THE TORIES will bring back compulsory national service if they win the election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised today.
Under the proposed scheme, every British 18-year-old man or woman would have to serve their country for a year.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to bring back national service if he wins the electionCredit: Louis Wood – commissioned by The Sun
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While teenagers will be able to choose a place in the armed forces, they can also volunteer with charities or civic groups Credit: Alamy
Teenagers will be able to choose between two options – full-time service in the armed forces or volunteering with charities or civic groups at weekends.
A royal commission will be set up to consider how to implement the scheme.
But The Sun on Sunday understands that those who refuse to take part will face no criminal sanctions.
Mr Sunak said: “This is a great country, but generations of young people have not had the opportunities or experience they deserve – and there are forces trying to divide our society in this uncertain world.
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“I have a clear plan on how to solve it and secure our future.
“I will bring a new version of National Service to create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country.”
The Prime Minister announced the radical pledge after warning that the world is more dangerous now than at any time since the Cold War.
Meanwhile, the army is the smallest since the Napoleonic Wars 200 years ago.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said Britain was in a “pre-war world” and needed to be prepared for conflicts involving Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
And Home Secretary James Cleverly said National Service would help quell the “blitz spirit” we’ve seen during the pandemic.
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Writing exclusively in The Sun on Sunday, he said the plan would deliver a triple whammy for Britain – protecting the country, training young people and creating a new sense of patriotism and civic pride.
He said: “This compulsory national service will create shared values, bring us together as a nation and develop the critical skills of our younger generations.
“Conservatives know what a great country we are, in fact the best country in the world, but we need to strengthen our resilience and protect ourselves from future shocks.
There are forces trying to divide our society in this uncertain world
Rishi Sunak
“We also need to protect British values of generosity, duty and patriotism, because our values are what make us great.”
The Sun on Sunday learned that teenagers serving under the scheme will not be sent to active war zones.
The national service will build on the sense of civic pride sparked by The Sun’s Sunday Jabs Army campaign to introduce a Covid vaccine, Mr Cleverly added.
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There have been increasing calls for a return to national service following Russia’s invasion of UkraineCredit: Getty
He said: “I hope we never have to face another global pandemic, but without a doubt the wider security challenges we face are growing.”
The radical promise of the manifesto is the most striking election announcement so far.
There have been increasing calls for a return to civil service following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The army chief said Britain should train a “citizen army” to be ready to fight on land.
Speaking earlier this year, General Sir Patrick Sanders said: “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies defeat them.”
Our Armed Forces have experienced a reduction in the number of personnel by a third since 2000, according to data from the Ministry of Defense.
Britain is woefully underprepared and cannot fight a “high intensity” war, MPs on the Defense Committee have warned.
The number of the army fell from 109,600 in 2000 to 76,950 last year.
The Navy decreased from 42,800 to 32,590. The RAF also went from 54,600 to 31,940.
Duty to protect our values
WHEN the miracle vaccine arrived to lift us out of the darkness of the pandemic, the NHS needed a squadron of vaccinators.
Sun led the Jabs Army campaign and thousands of heroes helped get our country back on its feet.
It was an incredible effort, a moment of Blitz spirit to save lives and serve our country.
We made progress after the shocks caused by the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The economy has stabilized and is growing again, but young Britons are growing up in a more uncertain and unstable world than previous generations.
Russia started a war on the European continent. Iranian proxies fire on British ships in the Red Sea. China conducts cyber attacks.
And technology is changing our society at breakneck speed, leaving young people uncertain about the future and bombarded with envious images of their peers’ lives online.
It has a profound effect on their well-being, sense of belonging and ability to find purpose. Over 15 percent of people aged 18 to 24 are neither in education nor employed.
One in four young people would not consider being friends with someone who supports a political party they don’t like.
We urgently need to reverse the trends of disengagement and division. We need to reclaim the sense of duty from the Jabs Army, make our country safer and forge a stronger national culture.
That’s why a Conservative government would reintroduce compulsory national service for all 18-year-olds.
Teenagers can sign up for a year’s deployment to the armed forces or cyber defence, gaining life-changing expertise and advancing our ranks as engineers and military personnel.
Those who don’t want to serve in the military will build skills by volunteering in civilian roles, such as local first responders or flood defense support.
Compulsory national service will create common values, bring us together and develop the critical skills of younger generations.
Conservatives know what a great country we are, in fact the best country in the world, but we need to strengthen our resilience to future shocks.
We must also protect British values of generosity, duty and patriotism, because our values are what make us great.
We’ve done it before, and with a Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak, we can now do it again.
By James Cleverly
Ukraine brutally illustrates how regular armies start wars; citizen armies defeat them
General Sir Patrick Sanders
Sweden, Switzerland and Israel already have National Service.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to bring back National Service.
Under the Tory plan, every 18-year-old will join a branch of the armed forces or a cyber defense team for a year.
Or they can volunteer one weekend a month with a charity or community group, including organizations such as the police, fire or ambulance services.
Ministers are also willing to allow older people to do so voluntarily.
The first pilot will be open for applications from September 2025 — before being made available to everyone nationally by the end of the 2029/30 parliament.
It is expected to cost £2.5bn a year and will be paid for with cash from the UK’s Common Prosperity Fund — created to help take Britain up a notch by cracking down on tax avoidance.
It comes amid alarm over a rise in the number of young Britons not in work or education.
Around 850,000 people aged 18 to 24 are not in education, work or training, an increase of 20,000 a year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
That’s the most since 2016 — and it was driven by young men.
Britain introduced civil service in 1947 as the country recovered from World War II.
Able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 21 are called upon to help the nation maintain its shrinking Empire around the world.
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National service was introduced after World War II, but was abolished in 1960. Credit: Getty
They also helped the military secure a large garrison in post-war Germany and a smaller one in Japan.
National service was abolished in 1960.
The Prime Minister’s plan comes as Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party has a more than 20-point lead in the polls.
The Tories are fighting to close the gap by running a race on national security – saying they are the only ones who can be trusted to arm and defend Britain and stand by our allies.
Mr. Sunak also pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030.
Labor has said it only wants to hit 2.5 per cent when it can afford it.
A great way for young people to gather skills
NATIONAL service is a great idea. It elevates the idea of giving something back.
It gives people a chance to be part of something bigger.
Covid has shown that there is no shortage of those who are ready to help in a crisis.
But opportunities are scarce, particularly for young people who are not qualified for teaching or healthcare roles.
They will train young people in skills that our predecessors took for granted.
It’s not about taking off your rifle or shining your boots. It’s about self-confidence, camaraderie and teamwork.
Those who choose the military route will learn how to manage when the power and wi-fi go out.
The skills and confidence they gain will help them get better jobs and lead a better life.
National service allows a country to build the structures it would need for massive recruitment should the flag be raised for all-out war.
Ukraine has shown us – and our generals have warned us – that a professional army would wear out quickly if Britain fought a war of survival between states.
Our best chance to win would be to call in the reserves and use professionals to train volunteers.
It would also solve the Force’s recruitment crisis.
The Army, Navy and RAF scrambled to fill the vacancies.
National service would return the armed forces to the heart of British life, where they rightfully belong.
Jerome Starkey
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education