Sunak made the controversial proposition this weekend (Picture: Rishi Sunak/X/PA)
Teenagers would be forced to carry out a form of National Service if the Tories are voted back in at the July 4 General Election, Rishi Sunak has announced.
Asked back in January whether the Prime Minister agreed with forcing people to join the army, Rishi Sunak’s spokesman replied: ‘The British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force. There’s no plans to change that.’
Now, the Tories said young people would 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.
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, said volunteering could include helping local fire, police and NHS services as well as charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly, isolated people.
But nobody will be jailed for refusing National Service, the home secretary said after the announcement.
When did National Service end in the UK?
The practice ended in 1960 (Picture: PA)
The UK has not had a National Service since 1960, with the last of those serving in it being discharged in 1963.
The UK parliament explained that after World War II, there was ‘still an urgent need to keep up high levels of military manpower in parts of the world where Britain had strong ongoing commitments – in Germany, Palestine, and India.’
They added: ‘The government concluded that these requirements could only be met effectively by continuing National Service in peacetime. This was not, however, popular, especially now that Britain was no longer at war.
‘It was therefore with difficulty that Clement Attlee’s Labour government persuaded Parliament in 1947 to pass the National Service Act.’
Beginning in 1949, all physically fit males between the ages of 17 and 21 had to serve in one of the armed forces for 18 months, then remain on the reserve list for four more years.
Countries with National Service
Many countries still have the National Service (Picture: No10)
Many countries still have National Service – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Israel, Eritrea, North Korea and Morocco all have conscription.
These countries require both men and women (except for Finland, which only requires men) to enlist for one of two years at the age of 18.
Can you refuse National Service?
The announcement has sparked discussion on the National Service’s history (Picture: X)
Yes – certain countries allow you to either defer or refuse National Service, but some don’t do so without consequences.
When the UK was last under National Service, students and apprentices were allowed to defer their call-up until they completed their studies or training.
Those who objected had to undergo tribunal tests, similar to those given in wartime, where they were questioned about their reasons for objection.
Some faced jail time for refusing, while others were given exemptions for religious purposes.
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