Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that if the Conservative Party wins the upcoming July 4 national election, all 18-year-olds in the UK will be required to undertake a year of mandatory national service.
This pledge aims to bolster Sunak’s campaign as he seeks re-election.
The plan marks the first return to national service in over 60 years. Under the proposal, 30,000 out of approximately 700,000 18-year-olds would spend 12 months working in logistics or cyber defence in the military.
The rest would participate in community service, dedicating one weekend a month to working with charities, community groups, hospitals, the police, or fire services.
Sunak stated that the programme would “create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country.”
Home Secretary James Cleverly clarified that the initiative’s goal is not to boost the military but to build a more integrated society.
The Conservatives estimate the program will cost £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) annually, funded partly by reallocating £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Labour Party officials criticised the plan as unfunded and desperate. Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson dismissed it as “compulsory volunteering” and said, “It’ll never happen.”
Sunak surprised many, including his own party members, by scheduling the election for July 4, well ahead of the December deadline.
The Conservatives have been in power for 14 years but currently trail Labour in the polls, facing a strong desire for change among voters.
In the election, voters will choose lawmakers for all 650 seats in the House of Commons. The leader of the majority party will become the next prime minister.
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