National service: What’s the actual Tory plan and would there be exemptions?

Published

6 months ago

May 27, 2024

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If the Conservatives win the general election, teenagers will be expected to take part in national service when they turn 18.

Exactly how the scheme would work has not yet been hammered out. The Tories have said they would set up a royal commission – a type of public inquiry – to come up with the details.

But here is what we know so far about what teenagers could be doing, who might be exempt and what would happen to those who refuse to take part.

How would national service work?

Under the Conservatives’ new plan for national service, 18-year-olds would take part in one of two streams:

Community volunteering: The vast majority of teenagers would take this pathway.

It would require them to spend one weekend a month volunteering, for one year – 25 days in total.

The voluntary placements would be in the local community, with organisations such as the police, the fire service, the NHS, or charities that work with older isolated people.

Conservative MPs have given various examples of the kinds of volunteering teenagers could do, including delivering prescriptions or food to infirm people, being a lifeguard, supporting communities during storms and working with search and rescue.

Military training: 30,000 teenagers would be able to take up places to spend a year full-time in the armed forces.

Young adults would need to apply for the programme and tests would be used to select the best candidates.

This pathway would not involve combat. Rather, young people would “learn and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations”, the Tories said.

Talking to Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Home Secretary James Cleverly said those who choose the military option “will be motivated to join the military” after the year-long placement.

Who will be exempt?

The Conservatives have not announced details about who would be exempt from national service – but they have confirmed that royal children would be expected to take part.

When national service was in place after the Second World War, it covered “able-bodied men” and excluded blind people and men with a mental illness.

It is not clear whether similar rules would apply under the new proposal. Disabled people may not be automatically excluded as they were in the past given voluntary placements are likely to be suited to a wide range of people.

In other countries that have national service, exemptions are mostly granted on medical grounds.

Where national or military service is a full-time requirement, people may be able to get an exemption if they are a university student, only son, single parent or professional athlete.

Would women have to do it too?

Yes, the plan involves all 18-year-olds regardless of gender.

Women were first included in national service during the Second World War, but after 1945 they were no longer included despite the scheme continuing for men.

How is national service different from conscription?

Conscription legally requires people to join the Armed Forces for a certain period.

The Tories’ plan for national service is different in that it does not compel people to serve with the military.

Would there be punishments for not taking part?

People who refused to take part would not end up in jail.

“There’s going to be no criminal sanctions,” Home Secretary James Cleverly told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

“Nobody will be compelled to do the military element,” he added.

It remains unclear how it will be made compulsory.

Speaking to Times Radio, Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan compared the compulsory nature of the proposed national service to young people having to attend school until they are 18.

She did not rule out the possibility of parents being fined if their children do not take part, but said the details of how the scheme would be made mandatory would be established by the royal commission.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the Mr Sunak 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.”

Will people be paid?

Mr Cleverly said those who do the military element will be paid – while those who choose to volunteer will not be paid.

How would it be funded?

The Conservatives said the national service programme would cost £2.5bn a year and would be funded by cash previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion.

Has national service been pitched before?

At the start of this year, top military officials touted the idea of conscription as they discussed what could happen if NATO went to war with Russia.

The head of the British Army said UK citizens should be “trained and equipped” to fight in a potential war, while Britain’s former top NATO commander said it was time to get over the “cultural hang-ups” around conscription.

Downing Street ruled out any move towards conscription, saying army service would remain voluntary.

But a similar model to the Tories’ national service scheme has been pitched recently.

Last year, centre-right thinktank Onward proposed a “Great British National Service” scheme.

Like the Conservatives’ current proposal, it focused on volunteering and suggested 16-year-olds should have to complete a certain number of volunteering hours.

A key difference was that it was not mandatory – it proposed a system where 16-year-olds were automatically enrolled, but could opt out.

Research commissioned by Onward showed 57% of British people supported national service and 19% opposed it.

It found the most popular model included civil and military activities, with 53% more likely to support a mixed programme.

The ideas won the support of the leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, and former Tory minister Rory Stewart.

What has the reaction been?

