Britain will return to conscription if the Conservative Party remains in power after the July 4 general election. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced this to The Mail on Sunday.
The publication noted that Sunak and his advisers, who prepared the plan, fear a perceived growing threat from the so-called axis of authoritarian states, in which London includes Iran, China, North Korea and Russia. The Tory election initiative, which came as a surprise to political observers, will require young British men and women to either serve 1 year in the armed forces or spend 25 days (2 days off each month for 1 year) doing community service when turn 18 or leave school, helping police, utility or health care workers. The plan assumes that only about 10% of graduates will choose the first option.
„To those who complain that it is unreasonable to make this mandatory, my answer is that being a citizen means not only enjoying your rights but also fulfilling your responsibilities”, he wrote Sunak. According to him, the country “must do more for the youth, and the youth must do more for the country”.
As Sunak explained, the plan would not be a return to universal conscription in its previous form, which was in place in the UK before 1960. He said only a few school leavers would opt for military service, who would have to go through a fairly rigorous selection process to join the armed forces.
The cost of implementing the plan is estimated by the ruling Conservative Party at £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) a year. Since coming to power in 2010, the Tories have consistently reduced the size of the armed forces, which now stand at 183,000, including 33,000 volunteer reservists. The opposition Labor Party called Sunak's initiative a "desperate attempt" to boost the Tories' ratings ahead of an election in which all polls suggest they will face a crushing defeat.