we are a whisker away from nato being dragged in to a war. What do people think happens then?

Both labour and the tories have committed to increases in defence spending. What do people think that means?

We need to be prepared, because we are a small country with a tiny armed services. Would people rather that people got some training, or would they prefer what Russia have been doing, anhd sending 18 year olds, completely untrained, to the front. line.

I get it, it is a scary thing to think about, but would people really rather bury their heads in the sand and wait till it happens? or get prepared now

The threat of something happening is definitely increasing. My son goes to Army cadets and they have now been told not to travel to their parade nights each week in their uniform as it raises their threat of being attacked.

I'm not in favour of National Service but we do need investment in our military.....the world is a scary place at the moment

As for James (not so) Cleverley interviewed this morning, well he made a right mess of trying yo explain it.

Obviously he's just had this plucked out of the air idea foisted on to him.

Then he says it wouldn't be criminal to refuse it.
What on earth?
Do they really listen to themselves.

I think the Swiss have it and Nordic countries and Germany are also set to introduce it

Yes they all need to
While Putin is alive

I bet the Army is shuddering thinking about taking in the average 18 year old. Heaven knows who's going to fight our wars in the future.

I think we have to be realistic its going to happen whatever government get in

It is, and a lot of people even of that young age are either not physically or mentally fit for service. Even something minor can preclude people from signing up. My brother enlisted in the army at 18 and was discharged due to hay-fever. Just one example.

I'm not averse however to the voluntary aspect, if they have enough respect to do it willingly.

I think just being able to afford food is what people want for the minute

Voluntary would be fine.

For me it's a no go at all even if it's not REALLY being in the forces.

As for the other side of it.
It's worrying.
James more Stupidly than Cleverley, says the could be special Constables.
WHAT??

Do they ever listen to the absolute tripe they put in their heads then out to the public.
Honestly, there's never been a government in my view, that has warranted being well and truly booted out as much as this shambolic shower does.

As I said before, I was at Uni at 18 years old.
If they'd tried this then, I'd have taken my chance and told them what to do with it.
I'd have refused point blank to have anything to do with it.

Yet you are happy to be compelled to pay for a BBC TV license?

Don't start me on that one
Like arista I detest the TV licence
Always have.
I begrudge every single pence of it

However paying a TV licence doesn't take away from me what I want and choose to do with MY own TIME and LIFE.

I think it could work if they linked it to something, alot of kids come out of Uni straight into Uni and then regret their choice of course and start another the following year, if doing this service was linked to a reduction of Uni fees in the first year or pushed kids up the list for apprenticeships or if it were linked to a definate apprenticeship it might be more palatable

well it wont happen as the Tories are set for a well deserved wipe out (IN England and Wales (wales deserve all the sh1t they get for their socialism and are reaping now what they sow)

The Scottish Conservatives should do ok

DT Leader
 

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img...=1716703250037

The past few months have provided too much evidence that Britain is a society fraying at the seams. The rise of identity politics – and the associated attacks on
British history and our shared national values – threatens to be a disaster for social cohesion if it is not arrested in time. The anti-Israel hate marches have
exposed the extent to which extremist views have already taken root. This is all happening at a time of huge international insecurity, and warnings of new military
conflicts to come.

So it is extremely welcome that the Conservatives have come up with a refreshingly bold idea to restore a sense of national pride among the younger generation.
The Prime Minister is proposing to introduce mandatory national service for all 18-year-olds, which could see young people choose between a full-time 12-month
placement in the Armed Forces or performing voluntary work one weekend every month. A Royal Commission would be established to design the details of the
programme.

Britain hasn’t had national service since the 1960s, and Rishi Sunak’s proposal is bound to be controversial. The pacifist Left will fret that it represents a
“militarisation” of society when the reality is that Britain has become too distant from its Armed Forces. The dramatic shrinking in the size of the Army, RAF and
Navy has meant that they are not as present in our national life as they once were, outside of ceremonial occasions.

More of the younger generation would benefit from exposure to their values. The Left might consider honour, dignity, discipline, and love of the nation and its
institutions to be “problematic”, but most of the country would not.

Others will complain that young people should not be compelled by the state to participate in particular activities, even volunteering. But freedom comes with
responsibilities, and Britain would hardly be unusual in Europe if it introduced such a scheme.

Other countries consider variations of national service to be a vital tool in inculcating a sense of shared national endeavour, at a time of societal fragmentation,
social media, and international insecurity. Young people would also get opportunities to learn real-world skills they might not find on university campuses.

