Conservative parliamentary candidate: National service plans are ‘a brilliant and bold announcement’
Parliamentary candidate Paul Athans has described Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's national service plans as 'bold and brilliant'.
The Conservative candidate for Hazel Grove, who has served in the army for 15 years, announced his support for the proposals in a recent statement.
The national service scheme would require 18-year-olds to take part in either a community programme, or a military training commission.
Those who enrol in the community programme would spend one weekend per month in a civic role - this could be helping out with emergency services, or with charities such as RNLI or the British Red Cross.
The military commission would offer placements to young people, who "will receive best-in-class training in critical skill sets for the economy, from cyber to civil engineering to leadership".
It is understood that, were the scheme to be implemented, most teenagers would take on the community programme, due to the lower availability of military commission places.
In support of the scheme, Mr Athans said: "This is a bold and brilliant announcement. If people ask, 'why should we care about this?' - it's all about serving others.
"I am proud to say I've served in the army for over 15 years so I know just how positive an experience military service can be. The benefits to social mobility and personal growth are unbounded.
"Countries such as Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have recently reintroduced forms of national service. Reinventing National Service in Britain will give young people valuable life skills, shore up civic resilience and defence, and build a stronger national culture.
"Service to our community and our country is where we need to guide the next generation. I couldn't be happier with this announcement and our commitment to our young people.
"This will give young people real-world skills while contributing to their country and community."
However, the proposals have not been met with unanimous support.
Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Hazel Grove, said: "The Conservative Party has already done so much damage to people's living standards and public services in our area with all their chaos.
"Now they want to slash funding for local services to pay for their hare-brained plans for a National Service, which are nothing but a desperate distraction from the government's record of failure on the NHS and economy.
"If the Conservatives were serious about defending Britain's security, they would reverse their plans to cut the Army by 10,000 troops."
Claire Vibert, meanwhile - Labour candidate for Hazel Grove - said the plans were undeliverable, a sentiment which is echoed by other Labour politicians.
Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow Work & Pensions secretary, said on Sky News: "This is an unfunded commitment - a headline-grabbing gimmick.
"It is not a proper plan to deliver, it doesn't deal with the big challenges facing young people who are desperate to get the skills and qualifications they need to get good jobs, to have a home they can call their own."
Opinion among the public is similarly divided.
A recent YouGov poll suggested that, on average, 47% of Britons supported the scheme, whilst 45% opposed.
This average, to some extent, belies a generational split. 65% of 18-24 year-olds opposed the scheme, whilst 63% of people aged 65 or over supported it.
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