Why my ‘extra brawns than brains’ sons wanted nationwide service

A pottery worker who sparked laughter when she told Prime Minister Rishi Sunak she supported the return of National Service because her sons are ‘more brawn than brains’ has revealed the back story of her efforts to raise two boys.

Dawn Condliffe, a supervisor at Churchill China in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent, was introduced to Mr Sunak by local MP Jonathan Gullis at a staff Q&A yesterday.

The 49-year-old mother-of-three made the joke after telling the Tory leader she agreed with his recently-announced plans to introduce mandatory national service for all 18-year-olds.

She told him she thinks it would be a good idea to include ex-convicts in the initiative.

Dawn’s eldest son Christopher, 29, was released from prison just last week after serving a two year, six month sentence after admitting a string of offences including wounding, affray and dangerous driving.

Dawn Condliffe, 49, (pictured holding the microphone) made attendees laugh after saying her sons have ‘more brawn than brains’

Both of Ms Condliffe’s sons have been in court, with her eldest only being released from prison last week

Her younger son Cain, 20, had also made a second court appearance in June 2022 when he admitted a charge of drunk and disorderly behaviour after being thrown out of a Hanley night club two weeks earlier.

Yesterday, Mrs Condliffe said she believed neither of her sons would have ended up in trouble with the law if they had completed National Service after leaving school.

‘Obviously, I’m not proud of what both my boys have done,’ she said. ‘And neither are they, but I love all my children with every breath in my body and always will and I’ve always tried to show them tough love in the hope they’ll get on the right path.

‘Chris has served his time and I genuinely think and hoped he has changed. There was a time four years go when he I didn’t recognise him as my son because he was caught up in alcohol and drugs.

‘I told him I could only be part of his life when he went back to being the Chris I knew. Now he’s out of prison, he knows it’s up to him to make something of his life and he’s determined to find a job and prove not just to me but to himself that he can make positive changes.

‘Both he and Cain think National Service is a good thing because of the discipline, determination and self-confidence it offers.

Ms Condliffe says both her sons agree with her that national service is a good idea that may have prevented them from offending

Military roles in the proposed national service scheme will be ‘very competitive and selective’, Mr Sunak told the crowd yesterday

‘Both boys, like most, know physical, practical activities are good for mental health, that’s what I meant by saying they had more brawn than brain, I was telling Rishi that I thought he might be onto something by introducing national service at 18.

‘I think if we could encourage isolated young people to step away from negative influences like social media and gang culture and give them the kind of self-worth the military offers, it would be a major way of tackling crime and mental illness among that generation.

‘I don’t think you should be defined by your mistakes, you should be allowed to learn from them without others judging you.’

‘We hear so much about young kids carrying knives and getting involved in county lines, drug running, which often means they’re just scared and end up taking the wrong direction.

‘Being part of a team and looking out for each other, being exposed to discipline, structure and life skill schooling, burning off physical energy and being encouraged to lead their best lives – that’s what’s needed in my opinion.’

Dawn, who also has a daughter, Chloe Davenport, 27, said both Chris and Cain regretted their criminal convictions and had both told her how proud they were of the conversation she’d had with the Prime Minister.

‘It was a completely random meeting,’ she said. ‘My boss had told us a VIP was visiting but until we got into the office, we had no idea it was Rishi.

The Prime Minister was welcomed to Staffordshire by MP Jonathan Gullis, who represents Stoke-on-Trent

‘I was delighted to ask him a question because I voted Conservative at the last election and I’ve got a lot of time for our local Councillor and parliamentary candidate Dr Chandra Kanneganti.

‘I found him very easy to talk to and could have carried on chatting for longer. It was like the Dawn and Rishi show and the reason I wanted to tell him I agreed with the National Service idea was because I’d talked about it with my boys.

‘Despite the trouble Cain got into, he’s got his head screwed on and is a good kid. The affray charge was in relation to a fight he got into trying to defend his brother.

‘He recently broke his leg and hasn’t been able to work but as soon as he’s better, he’s hoping to join me in the pottery industry.’

Dawn said she hoped giving her boys a work ethic and unconditional love was part of a parenting plan she didn’t always get right.

‘You don’t get a parenting book with your kids, you just have to do your best and hope they come out the other side if they make mistakes. Four years ago, I was suffering from depression and anxiety because of all the trouble with Chris.

‘I kept asking myself where I’d gone wrong and knew I had to lift my own self-esteem. As a full-time carer to my husband, I just felt I needed to do something for me and ended up getting my job at Churchill China two years ago.

‘They have been so supportive and encouraging that I haven’t looked back. I’m just so happy and keen to learn. It’s been amazing.

‘I saw Rishi in the corridor, listen to me calling the Prime Minister Rishi like we’re best friends, after the Q&A and he said to me ‘Dawn, can I have a hug?’

‘I told him, ‘Of course you can’ and put my arms around him. I still can’t quite believe it. And yes, I’ll be voting Conservative again.’