Rishi Sunak has pledged to introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if re-elected, in his first major political announcement since the start of this week’s election campaign, according to FT. This measure is part of what he said is an effort to provide security and opportunities in an «increasingly insecure world».
Sunak plans to ask 18-year-olds to work with the armed forces as part of a 12-month internship or to carry out activities for the benefit of the community, in an attempt to strengthen his claim that he is best placed to enhance security in the United Kingdom.
«Generations of young people have not had the opportunities or experience they deserve and there are forces trying to divide our society in this increasingly insecure world,» Sunak said.
National service was abolished in the UK in 1960, but there have been pressures from some important personalities in the British army for young people to be prepared for the possibility of a war.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the British army, spoke in January about the need for the «pre-war generation» in the UK to prepare for the possibility of a future conflict, adding that there must be a «commitment of the entire nation».
