RISHI SUNAK can be joyful to see personal daughters do National Service
This is a great country, and I am so proud to be your Prime Minister. In the last 18 months, we have made progress after the shocks caused by Covid and Ukraine: bringing inflation down and getting our economy growing again. With the economy stabilising, it is now time for you to decide what future you want for Britain.
Do you want to build on what we have done together and create a secure future with the Conservatives, or risk going back to square one with Labour?
Our pride in our United Kingdom should not blind us to the challenges it faces. One of those is that generations of young people have not had the opportunities, or experiences, they deserve – and too much potential is wasted in purposeless lives of crime or unemployment. I want to change that and have a clear plan to do so.
We will reinvent National Service for today’s Britain. It will provide life-changing opportunities for our young people, offering them the chance to learn real-world skills, do new things and contribute to their community and our country. It shouldn’t only be those who are fortunate enough to go on gap years that get the opportunity to have these kind of experiences.
We will reinvent National Service for today’s Britain, writes Rishi Sunak (pictured, on Friday)
As a father, I look forward to my own two daughters doing their National Service: I think they will find it a rewarding experience (pictured: Mr Sunak with wife Akshata Murty, right, and daughters Krishna, second left, and Anoushka, second right, with dog Nova in May 2023)
It will provide life-changing opportunities for our young people, offering them the chance to learn real-world skills, do new things and contribute to their community and our country (pictured: Mr Sunak at RAF Lossiemouth military base in Moray, Scotland in December)
Do you want to build on what we have done together and create a secure future with the Conservatives, or risk going back to square one with Labour?
All 18-year-olds will do this new National Service, whatever their background and wherever they live in the UK. It will not, though, be a one-size-fits-all programme. Young people will be able to choose between 25 days of volunteering – equivalent to one weekend every month – serving as a lifeguard for the RNLI, becoming a first aider or many other options.
Those who choose to do military service, and pass the test, will be able to take a 12-month, full-time placement in our Armed Forces.
They will have the option to work in many areas, from defending our country against cyber attacks to developing their leadership skills. This training will help young people to be the best they can be, and if they enjoy the experience they can choose a career in the military or join the reserves, bolstering our national security.
To put it simply, we must do more for our young people and our young people must do more for our country. After all, our country is only as strong as what we all contribute to it.
This new National Service will give the coming generation an opportunity to learn valuable life skills while contributing to our country. For some, it will open their eyes to potential careers. For others, it will forge a culture of service that will make our society stronger and more cohesive. It will build trust across our nation: helping us all to get to know each other better, unifying our society at a time when there are those at home and abroad trying to divide us.
I know not everyone will agree with this plan. But bold action is the right thing for today’s Britain. As a father, I look forward to my own two daughters doing their National Service: I think they will find it a rewarding experience. It will teach them, as it will other youngsters, much about themselves and the society they serve.
To those who complain that making it mandatory is unreasonable, I say: citizenship brings with it obligations as well as rights. Being British is about more than just the queue you join at passport control.
To be clear, our new National Service is not conscription. The vast majority of those who do it will not serve in our Armed Forces. Only those who choose to, and come through the tough entrance tests, will do that.
But what everyone will do is contribute to our country. From first aid to helping the housebound and lonely, to search and rescue, every 18-year-old will learn new skills while simultaneously contributing to our society.
It shouldn’t only be those who are fortunate enough to go on gap years that get the opportunity to have these kind of experiences (pictured: Mr Sunak looking at a NLAW anti tank launcher in August 2022)
All 18-year-olds will do this new National Service, whatever their background and wherever they live in the UK
To put it simply, we must do more for our young people and our young people must do more for our country. After all, our country is only as strong as what we all contribute to it
We have a clear plan to implement this action, which will help improve the opportunities available to the next generation and build the secure future we all want to see for our children and for Britain (pictured: Mr Sunak at Thales Defence System plant in Belfast in August 2022)
We know how we will make this new National Service a reality. The first royal commission of this century will finalise the details of how the scheme will work. It will then open for applications in September 2025.
This rite of passage will create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country.
We have a clear plan to implement this action, which will help improve the opportunities available to the next generation and build the secure future we all want to see for our children and for Britain.
