The commission behind designing a plan to introduce national service for 18-year-olds across the UK will “examine particular sensitivities” around introducing the policy in Northern Ireland.
It comes as the SDLP leader slammed the potential policy for being unworkable.
In the first major policy announcement ahead of the General Election, Rishi Sunak pledged to get 18-year-olds to either join the military for 12 months or do “volunteer” work one weekend a month for a year.
The Prime Minister said the policy would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”.
In an apparent pitch to older voters and those who may turn to Reform UK, the Conservatives said volunteering could include helping local fire, police and NHS services, and charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly people.
Opposition critics have dismissed the plans as unserious, with Labour saying the pledge would never come to fruition and amounted to “another unfunded commitment”.
As part of the national service proposals, teenagers who choose to sign up for a placement in the forces would “learn and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations”, the Tories said.
The Conservatives said they would establish a royal commission bringing in expertise from across the military and civil society to establish the details of what they described as the “bold” national service programme.
The party said this commission would be tasked with bringing forward a proposal for how to ensure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025.
Responding to the idea, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: “This policy platform is unserious, unwanted and unworkable. How does Rishi Sunak think he will force kids in Northern Ireland to perform national service in the British Army or undertake ‘mandatory volunteering’ – a total contradiction in terms?
“Public services are on their knees and public sector workers in our health service and schools are still out on strike fighting for a fair pay deal. How can the British Government afford at least £2.5bn for this nonsense but not stump up the cash for junior doctors or classroom assistants or school bus drivers? It’s absolutely perverse and it’s all about winning back voters in England who have abandoned the Conservatives.
“Voters here will see right through it and understand that this is exactly why we need strong, vocal MPs at Westminster to call this out and vote it down.”
Military conscription has never applied in Northern Ireland, and so far there are no firm details about what would happen here.
However according to The Times that Royal Commission designing the system will “examine particular sensitivities” here.
Meanwhile, the Home Secretary clarified that teenagers would not be sent to jail for defying the Tories’ proposed national service scheme.
James Cleverly said the plans were aimed at getting young people “out of their bubble” and would not involve the threat of criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply.
Touring broadcast studios on Sunday, Mr Cleverly said the Tories would ensure the scheme “fits with different people’s attitudes and aspirations” after questions arose over whether teenagers would be punished for not taking part.
“There’s going to be no criminal sanction. There’s no-one going to jail over this,” he told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme.
“This is about dealing with what we know to be the case, which is social fragmentation.
“Too many young people live in a bubble within their own communities. They don’t mix with people of different religions, they don’t mix with different viewpoints.”
Shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said: “This is an unfunded commitment, a headline-grabbing gimmick, it is not a proper plan to deliver it, it doesn’t deal with the big challenges facing young people who are desperate to get the skills and qualifications they need to get good jobs, to have a home they can call their own.”
A Conservative defence minister rejected the prospect of national service two days before the Tories announced they would introduce it if they win the General Election.
Andrew Murrison said there were “no plans” to introduce the policy, saying that it could damage morale if “potentially unwilling” recruits were forced to serve alongside armed forces personnel.
by borschbandit
2 comments
Genuinely believe the Tories pulled this move to lose more seats. They want out
Just call it an “Ulster…. Volunteering…… Force”. Yes that’ll do. Let’s call it the “U.V.F”.
Lets finally see those proud sons of Ulster who masquerade as corporals, lieutenants, or brigadiers when they are on the streets pushing drugs finally step up and earn a military rank eh?