The UK’s Conservative Party has revealed its plans for a new national service scheme, which would require all 18-year-olds to participate following a general election win on 4 July. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, suggested that the scheme would provide young people with a reinstated sense of national pride and collective purpose. However, the scheme has faced criticism, with Labour members describing it as a “gimmick,” whilst other political parties have focused on the current administration’s record of cutting army numbers.
National service schemes have not been introduced in the UK since the 1960s, but the current proposal seeks to reintroduce similar mandatory programmes on a voluntary basis. The scheme would involve a year-long community programme, or an enrolment in a year-long military training operation. British citizens who are 17 to 21 years old will remember the segment of national service known as compulsory military training, which required men from this age group to serve in the armed forces for about 18 months. However, Rishi Sunak’s proposal would not include the same compulsory military training. Instead, it would focus on two streams: volunteering for local services or applying for specific military placements.
Whilst participation in the new national service scheme would be required by law, James Cleverly, the UK’s Home Secretary, confirmed that those who refused would not face criminal charges. Nevertheless, the political party has not yet discussed the potential non-criminal sanctions for those who refuse. The scheme’s scope remains unclear as it has not yet been confirmed whether or not people in full-time employment or education would need to attend the programme. The UK’s Conservative Party has yet to make clear the exemptions that would apply to participants with illnesses or those who live outside the UK.
There are currently around 775,000 18-year-olds in the UK. As per the proposal, only about one in 26 of those surveyed would train militarily while the vast majority would engage in community volunteering. It is possible that military recruits would receive a stipend or payment of some sort, with specific details to be confirmed by the proposed inquiry group assigned to develop and expand the scheme. The Conservative Party has calculated that the total cost of the national service scheme would be £2.5bn, which it aims to fund by cutting tax avoidance and evasion. The remaining funds would come from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, a pot of money created to provide financial support to community organisations following Britain’s departure from the EU
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