Rishi Sunak says he will bring back National Service if Tories win general election

Sky News ^ | May 26 | ROB POWELL

[RandFan]

Rishi Sunak has said he will introduce a new form of mandatory National Service for young people if the Conservatives win the general election.

In the first new policy announcement of the campaign, the prime minister has unveiled a plan that would see 18-year-olds given the choice of a full-time military placement for 12 months or a scheme to volunteer for one weekend a month for a year.

The placement would be selective - with tests used to decide who is eligible - and involve working with the armed forces or in cyber defence.

The volunteering option would see young people spending 25 days with organisations such as the police, the fire service, the NHS, or charities that work with older isolated people.

Mr Sunak said the new model would provide "life-changing opportunities for young people" and allow them to learn "real world skills".

[Gay State Conservative]

I don’t think that’s true....IIRC they had it even into the 1950s.

[Sooth2222]

The placement would be selective - with tests used to decide who is eligible - and involve working with the armed forces or in cyber defence.

If a draftee fails the test, he would not be conscripted?

What could possibly go wrong?

[FLT-bird]

WOW! He’s really trying to drive the Tories into extinction.

Just as well. That party has been infested with squishes ever since Maggie left.

[KarlInOhio]

The volunteering option would see young people spending 25 days with organisations such as the police, the fire service, the NHS, or charities that work with older isolated people.

They have way too many immigrants who need perpetual support so they need to draft the citizens to work harder for their benefit.

"But I want to do community service! I want to teach the handicapped how to yodel!"

[Vigilanteman]

Sounds like a great statement to make to ensure a loss in an election which is already an uphill battle. Kind of like pardoning Richard Nixon in the autumn of 1974.

[Candor7]

Sunak is an idiot lefty, hardly a conservative. The white British will be the cannon fodder and all of the minorities will get the plush national service .

Watch it happen.

[Rockingham]

Why would Sunak want to punish young people for reelecting the Tories?

[The Unknown Republican]

I have three boys that are 12, 13, and 15. I fear that, if Biden is installed again, it is inevitable that one or all of them will be called up to serve in a globalist war in the next 3-5 years. I will not permit that to happen and I am willing to back that up with whatever means are necessary.

[Ann Archy]

Get Real....he’ll STILL BE ELECTED!!

[vg0va3]

Coming to the US soon.

The Industrial military is failing, and they will need to demand forced “volunteer” military members to continue their machine running, or the gears will seize.

[mac_truck]

There is zero chance of this happening as Sunak will be soundly beaten on July 4th.

[sam_whiskey]

Based on what?

[Socon-Econ]

How is national service going to fix the UK’s slide into LGBT, Marxism, and Islam?

[dfwgator]

Watkins I'd like to leave the army please, sir.
Colonel Good heavens man, why?
Watkins It's dangerous.
Colonel What?
Watkins There are people with guns out there, sir.
Colonel What?
Watkins Real guns, sir. Not toy ones, sir. Proper ones, sir. They've all got 'em. All of 'em, sir. And some of 'em have got tanks.
Colonel Watkins, they are on our side.
Watkins And grenades, sir. And machine guns, sir. So I'd like to leave, sir, before I get killed, please.
Colonel Watkins, you've only been in the army a day.
Watkins I know sir but people get killed, properly dead, sir, no barley cross fingers, sir. A bloke was telling me, if you're in the army and there's a war you have to go and fight.
Colonel That's true.
Watkins Well I mean, blimey, I mean if it was a big war somebody could be hurt.
Colonel Watkins why did you join the army?
Watkins For the water-skiing and for the travel, sir. And not for the killing, sir. I asked them to put it on my form, sir - no killing.
Colonel Watkins are you a pacifist?
Watkins No sir, I'm not a pacifist, sir. I'm a coward.

[ansel12]

“In the United Kingdom, military conscription has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1920, and the second from 1939 to 1960. The last conscripted soldiers left the service in 1963.”

Conscription in the United Kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_the_United_Kingdom#:~:text=After%201945,-National%20Service%20(1939&text=National%20Service%20as%20peacetime%20conscription,reserve%20list%20for%20four%20years.

[ansel12]

The draft was a routine part of American life and was continuous from 1940 through 1973.

Enlisting for military service used to be a normal part of growing up for American males and there was also a certain percentage who put off enlisting and got chosen for the draft, or who couldn’t make up their minds about serving or not serving and just let the randomness of the draft make the decision for them.

[Freedom4US]

“It is my belief that no draft is remotely possible in modern day USA. The fabric of the nation is frayed.”

Wait just a goldarned minute here buster. I was told the fabric was a rich tapestry made up of vibrant multicultural communities. Ha!

Yeah, I have pointed this out even here at FR, that any attempt at re-implementing a draft would be high comedy dumpster fire on bath salts and surprisingly the idea was met with hostility. There are a lot of people who have no idea it ain’t 1982 any longer.

They will probably try some hybrid “national service” and allow the snow flakes to work from home, whilst snatching the able bodied off the street. Something like that. It is difficult to underestimate just how FUBAR everything really is.

[Vlad0]

Were you alive in the 1960s and 1970s? The draft was extremely controversial. The anti Vietnam protests were in large part anti draft protests. Many featured speakers burning their draft cards. 60,000 to 100,000 men emmigrated from the United States to countries that gave refuge to them, most notably Canada. According to records there were 570,000 men who the government classified as draft offenders.

Resistance to the draft started slowly but by 1970 there was an entire infrastructure in place to encourage and aid draft resistors. Very few of them were actually jailed for refusing to serve. Only about 3,500.

The system was ended by presidential decree in large part because it just wasn't working.

[fuzzylogic]

Yeah...that’s my reaction too. Oh? You need a bigger army? Why?

How about you revert to being BRITISH, with BRITISH culture & values. Enrollment reflects the fact that NOBODY feels BRITISH and there’s no patriotism.

So if they won’t join, FORCE THEM.

While democracy is 51% mob rule...the UK isn’t even that anymore, elections are an illusion of choice.

Why does it seem like every ‘leader’ across the planet is a criminal that should be in prison?

[MinorityRepublican]

It is my belief that no draft is remotely possible in modern day USA.

I'm against conscription. It's unconstitutional to draft men into the military. "No involuntary servitude" according to the Constitution.

So if we wanted to draft again, we'll need to amend the Constitution.

Previous drafts in the past (except for the Civil War) were illegal.