Critics from across the political divide have dismissed the Tories’ plan as unserious, while leading military figures are sceptical over how it would work.

Sir Keir Starmer called the national service policy “a sort of teenage Dad’s Army“, while Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall accused the policy of being “yet another unfunded spending commitment”.

She told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “That UK Prosperity Fund is supposed to be used to tackle economic inactivity and helping people get back into work so that really undermines another one of their arguments.

“This is an unfunded commitment, a headline-grabbing gimmick.”

Mr Cleverly said the main point of the policy was to make sure “people mix with people outside their bubble” for “community cohesion”.

He said: “We want to build a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mix with people from different backgrounds, different religions, different income levels.

UK

Post Office Horizon Scandal: Four suspects identified by police

Published

52 mins ago

November 19, 2024

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Post Office Horizon Scandal: Four suspects identified by police

Four suspects have so far been identified by police investigating possible criminal charges in the Post Office scandal, Sky News has learned.

Sources have said that among the offences being considered are perverting the course of justice and perjury.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted for stealing from their branches between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon software caused accounting errors.

Money latest: Trump policy ‘could wipe billions from UK economy’

The Metropolitan Police is a so-called core participant in the Post Office public inquiry and has been monitoring and assessing material submitted.

It is expected that the number of suspects being investigated by police could rise in the next six to 12 months.

More than a million documents are believed to be being sifted through and the number of police officers investigating the scandal has also risen from 80 to 100, with work across every single police force.

It is not expected, however, that any charges will be brought before 2027/28, and that time frame could be extended.

A Sky News source said the number of suspects was seemingly “just a starting point”.

A meeting took place this weekend between more than 150 sub-postmasters, including Sir Alan Bates, and the Metropolitan Police.

Sir Alan said he had been told by officers that “it was going to take a few years” and that there are “no restrictions on how high investigations will take them”.

He also said the priority for sub-postmasters was financial redress and then, after that, victims will be “looking for people to be held to account”.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson said: “Yesterday [17 November] we met with Alan Bates and some of the affected sub-postmasters to provide a brief on our progress and next steps.

“Our investigation team, comprising around 100 officers from forces across the UK, is now in place and we will be sharing further details in due course.

“Initially four suspects have been identified and we anticipate this number to grow as the investigation progresses.”

UK

British Airways flights delayed after ‘technical issue’

Published

52 mins ago

November 19, 2024

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British Airways flights delayed after 'technical issue'

A “technical issue” at British Airways has delayed flights, reportedly for thousands of passengers.

Travel journalist Simon Calder said on X: “British Airways IT system failure is causing delays of 1-2 hours on many BA flights this evening… As delays build up I fear there will be cancellations tonight/tomorrow.”

In a statement on Monday evening, British Airways said flights were “currently operating, but are experiencing delays” and that its teams were working to “resolve a technical issue affecting some of our systems”.

Later they said it had been resolved: “Our teams worked hard to resolve an issue we experienced for a short time earlier this evening.

“We’ve apologised to customers for delays to their flights and ensured they were able to reach their destinations as planned.”

Earlier media reports suggested dozens of flights were grounded and that communications systems were affected.

One X user pictured people queueing on the tarmac in Verona, Italy. “What has happened to the nations airline? Not fit for purpose,” they said.

Replying to another X user BA said: “Our website is down. We are doing all we can to return online as soon as possible.

“Hopefully not too long before the Captain has his load sheet. Thanks for your understanding. Have a good journey when it is safe for you to be airborne.”

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said: “We are aware of a technical issue that British Airways are investigating, and we will be working with them to provide updates to passengers as soon as they are available. Heathrow systems are operating as normal.”

In June many British Airways (BA) flights in Heathrow were delayed by several hours by a “technical fault” with baggage handling.

BA said there had been a “temporary technical fault” which had disrupted its baggage system at the airport and had apologised for the problems it caused.

In January “intermittent issues” with the airline’s app and website meant customers could not access them.

BA’s customer score for long-haul flights was the joint third lowest out of 17 carriers analysed by Which? in February.

