The Prime Minister was forced to defend his National Service programme last night after it came under heavy fire from allies and opponents alike. Details of the plan are sketchy, the Army’s top brass doesn’t like it and a Conservative Defence Minister poo-pooed the idea when questioned about it last week. The Mail has more.
The policy announcement sparked a heated debate over the weekend – with Labour branding it “desperate” and even some Conservatives worried that it was akin to a “grown-up Boy Scouts”. But others in the party backed the PM, as did former defence chiefs.
Under the plan, 18-year-olds will be given a choice between a full-time placement in the Armed Forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their community.
Last night, it was revealed that teenagers would be incentivised to sign up for the scheme with fast-tracked interviews for graduate schemes in both the private and public sectors, and the opportunity to highlight National Service on their UCAS applications to help them getting into university. …
Studies from Norway and Israel, which have national military service schemes, suggest they give youngsters a “leg up” into subsequent careers, the Tories said.
The Conservatives have promised to establish a Royal Commission, bringing in expertise from across the military and civil society to establish the details of the programme. It will be asked to look at models in other countries to design incentives for those taking part in Britain.
The party said the Commission would be tasked with bringing forward a proposal for how to ensure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025.
After that, it would seek to introduce a new National Service Act to make the measures compulsory by the end of the next Parliament, the party said.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: In the Telegraph, Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan has refused to rule out prosecuting parents if their children refuse to participate in Sunak’s National Service programme.
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