As Mr Sunak put it in his speech on extremism earlier in the year, “the world’s most successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy is being deliberately
undermined. There are forces here at home trying to tear us apart.” The onus is therefore on our political leaders to come up with creative ideas to counteract
those malign forces. The Prime Minister’s plan for national service deserves the country’s support.

this plan on "national service" is designed to take reform voters. Sunak is transparent

Good point Ammi. On top of that, we no longer have the fighting force we once did and Sunak seems to think there's an imminent war looming.
One things for sure, my sons, will not be going anywhere to fight a proxy war, unless its 100% their choice.

Send the little sods to the Russian front.

Give them a machette, they'll be in their element.

Waste of time discussing it as the best the Tories can wish for is a hung Parliament and Labour won't agree to it.

It's never gonna happen. Next!

wellllll if the world pivots, it might not be in any manifesto but a reality

you do realise that we are part of Nato, and if russia attacks any nato country, we have a commitment to come to their defence.

We need to be ready. I think the Sunak government message is wrong, but it doesn't change the reality of the situation in europe. Labour or tories need to be ready for war, because the alternative is unthinkable

Correct and on the slim chance that the Tories do stay in power - they simply won't do it. It will not come to pass. Guarantee it. Hot air for votes, smoke and mirrors, absolute nonsense lol.

BBC News Text:
[There's more criticism of the Tories'
national service plan in the Guardian,
with the paper quoting an ex-military chief
describing it as "bonkers". Adm Lord West,
a former chief of the naval staff,
told the paper that
"we need to spend more on defence, and - by doing
what [Sunak is] suggesting, money will
be sucked out of defence".]

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cp...da930.jpg.webp

It will definitely manipulate the amount of idiotic youngsters who believe they can suddenly become a man after being born female if it's only men who will be doing it.

That doesn't make it right.

He would need to win the Election on Thursday 4th of July.



And no one says they can win?

It's unlikely, but not impossible that he might win.

I mean Starmer isn't exactly beloved himself.

Yes they (Labour Party)
have lost 4 elections
so they must tread correctly.

Yes the BBC TV Tax
is wrong in every way

….’mandatory’ is just another step of removing freedoms and gaining government control, isn’t it …’we fought for our freedoms’…yes, and we’ll have those back, please…it really defines their rule and power abuse so well…

Tories plan to bring back National Service
 

Can’t wait to see the opening lineup photo showing the first couple of thousand recruits .

There won’t be any young soccer thugs / gang members or immigrants ( illegal or first/second gen) - they will all find a way of avoiding national service !

It will be all the nice , law abiding home grown English lads risking their lives for everyone else


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

there are several things going on here. First, the tories view the reform party as a threat in the election that could suck away tory voters. Suggesting national service, takes away some of their thunder.

Second, if things deteriorate further in europe, we may need to introduce some training to ready everybody for worst case scenarios going forward, however, the only reason to mention it in the run up to an election, is to try and unsettle labour, and force them into making a mis statement on defence. That to me is the main purpose of bringing it up, because they have absolutely no need to mention it. If, in the future, our families are at risk of death from war, there will be plenty volunteers.

…any ‘deterioration’ of anything is because of our own government and how they’ve approached, well basically anything on any level…policing, fire services/health services etc…remove the budgeting and then ‘draft in’ free or cheap work power under the guise of ‘National Service’ and for the greater good of the Tory party …pffffftttt….theyre beyond outrageous…

Tbf, many of our kind and caring nurses and NHS workers just upped sticks and buggered of back to where they came from when we left the EU...and we did that, not our government.

Letter to the DT
 

SIR – I was inspired to read about the Prime Minister’s plans for compulsory
National Service for 18-year-olds.

However, I think a similar scheme for MPs and other public servants would be
more useful.

Bill Galvin
Stockport, Cheshire

This part is correct the plan is written on sugar paper and will dissolve as soon as the election is over, either way. Just nonsense, when there's talk of increasing defense spending it's for equipment, R&D and increased recruitment of professionals.

Bombs, missiles, planes, boats, pilots, engineers. Not feet in boots.

The UK has no need of a militia because we're an island - if enemy combatants are on the ground on UK soil the war is OVER. This was true in WW2 and it's true today.

A modern military like the UK's has no use for barely trained grunts with a rifle in hand. That's just not modern warfare. One attack helicopter is worth thousands of conscripts. War is won by $$$ not numbers.

If you want proof you need ONLY look at Ukraine, where Russian numbers have been bashing up against Western money and resources for well over a year now and making little progress. Ukraine is vastly outnumbered. It's not because of teenagers with peashooters it's because of US/Europe funded and supplied drones, ammunition and tech.

What we do have though is a rapidly aging population and if we do ever need to introduce compulsory national service, it'll be as carers not soldiers. Armed with wet wipes not guns.