Sunak promises to bring back national service for 18-year-olds

The Tories really don’t want to get back into power, do they?

Two threads on this.

Just another daft idea following on from their “prepare for war” daft idea.

Wonder what the next daft idea will be?

I was amazed by the idea of either a year in the armed forces or in cyber security. Who is going to train up the cyber security volunteers? There’s no shortage of people willing to take money for useless projects but …..
DH tells me that there’s no intention for politicians to do anything simply because they have said it . So best forget it?

A better idea would be to make a career in the forces more attractive. Better pay, housing and post-retirement treatment might swell the numbers. How many discarded ex-soldiers are living on the streets, relying on charity to survive?

Many 18+ are at Uni, and working, including weekends, to help fund this.

Others are working in full time jobs - including weekends.

Others are in apprenticeships.

Some won’t pass the DBS checks needed for voluntary work.

Others will have health issues - mental and physical.

We already have community service - and that fails most of the time.

The armed services have said, previously, they don’t want to be involved in any sort of national Service plan.

The Tories have decimated the services, and now this?

As for befriending older folk - how many people would welcome a random, unknown, probably reluctant, young person into their homes?

Not thought through.

The Tories say this plan is to sweep Reform supporters back into the Tory fold.

I can’t believe even they support this nutty idea.

I know this won’t happen, and is just the Tories hurling any idea into the mix, but they really need to do better than this.🙄

I think it's good for politicians to have a conversation about some kind of youth service, but not in the military itself.

They really aren't expecting to be voted in again. Goodness knows what daft notion they'll come up with next

Just when are defence forces are below the number needed, just when humanitarian crises, peace keeping requirements and the military threatts from oter countries are growing, just when war has needed not lots of boots onthe ground but highly trained highly skilled operatives in cyber warfare and surveillance, and the ability to use highly complicated equipment . Rishi Sunak thinks it would be a good idea to swamp the forces with youngsters straight from school with no technical skills or experience, who will probably not be permtted to see active service, and after a year, spit them out.

Our armed services are not there to act as baby sitters once the children grown too big for school. It is a ridiculousn idea.

I have long thought that some sort of compulsory 'volunteering' is a good idea which is, I understand, also part of this plan.

Training for mending potholes would be more use, or perhaps courses in fruit picking!

Is "compulsory volunteering" a contradiction in terms?

kittylester

I have long thought that some sort of compulsory 'volunteering' is a good idea which is, I understand, also part of this plan.

Isn’t that a contradiction 😄

All our GC had a problem finding a weeks work experience who is going to organise all the volunteering?

I realise that - that's why I used the quotes. I thought people would understand my meaning.

I understand is is a plan for either National Service in armed forces or a specified amount of time helping different organisations on an unpaid basis.

I think that is a good idea.

I can understand trying to recruit some young people, and pay them properly, to be trained in cyber security. Many young people are very adept with all things cyber.

Other than that any young person, interested in joining the services, can apply to join.

They can also apply to be volunteers if they wish to.

But, this bit of nonsense will go nowhere.

luluaugust

All our GC had a problem finding a weeks work experience who is going to organise all the volunteering?

It’ll be like the community service we have now. Can’t find the supervisors, can’t get insurance, and then people don’t turn up anyway, and no one has the time or energy to look for them.🙄

How are they going to plan and arrange it? And how are they going to enforce it?
These are people who don't even have umbrellas when it's raining.

Compulsory voting for the Conservatives next!

luluaugust

All our GC had a problem finding a weeks work experience who is going to organise all the volunteering?

Work experience at 15 or 16 is fraught with problems for the employer. Something completely separate needs to be set up for sure.

Greta

Compulsory voting for the Conservatives next!

Do you mean compulsory votes for the Tory party.
Or do you mean compulsory voting per se, as in many other countries, including Australia. Which by the way I agree with.

Surely they can find better ways of spending £2.5 billion?

I was furious until I realised community service was an option. Nobody is going to force my grandson (now 15) into military service!

Anyway, it won’t happen. The Tories aren’t going to be elected.

Good luck with enforcing that! How on earth does National Service equate with a weekend of community work. I wouldn't want my son if daughter doing it the state of the world now and the lack of money the armed services receive is a disgrace. We should start caring about our veterans lives and ensure everyone does community service and gets to know it.

kittylester

I realise that - that's why I used the quotes. I thought people would understand my meaning.

I understand is is a plan for either National Service in armed forces or a specified amount of time helping different organisations on an unpaid basis.

I think that is a good idea.

I do I was only teasing😄 - yes I think encouragement to volunteer is on the whole a good thing thing in society.
But I would stop short of making it compulsory, and certainly take it out if political hands!