Will 18-year-olds in the UK have to serve in the armed forces? What is Rishi Sunak's national service plan?

United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that his Conservative Party would reintroduce mandatory national service if it wins the general elections in July. This is the first major policy plan unveiled by Sunak since he announced a summer election in a surprise move last week.

The 44-year-old said the proposal would promote a “shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country”.

But what is this national service scheme? How will it work? Let’s understand.

History of the UK’s national service

National service was first implemented in the UK in 1947 by the Labour government led by Clement Attlee.

As per a BBC report, men between the ages of 17 and 21 had to compulsorily serve in the armed forces for 18 months. They also remained on a reserve list for four years.

This military conscription was struck down in 1960.

A similar scheme was introduced by the then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010.

Known as the National Citizen Service, the plan entailed encouraging 16-year-olds to take part in activities like outdoor education-style courses. It did not include a military component, noted The Independent.

What is Sunak’s national service scheme?

At this point, not many details are known about the national service Sunak has announced.

The proposed plan would require 18-year-olds to participate in some form of national service for a period of twelve months, reported BBC.

They will have the option to apply for full-time military placements or spend one weekend a month “volunteering” in their community.

So, the 18-year-old Brits can volunteer for 25 days over a year with organisations like NHS, fire service, ambulance, search and rescue, and critical local infrastructure.

They can also apply for one of 30,000 “selective” military placements. As per Tories, teenagers who sign up for armed forces training would “learn and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations”.

The UK PM said this would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”, as per The Independent.

Sunak stated, “This is a great country but generations of young people have not had the opportunities or experience they deserve and there are forces trying to divide our society in this increasingly uncertain world.

He said that the proposed scheme would help youngsters learn “real world skills, do new things and contribute to their community and our country”.

Is it conscription?

No, according to BBC, as conscription mandatorily requires people to join the armed forces for a period.

UK home secretary James Cleverly said the proposed scheme would not force anyone to join military training.

Speaking to Sky News, he said Tories would ensure the plan “fits with different people’s attitudes and aspirations”.

“There’s going to be no criminal sanction. There’s no-one going to jail over this,” he added.

However, there would be non-criminal punishments for those who do not take part in the scheme, Cleverly told BBC. These sanctions are yet to be known.

ALSO READ: Germany mulls compulsory military service: Is conscription returning to Europe?

How will the scheme work?

The Conservatives plan to establish a royal commission comprising experts from
military and civil society to design the programme. The team would chalk out details so that the first teenagers can take part in a pilot from September 2025, reported BBC.

The Tories plan to bring the scheme under the “National Service Act”, making the measures mandatory.

The proposal would cost about £2.5 billion a year and the Tories plan to raise £1 billion through plans to “crack down on tax avoidance and evasion”.

The remaining amount of £1.5bn will come from the funds previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), as per The Independent.

Criticism of the proposal

Labours have lambasted the proposal as a “desperate” attempt by the Tories.

“This is another desperate, £2.5bn unfunded commitment from a Tory party which already crashed the economy, sending mortgages rocketing, and now they’re spoiling for more,” a spokesperson said, as per The Guardian.

“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 …rebuild Britain with Labour.”

Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Richard Foord MP accused the Conservatives of reducing the British troops. “If the Conservatives were serious about defence, they would reverse their damaging cuts to our world class professional armed forces, instead of decimating them, with swingeing cuts to the number of our regular service personnel.”

“Our armed forces were once the envy of the world. This Conservative government has cut troop numbers and is planning more cuts to the size of the Army,” Foord was quoted as saying by BBC. 

The Conservatives’ move seems to be aimed at older voters. The proposal could, however, boomerang for the party ahead of the 4 July general elections.

“As much as you try to dress it as a way for young people to gain skills, or to bolster the armed forces in an uncertain world, for many it will just be seen as a cruel way of trying to appeal to retirees. This could further motivate the younger vote against the Tories, sending up turnout and worsening their defeat. It will also make it harder to win those voters back in future elections,” according to The Spectator piece.

Do other countries have such a scheme?

Yes.

Sweden, Denmark and Norway have the concept of national service.

In Sweden, teenagers serve in the armed forces for nine to 15 months after they pass physical and mental tests.

Denmark has a military conscription for men for four months. The country is planning to increase this to 11 months and make enlistment mandatory for women in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, noted The Independent. 

Norway has a mandatory military service. However, it is highly selective, with less than 10,000 people admitted last year.

With input from agencies