Rishi Sunak says he will bring back National Service if Tories win general election
Rishi Sunak has said he will introduce a new form of mandatory National Service for young people if the Conservatives win the general election.
In the first new policy announcement of the campaign, the prime minister has unveiled a plan that would see 18-year-olds given the choice of a full-time military placement for 12 months or a scheme to volunteer for one weekend a month for a year.
The placement would be selective – with tests used to decide who is eligible – and involve working with the armed forces or in cyber defence.
The voluntary option would see young people spending 25 days with organisations such as the police, the fire service, the NHS, or charities that work with older isolated people.
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Mr Sunak said the new model would provide “life-changing opportunities for young people” and allow them to learn “real world skills”.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the PM said: “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.”
The Tory party has also suggested National Service would cut crime, saying research shows volunteering can increase social responsibility.
The specifics of the plan would be established through a new Royal Commission – a type of advisory committee set up to investigate significant issues.
Conservative sources said that the commission would look at possible non-criminal sanctions for any teenagers who refused to take part in National Service.
Details such as exemptions from the scheme would also be established through this body.
National Service came into force in January 1949, and meant all physically fit males aged between 17 and 21 had to serve in one of the armed forces for an 18-month period, with the period lengthened in 1950 to two years.
It ended in 1960, though the last national servicemen were discharged in 1963.
The Conservatives estimate the programme would cost £2.5bn a year by 2029/30 funded with cash previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and by cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion.
Responding, a Labour Party spokesperson said the announcement was “desperate” adding: “This is not a plan – it’s a review which could cost billions and is only needed because the Tories hollowed out the Armed Forces to their smallest size since Napoleon.”
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Politics
Scottish Labour win Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as SNP suffer shock defeat
Scottish Labour’s Davy Russell has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
Mr Russell took top spot with 8,559 votes. The SNP placed second with 7,957 votes, with Reform UK closely taking third with 7,088 votes.
The new MSP said he was “proud” to have been elected, adding: “I said in this campaign that I will put this community, our community first.
“I will work every single day to do that.”
The Scottish Labour team celebrating the win. Pic: PA
The by-election was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.
The Scottish government minister died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.
South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon had hoped to retain the Holyrood seat for the SNP, given her party’s heavy losses to Labour at last year’s UK general election.
First Minister John Swinney congratulated Mr Russell following the result.
In a post on X, the SNP leader said Ms Loudon had “fought a superb SNP campaign”.
He added: “We have made progress since the election last year but not enough. We still have work to do and we will do it.”
All eyes were also on Reform UK and whether it would enjoy a “tartan bounce” in light of the party’s recent slew of local election wins in England.
With Reform UK never having won an election in Scotland, party deputy leader Richard Tice said candidate Ross Lambie coming in third was a “massive boost for us”.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice turned up to the count to support candidate Ross Lambie. Pic: PA
He added: “It’s a fantastic result, just a few hundred votes away from the SNP, nobody predicted that.
“I think that sets us up with excitement and momentum for the next 11 months into the Holyrood elections.”
Davy Russell celebrating with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and the party’s deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie. Pic: PA
Mr Russell said the constituents had voted to “take a new direction” with his party.
He added: “Like the people here in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and right across Scotland, we all feel we have been let down by the SNP.
“They’ve broken our NHS, wasted our money, and after nearly two decades they don’t deserve another chance.”
Mr Sarwar and Mr Russell on the campaign trail. Pic: PA
Mr Russell said the community had also “sent a message” to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage “and his mob tonight”.
He added: “The poison of Reform isn’t us, it isn’t Scotland, and we don’t want your division here.
“Reform have no real answers to the issues we face, and they can’t beat the SNP here or replace them across Scotland.”
Mr Russell said his party was ready to “fix” the NHS and “end the SNP’s addiction to wasting your money”.
He added: “The road to a new direction for Scotland in 2026 – with Anas Sarwar as first minister and a Scottish Labour government – begins right here. So, let’s go and win it together.”
By-election Scottish Conservative candidate Richard Nelson (left) and Reform UK candidate Ross Lambie. Pic: PA
Ten candidates went head-to-head in the Holyrood by-election:
• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party – 278 votes
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party – 219 votes
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK – 7,088 votes
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP) – 7,957 votes
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP) – 50 votes
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party – 695 votes
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats – 533 votes
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – 1,621 votes
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party – 8,559 votes
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent – 109 votes
The votes were verified and manually counted at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton.
Dame Jackie got emotional after Mr Russell’s win. Pic: PA
Campaigning became heated in the run up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of running a “racist” ad on Facebook against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Reform leader Mr Farage continued to double down, accusing his rival of “sectarian politics”.
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In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a “poisonous little man” and accused him of running a “campaign of dirt and smear”.
First Minister Mr Swinney had earlier warned it was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Reform UK, urging voters to “defeat the gutter politics” of Mr Farage.
With less than a year to go before the Scottish parliament election, the result potentially offers a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border could look in 2026.
Mr Sarwar said: “I think people need to change the script, because we’ve proven the pollsters wrong.
“We’ve proven the commentators wrong, we’ve proven the bookies wrong. We’ve proven John Swinney wrong and so many others wrong too.”
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