The UK’s incumbent Conservative Party has announced they intend to introduce mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds if they win the next election. In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the initiative as “A bold new model of National Service”, saying “Britain today faces a future that is more insecure and more divided”.
Citing concerns about opportunities for young people and security threats facing the country, the Prime Minister said the prospective program would see all 18-year-olds spend either 12 months in full-time military service or one weekend per month volunteering in community roles like delivering prescriptions or search and rescue. The goal of the new National Service, according to the Prime Minister, is to give young people valuable skills while making the country more secure and building a stronger national culture. He cited evidence from Sweden of the benefits of National Service, where he said “80% of young people recommend National Service to their friends”. The Prime Minister continued, “In uncertain times, bold action is needed to chart a course to a more secure future”.
PM Sunak said opposition parties like Labour lack a clear plan and are unlikely to take the bold steps needed to navigate present and future challenges. The proposed National Service model represents a significant change and it remains to be seen if it can gain support across Parliament and the country. However – the Prime Minister expressed his government’s resolute intent to introduce a program they feel will benefit both young people, as well as national security.
This comes after Sunak announced on May 23 the long-anticipated general election for July 4 after many months of speculation as to when it would be held, but clarity on the scheme is yet to be given.
Meanwhile a spokesperson for The Labour Party, His Majesties Opposition said:
This is another desperate £2.5 billion unfunded commitment from a Tory Party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they’re spoiling for more. This is not a plan – it’s a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the Armed Forces to their smallest size since Napoleon. Britain has had enough of the Conservatives, who are bankrupt of ideas, and have no plans to end 14 years of chaos. It’s time to turn the page and rebuild Britain with Labour.
National Service in the UK
In June 1945, the demobilization of wartime servicemen and women began, facilitated by the 1944 Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act, allowing them to reclaim their civilian jobs if their employers were still in business. To address ongoing military commitments in regions like Germany, Palestine, and India, the government decided to continue National Service in peacetime, despite public unpopularity. In 1947, Clement Attlee’s Labour government passed the National Service Act, which was implemented in January 1949. The Act mandated that all physically fit males aged 17 to 21 serve for 18 months in the armed forces, followed by a four-year reserve obligation. Students and apprentices could defer their service, and conscientious objectors faced tribunal tests. Women were excluded from mandatory National Service post-1945. In 1950, a new National Service Act extended the service period to two years. Throughout the 1950s, national servicemen were involved in operations in Malaya, Korea, Cyprus, and Kenya. National Service officially ended in 1960, but deferred service obligations continued until the last servicemen were discharged in 1963.
