National Service will get youngsters ‘out of their bubble’ – Cleverly

The general election campaign sparked into life today amid a furious row over Rishi Sunak‘s plan to bring back National Service for teenagers if the Tories win the election. 

Under plans that will be in the Conservative manifesto all 18-year-olds would have to do paid military service for a year or unpaid community work one weekend a month.

He and his senior ministers said the scheme would benefit those involved, with Home Secretary James Cleverly saying it would get them ‘out of their bubble’ and boost social cohesion.

But the idea faces a lot of criticism from across politics, some 64 years since the original National Service came to an end.

Some questioned the £2.5billion cost – with money taken from levelling up funds – and others questioned how it would work, while others said it was just a cheap way to bolster falling Armed Forces numbers.

Mr Cleverly confirmed that the military service would only be a ‘small part’ of the scheme and that those teens who refused to take part would not be jailed or face any other criminal sanctions. 

Speaking to the BBC he raised the prospect of non-military service taking the form of acting as special constables, St John’s Ambulance medics or environmental workers.

But Labour‘s Rachel Reeves branded it a ‘gimmick’ and Reform UK president Nigel Farage said it was a ‘joke’ and ‘totally impractical’.

Torsten Bell, the chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, added: ‘This isn’t mandatory National Service – it’s mandatory Duke of Edinburgh without the walking.’

The shock move, which is modelled on systems already in place across Europe, galvanised the first full week of the election campaign. 

Mr Cleverly said that in other countries with similar schemes there is a ‘very, very wide scope, take-up, acceptance and enthusiasm for this’. But he said that the military aspect would only make up a ‘small part’ of the plan.

He revealed that while those doing military service would be paid a salary, those helping out in the community would not – saying they could be a special constable or a St John’s Ambulance medic, both unpaid roles.

The Conservatives would want to make sure the programme ‘fits with different people’s attitudes and aspirations’, Mr Cleverly said, adding: ‘Too many people live within a bubble within their own community.’

Speaking to Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips show, the Home Secretary said: ‘The broader point about this national service is that we want to build a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mix with people from different backgrounds, different religions, different income levels.

‘And some of it is about utility to the armed service. That’s part of it, but the bulk of this is about helping build a cohesive society where people mix outside of their bubble, whether it’s through military service, other uniformed service or non-uniformed.’

The Tories estimate the programme will cost £2.5 billion a year by the end of the decade and plans to fund £1 billion through plans to ‘crack down on tax avoidance and evasion’.

The remaining £1.5 billion will be paid for with money previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is a package to support charities and community groups, the Tories said.

Mr Sunak today said the ‘reinvented’ scheme would ‘provide life-changing opportunities for our young people’, and declared: ‘As a father, I look forward to my own two daughters doing their National Service: I think they will find it a rewarding experience.’ 

He added: ‘Being British is about more than just the queue you join at passport control.’

The idea of forcing school-leavers into the scheme is likely to prove the most contentious element – although No 10 points out that only 10 per cent of 18-year-olds are expected to take up the option of a full military commission for the 12-month period, with the rest working for just one weekend a month.

If the Conservatives are re-elected, a Royal Commission would be established to finalise the details and the scheme would come into effect in September next year.

Speaking on LBC radio Tory former defence minister and soldier Tobias Ellwood backed the idea, though he suggested that ‘there’s a skillset of ex-forces that could easily step in with some of the work that the 18-year-olds might be required to do’

He added: ‘The idea, though, is that we don’t know when the threat will grow, will increase, will escalate, so as 18-year-olds go through, they are then trained and then armed.

‘That way they can receive a course very, very quickly and upgrade that so all 18-year-olds will then move through this prism, if you like, of training – whether it be civilian or military – to prepare us for the longevity.

‘We’re talking over the next couple of decades – we’re talking over the next couple of decades, when the threat is going to be far, far greater than we’ve seen for the last three decades.

‘The West’s ability to manage insecurity across the world has severely been tested already and this is, I think, a wise precaution for the whole of society to recognise that.

‘But I absolutely agree with you, it shouldn’t just be for the 18-year-olds, but you have to start somewhere.

‘So 18-year-olds will go through that – but they might be 25 or 30 or 45 when they’re called upon to put those skillsets into practice.’

The plan to reintroduce National Service was drawn up in secret, with only Mr Sunak’s close advisers – understood to include former Tory leader William Hague – privy to the details.

In their confidential 40-page plan, the advisers argued that the growing international threats posed by countries such as Russia and China needed to be addressed by beefing up our Armed Forces – as did the listlessness of many young adults. Nearly 750,000 18 to 24-year-olds are currently out of work, and this age group is disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system.

The civic roles would include supporting flood defences and communities during natural disasters, NHS support roles, fire safety work, or signing up for the RNLI or mountain search and rescue.

Sweden, Norway, France and Denmark are among the countries to have reintroduced a modern version of national service recently.

In his article, Mr Sunak writes: ‘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.’

He adds: ‘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.’

National Service was first introduced after the Second World War for all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 21.

More than two million were conscripted to the Armed Forces between 1949 and 1963.

As Prime Minister announces radical new National Service plan… RISHI SUNAK says he would be very happy to see his own two daughters do their 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.

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.

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.