Rishi Sunak promises to introduce compulsory civil service for 18-year-olds

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that eighteen-year-olds will have to perform compulsory military or civil service if the Conservative Party wins the British elections.

Here's What We Know

There is "a generation of young people in the UK who have not had the opportunities they deserve" and the measure will help unite society in an "increasingly uncertain world", Sunak said.

The prime minister's plan calls for young people to be given the choice between joining the armed forces full-time for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their community, the party said. The announcement comes as the Conservatives prepare for the election, stepping up their fight against the opposition Labour Party.

From 1947 to 1960, the UK had national service, when men aged 17 to 21 served in the armed forces for 18 months. The size of the British army has fallen from 100,000 in 2010 to almost 73,000 as of January 2024.

The community service option would involve helping local firefighters, police and the National Health Service, as well as charities. The programme would cost approximately £2.5 billion a year.

Source: Aljazeera