What would happen if the UK really brought back National Service for all teenagers?

In many countries, National Service involves all young people serving in the military for a fixed amount of time.

Britain used to have it too, until it was abolished over sixty years ago.

Now, a form of it could potentially be coming back, after Rishi Sunak announced plans to resurrect it if the Tories win the General Election, with 18-year-olds forced to carry out some form of service.

So what would it involve, and could it see uni students giving up their coursework to pick up commando machine guns?

Don’t worry – there are no plans as yet to bring back the draft in the UK. The new version of National Service would be much softer, if it comes back at all (which depends on if the Conservatives win a majority on July 4).

Young people would either serve a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months, or spend one weekend a month for a year ‘volunteering’ in their community, the Tories said.

But it would actually be pretty hard for teenagers to serve in the armed forces for their service even if they wanted to, with only ‘the brightest and best’ accepted for around 30,000 placements.

Asked back in January whether the Prime Minister agreed with forcing people to join the army, Rishi Sunak’s spokesman replied: ‘The British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force. There’s no plans to change that.’

Volunteering options lasting 25 days in total could include helping local fire, police or NHS services, as well as charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly, isolated people.

The Prime Minister said the policy would help unite society in an ‘increasingly uncertain world’ and give young people a ‘shared sense of purpose’.

Nobody would be jailed for refusing National Service, the home secretary said after the announcement.

When did National Service end in the UK?

The UK has not had a National Service since 1960, with the last of those serving in it being discharged in 1963.

Parliament explained that after World War II, there was ‘still an urgent need to keep up high levels of military manpower in parts of the world where Britain had strong ongoing commitments – in Germany, Palestine, and India.’

They added: ‘The government concluded that these requirements could only be met effectively by continuing National Service in peacetime. This was not, however, popular, especially now that Britain was no longer at war. 

‘It was therefore with difficulty that Clement Attlee’s Labour government persuaded Parliament in 1947 to pass the National Service Act.’

Beginning in 1949, all physically fit males between the ages of 17 and 21 had to serve in one of the armed forces for 18 months, then remain on the reserve list for four more years.

Countries with National Service

Many countries still have National Service – Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Israel, South Korea, Eritrea, North Korea and Morocco are among those to have conscription.

These countries require both men and women to enlist for one of two years at the age of 18, except for Finland, Switzerland, and South Korea which only requires men to serve.

Some examples of what young people have to do during their National Service are below…

South Korea national service: Most able-bodied men must perform 18 to 21 months of military service. There are only exemptions for rare cases, such as for athletes and classical artists who excel in international competitions tied to national prestige. K-pop is not considered to be a good enough excuse, so BTS made headlines last year when all seven singers had to join the military, though they said they would reunite in 2025.

Swiss national service: Military service in Switzerland after people turn 18 is mandatory for all men but voluntary for women. Men must complete basic military training within a year of conscription, which can happen up til the age of 25.

Sweden national service: Sweden recently reintroduced a form of National Service, after Russia invaded Crimea. People have to complete an enlistment form when they turn 18, though only some of them are then called up to complete basic training in military service. Last month Sir Alex Younger, who was chief of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2020, said the UK should look to introduce something similar.

Can you refuse National Service?

Certain countries allow you to either defer or refuse National Service, especially if extenuating reasons are given such as working abroad. Some, however, don’t allow this without consequences.

When the UK was last under National Service, students and apprentices were allowed to defer their call-up until they completed their studies or training. 

Those who objected had to undergo tribunal tests, similar to those given in wartime, where they were questioned about their reasons for objection.

Some faced jail time for refusing, while others were given exemptions for religious purposes.

If it came back again, there would be no criminal sanctions, the government said.

Home Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: ‘There’s going to be no criminal sanction. There’s no-one going to jail over this.

‘This is about dealing with what we know to be the case, which is social fragmentation. Too many young people live in a bubble within their own communities. They don’t mix with people of different religions, they don’t mix with different viewpoints.’

But shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said the plan was not realistic, saying: ‘This is an unfunded commitment, a headline-grabbing gimmick, it is not a proper plan to deliver it, 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.’

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