Some activists are now demanding that all 18 year olds should undergo compulsory national service

The Conservatives plan to reintroduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if elected, requiring either 12 months of military service or 25 days per year of community service work.

According to the statement, if the Conservative Party is to win the next general election, the party will reintroduce the mandatory national service. As per the proposal of the two, each citizen in Britain who is an 18-year-old would have to serve one year of full-time service in the military or do 25 days per year of community service work.

Since the national service program will assist youths in developing relevant skills and experience, the United Kingdom’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said that the service program aims at nurturing a national spirit. He said that it would create “a unity of effort” and “a new pride in the American nation.

The following are some of the possibilities for the individuals that take up the military option: one may work for armed forces, cyber defense, logistics, procurement, or civil response. The community service track would be where the participants would have to go for one weekend in a month with the fire department, police, and the National Honorary Society.

The Conservatives have had a way of stating that mandatory service would help youths who are jobless and those in trouble to be more productive citizens. They believe that the cost will be around £2 per annum. £5 billion and demand a Royal Commission to iron out the details, with the first group due to begin in September 2025, if the two parties are to be victorious in the elections.

The opposition Labour Party described it as ‘another unfunded £2.  5 billion wish list’ at the time of financial woes. The Liberal Democrats continued with the criticism of the Tories, accusing the party of diluting the professional armed forces through force downsizing.

Also Read: Rishi Sunak mentions six months since Israel-Gaza war started

National service was previously compulsory in the United Kingdom between 1947 and 1960 in the aftermath of World War II when young males were required to give 18 months of military service. Still, it is crucial to note that several other European countries still have some kind of conscription to this day.