London, May 26 (UNI) UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced his intention to introduce compulsory military service or alternative service for young people if the Conservatives win the next general election, scheduled for July 4.
“We will reinvent National Service for today’s Britain. It will provide life-changing opportunities for our young people, offering them the chance to learn real-world skills, do new things and contribute to their community and our country … All 18-year-olds will do this new National Service, whatever their background and wherever they live in the UK,” Sunak wrote in an article for the Daily Mail.
The prime minister noted that young people will have a choice between full-time military service in the British armed forces for a year and alternative service in the form of volunteering in the rescue service and other structures for 25 days.
“To those who complain that making it mandatory is unreasonable, I say: citizenship brings with it obligations as well as rights. Being British is about more than just the queue you join at passport control. To be clear, our new National Service is not conscription. The vast majority of those who do it will not serve in our Armed Forces. Only those who choose to, and come through the tough entrance tests, will do that,” Sunak added.
In January, UK Chief of the General Staff Gen. Patrick Sanders urged UK citizens to be prepared to serve in the armed forces in the event of a conflict with Russia. At the same time, the UK government promised that it would not introduce conscription.