate.

Truly dismal.

You can’t see how a load of unwilling conscripts (it’s not volunteering if it’s compulsory) might be more trouble than they’re worth? Who will train them? Manage them? DBS them where appropriate?

I suspect many on here who like the thought of 1950s style national service in multi racial modern Britain - good luck with that 😀😀- think it'll be just young men called up but, no, it'll be young women too. In equal numbers and of all social classes not just the nasty oiks. After all this is 2024. Equality and all that.

The devil will certainly be in the details, and those points you raise are valid, but I agree with the concept, yes.

I already volunteer an awful lot more than that. I really don’t think 25 weekends I’m their whole life is too much to ask.

As a teacher and wife of a police officer and having lived in European countries where it’s the norm, I’m very pro.

It just seems such an odd time in their life to do it.

So many will be in full time education and doing part time work to cover their living expenses. Employers are going to find very annoying you can now only do 3 out of 4 weekends.

It's so much easier to volunteer when you just do one full time job. My 17 year old has less time to volunteer than me and DH.

I agree with it. I’ve lived in countries with NS. It’s a great idea.

It's not something that can be rolled out quickly is it. This is scare mongering for whatever reason. Who knows why.

There is not enough accommodation for all the conscripts.

There is not enough kit or weapons.

There are not enough training facilities or personnel to train them.

How will they force people? People will fake injuries, mental health issues, fail drug tests, fall pregnant, already have children potentially. It's not feasible.

How about they address the problem of why people are no longer choosing the armed forces as an employer.

I'm ex forces and I don't support this.

If it did happen, how long until one of the conscripts loses the plot on a weapons exercise and kill's themselves or others? Or cba listening properly because they are not Interested because they don't want to be there and then injures maims or kills someone accidentally.

After the service is over, how will we cope with all the claims that we see. By claims I mean for damages against mental health I.e I'm a TW I was forced to bunk in with males, the regime and culture damaged my mental health, or the training has caused me an injury and now I can't work etc etc etc. there is too much that can go wrong with this.

It's a male dominated workplace, not sure what the culture is like now but when I served you were disadvantaged as a women and the sexual discrimination and attitudes towards us were totally shit.

They would be better actually addressing why no one wants to join in the first place.

I also think it is him deliberately throwing the election. So when he loses he can blame this one policy idea rather than him being shit.

Hospitality will be majorly screwed over. Most of their work force are youngsters. Whose going to work costa or a bar or waitressing

I'm sure the bids are being prepared right now...

It’s likely intelligence is saying we’re already in a war and that we’re not prepared. So if this is what it takes, then yes, that’s why he is bringing it back.