Britain’s Conservative Party will introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if it wins the national election on July 4, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday.
This service will offer young adults the choice between military service or community participation.
Under the proposal, 18-year-olds can either volunteer one weekend a month for a year or take up one of 30,000 available spots in the armed forces for a full year, according to Sunak.
This announcement came shortly after Labour Party leader Keir Starmer expressed support for allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.
Currently, the Conservatives are significantly behind Labour in opinion polls, which have shown little improvement in Sunak’s standing since his unexpected election call last Wednesday.
“Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided.
“There’s no doubt that our democratic values are under threat.
“That is why we will introduce a bold new model of national service for 18-year-olds,” Sunak stated.
The Conservative Party plans to fund this proposal by cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion, and by redirecting funds from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which aims to reduce regional economic inequality.
Labour politicians criticized the proposal. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, stated, “The national service we need from our young people is to vote for change on 4th July.”
Interior Minister James Cleverly clarified on broadcasts that while there will be no criminal sanctions for skipping the mandatory service, participation will be compulsory.
However, he did not provide further details on how this will be enforced.
When asked by the BBC whether mandatory volunteering contradicts the Conservative Party’s liberal tradition, Cleverly responded, “We force people to do things all the time.”
This bold move by the Conservatives aims to engage young people in national service, though it faces strong opposition and raises questions about its alignment with traditional party values.