UK

Parts of UK braced for ‘disruptive snow’ after coldest night of the season

Published

7 hours ago

November 18, 2024

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Parts of UK braced for 'disruptive snow' after coldest night of the season

The UK is being warned to brace for a further cold snap with “disruptive snow” set to sweep in across parts of the country as temperatures plummet.

The Met Office has issued three new yellow weather alerts for snow and ice from Monday.

The forecaster has warned up to 20cm of snow may accumulate in the worst affected areas as the country experiences its “first taste of winter”.

Check the forecast in your area

It comes as the first amber cold health alerts of the season have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering all of England, except the South, until 6pm on Saturday.

An amber warning is issued when the weather is likely to “cause significant impacts across health and social care services”, according to the HSA.

That includes the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among older people or those with health conditions.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “It is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”

Meanwhile yellow health alerts – the second lowest alert level – are in place for the South East, South West and London.

Temperatures dropped to -7.8C (18F) in Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands in the early hours of Monday, which is the lowest temperature the UK has seen since last winter.

Snow dusted grounds across Aberdeenshire, including at Glenshee Ski Centre and at Corgarff, as well as alongside the A939 near The Lecht in the Cairngorms.

Snow also blanketed the mountain of Ingleborough, while there was a sprinkling of frost near Clapham, in the Yorkshire Dales.

More expected in coming days

Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said snow has mostly fallen on hilltops so far, with 2cm falling in Lerwick, Shetland.

But more snow and ice is expected over the coming days, with temperatures plunging to below average levels for the time of year.

“It is going to be quite a widely cold week,” Ms Maxey said. “A few degrees below average both day and night for most of the country.”

The fresh warning for Northern Ireland comes into force from 3pm today and runs until 10am on Tuesday.

The alert takes in the likes of Newry, Belfast, Omagh, Derry and Ballycastle.

The warning in Scotland comes into force from 4pm and runs until 10am on Wednesday.

The alert covers the Highlands and Islands and the northeast of the country, including Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.

A third warning – stretching across parts of England and Wales – comes into force at 7pm and runs until 10am on Tuesday.

East Midlands, Yorkshire, and the north of England are expected to be worst hit.

‘Slight chance’ communities could be cut off

Those in the impacted areas have been told power cuts are possible and mobile phone coverage might be affected.

The Met Office has said there is a “slight chance” some rural communities could be cut off and that bus and train services may be delayed or cancelled.

People have also been warned to be careful not to slip or fall on icy surfaces.

Snow ‘even down to lower levels’

Tom Morgan, Met Office meteorologist, said: “We could see some disruptive snow in the Pennine regions, in particular, the Peak District as well, especially Monday night, but we could well see some impacts lasting on until Tuesday morning’s rush hour.

“Even down to lower levels, we could well see some snow as well, so quite a bit of disruption possible by Tuesday morning, and then the week ahead is likely to stay cold nationwide, a windy day on Tuesday, and then winter showers through the week ahead.”

Mr Morgan said that despite a “mild” start to the month, the cold conditions are more typical of “mid-winter to late-winter”.

“What we can say is that it’s going to be very cold for the time of year, there will be widespread overnight frosts, and a few locations where there’s snow on the ground,” he continued.

Changes to weather warnings ‘likely’ in coming days

In southern England, a typical maximum temperature for this time of year is 11C (52F), but daytime highs for the week ahead are forecast to be around 5C (41F), while some parts of Scotland will reach “only just above freezing”, Mr Morgan said.

Mr Morgan said the public can best prepare for the wintry weather by checking their cars are suitable for icy and potentially snowy conditions and to take extra supplies including food, blankets and a fully charged mobile phone with them on journeys.

He added there were “likely” to be changes to the weather warnings in the coming days, and that “winter flurries” could be seen in the south of England later in the week.

Despite the cold conditions, the “whole of the UK” will enjoy more sunshine this week, he said.

He added: “There’ll be some snow showers in the peripheries of the UK, particularly northern Scotland, and down the east and the west coast, but if you live inland and you live in the south, there’ll be lots of sparkly blue skies on the most days through Tuesday to Friday.”