Lagging in polls, UK Conservatives pitch national service at 18

Lagging in polls, UK Conservatives pitch national service at 18


Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a meeting with the Chancellor of Austria, Karl Nehammer, at Federal Chancellery Ballhausplatz, during a visit to Austria. Picture date: Tuesday May 21, 2024. J

Jordan Pettitt | Via Reuters

Britain’s Conservative Party will introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if it wins the national election on July 4, comprising military or community participation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday.

Young adults will be able to choose between spending one weekend a month volunteering over the course of a year, or take up one of 30,000 spaces to spend a year in the armed forces, Sunak said.

The announcement followed Labour Party leader Keir Starmer’s comments on Saturday that he was in favor of allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.

Sunak’s Conservatives lag Labour by a wide margin in opinion polls, which have shown little change in fortunes for the prime minister since his surprise election call last Wednesday.

“Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided. There’s no doubt that our democratic values are under threat. That is why we will introduce a bold new model of national service for 18-year-olds,” Sunak said in a statement.

The Conservative Party said the proposal would be funded by cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion, and by diverting money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which existed to reduce regional economic inequality.

Labour politicians derided the announcement.

“The national service we need from our young people is to vote for change on 4th July,” said Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester.

Interior minister James Cleverly told broadcasters there would be no criminal sanctions for skipping mandatory service but that people will be compelled to do it, without providing further details.

Asked by the BBC if forcing adults to volunteer was at odds with the Conservative Party’s liberal tradition, Cleverly said: “We force people to do things all the time.”

He cited compulsory education or training for teenagers until the age of 18 as an example.



Source

CNBC Daily Open: Have Trump’s strikes on Iran bolstered or eroded his credibility?
World

CNBC Daily Open: Have Trump’s strikes on Iran bolstered or eroded his credibility?

U.S. and Israeli flags projected on the historic walls of the Old City near Hebron Gate in Jerusalem, Israel, on June 22, 2025. Gazi Samad | Anadolu | Getty Images United States on Saturday conducted air strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites, entering Israel’s war against Tehran. The timing was unexpected. On Thursday, U.S. […]

Read More
Dow futures slide as oil rises following U.S. bombing of Iran: Live updates
World

Dow futures slide as oil rises following U.S. bombing of Iran: Live updates

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City on June 18, 2025. Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty Images Stock futures fell ahead of Monday’s session after the United States entered Israel’s war against Iran over the weekend by striking three nuclear sites, a move by […]

Read More
Asia-Pacific markets set to open lower as U.S. bombing of Iran escalates Middle East crisis
World

Asia-Pacific markets set to open lower as U.S. bombing of Iran escalates Middle East crisis

Oil prices have spiked in recent weeks following the increased tensions in the Middle East. Source

Read More