British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday the party’s plans to implement a new National Service model for youth if they are re-elected following the July 4 polls. Under the proposal, 18-year-olds would be given the choice of completing a full-time military placement for one year or participating in a scheme involving volunteering one weekend per month for a year. “We have so much to be proud of in Britain, but one of the problems in our society is that we have generations of young people who don’t have the opportunities they deserve,” Sunak stated in an election campaign video. “Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided. There’s no doubt that democratic values are under threat; that is why we will introduce a bold new model of National Service for 18-year-olds to be spent either in a competitive full-time military commission over 12 months or with one weekend per month volunteering in roles within the community, like delivering prescriptions and food to infirm people or in search and rescue,” he added. According to the Conservative Party, the National Service proposal would be funded through measures to combat tax avoidance and evasion, as well as by diverting funds from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Sunak’s announcement of this major election pledge comes amidst a wave of senior British Parliament members leaving the Conservative Party. Furthermore, Interior Minister James Cleverly has clarified that while there will be no criminal penalties for failing to participate in the mandatory National Service, individuals will be required to complete it. On Saturday, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer expressed his support for allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote. In opinion polls, the Conservatives are trailing Labour by a significant margin.
Mass Exodus
The number of Conservative MPs who have decided not to seek re-election in July has reached 78. British cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom have also announced their decision to not run for re-election. The Conservative MPs have resigned amidst strong challenges to incumbent Tories in constituencies across the country. In a letter, Leadsom stated: “After careful reflection, I have decided not to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming election.” Gove expressed his awareness of “the toll office can take, as do those closest to me…No one in politics is a conscript. We are volunteers who willingly choose our fate. And the chance to serve is wonderful. But there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave. That a new generation should lead.” Former British Prime Minister Theresa May and former Defense Minister Ben Wallace are among the MPs stepping away from frontline politics.
