National Service plan for 18-year-olds ‘out of touch’ – Readers react

People in a Leicestershire town have branded the Conservative Party’s plan to require 18-year-olds to take part in a form of national service “out of touch” and “a gimmick”, however an ex-serviceman is optimistic it could be. a “good thing” if people “want to be there”. LeicestershireLive spoke to visitors to Loughborough about the proposed Tory plan, should they win the election, which could require 18-year-olds to attend military training.

Military placements, 30,000 to be exact, would be reserved for 18-year-olds deemed “the brightest and the best.” Those placements would be in areas such as cyber security, logistics and civil response operations, the Tories said.

While the vast majority of teenagers would take part in community volunteering, where they would spend a weekend once a month – over a 12-month period – with organizations such as the NHS, fire service, ambulance service or other ‘local critical infrastructure’ , as reported by the BBC. However, one parent said the policy was “out of touch” with the public, who were instead talking about the cost of living crisis and “how we’re going to get our kids to nursery”.

READ MORE: Parents left “terrified” for their children in the street with “nightmare” neighbors.

One young adult said the idea sounded “good on paper”, while another man asked where the armed forces would find people to train 18-year-olds. A 32-year-old father of three from Coalville believed the Tories should focus on childcare.

He said: “It’s just an election stunt, Tory politics playing to their elderly voters. It doesn’t seem like a workable plan or if they’ve worked out the finances and if the military would actually want it.

“The vast majority wouldn’t go into the army, they’ll just do unpaid volunteering at the weekend. At 18 they might want to start a business or do other things.

“They are trying to say that it achieves social stability, that is what University is for many young people. They should and could talk about policies like free childcare.

“I think he’s out of touch. The rest of the country is talking about the cost of living crisis and how we’re going to get our kids to daycare.”

Josh (24) lives near Loughborough and said he doesn’t think the policy “is as scary as people think it is”. He said: “Having said that I’m not 18.

“I think it may be a good idea on paper, but I’m not 16, 17 or 18. I think as long as people have a choice.

“I have friends from abroad who have done military service and there was a sense of unity and nationalism. But I’m not sure that in the UK we don’t really have that, but I think that’s the point and what he’s trying to get at.”

Andrew James, 50, of Coalville, is not sure where the armed forces will find the manpower to train the new recruits. “It’s just a trick,” he said.

“We have the lowest military numbers we’ve ever had. Who will train them all?”

Andrew said his brother was a color sergeant major in the 2 PARA regiment. He said: “They amalgamated one, two and three for Colchester and Aldershot is a ghost town and that was a cost-saving exercise.”

Michael Foxon (76) and Susan Foxon (73) are from Shepshed. Michael said: “I think it’s a bad time to bring this up because he (current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak) might not be there.

“If they’re actually working, they shouldn’t be forced out of work, but if they’re not, it’s going to take them off the streets. I would ask the people who run them, the police, the army chiefs, to say. what they think before I make a decision, if I were prime minister.”

Michael said he often sees “people stealing food” in town. He said: “We come to Loughborough regularly, we’ve seen it in Tesco, Greggs and Primark.

“These are the people we really want off the streets, who need a purpose in life. It’s a difficult one because I wouldn’t want to be drafted if I didn’t want to go.”

The scheme would not be conscription, where people are legally required to join the armed forces for a period. But participating in the program, whether in a community volunteering program or in a military training role for which you would need to apply, would be required by law.

However, Home Secretary James Cleverly said “nobody’s going to jail for this” on Sky News. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the scheme would promote “a shared sense of purpose among our youth and a renewed sense of pride in our country”.

At this stage, there are still plenty of details of the plan that the Conservatives need to work out. For example, if people who have education or a job would be exempted from the scheme.

Neil Hamilton-Brown (59) from Anstey served in the armed forces from 1984 to 2019. He started his military career in the Royal Pioneer Corps, before it was amalgamated into the Royal Logistic Corps, then ended his career in 165 Port & Maritime Regiment RLC (Royal Logistic Corps).

He was optimistic that the idea could work if people “wanted to be there”. He said: “There are swings and roundabouts.

“If that is the case and they will have the best of the best. But will this generation want to be a part of it?

“I entered as a boy at 17, it made me. I enjoy my service and the best part of it is the buddy system.

“You make some great friends, I still meet some guys I don’t see every day. But when we meet, it’s like we met yesterday.

“Maybe it will be a good thing. If people want to be there, I think so, definitely. It’s family and I would do it all over again.”

Lewis Ellison (23), from Loughborough, is not being sold as planned, however. “It won’t really work. Right now, they’re trying to get voted out,” Lewis said.

He said: “It appeals to those who are the anti-snowflake generation. If you’re struggling to pay your doctors and nurses, how are you going to fire everyone in the military?

“Also, I think we’re going to fight when you see the reaction online. I think with everything we know about mental health, how it can affect people, I don’t think it’s a viable policy.”

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