I support the Prime Minister's plan for young people. As a former reservist myself, I learned the valuable life skills of self-discipline, team work, leadership and humility. If I fail. We all failed. Working for a common outcome by serving something larger than the sum of the individual parts is part of my core values. I think that serving others can also help younger people feel better about themselves.
Our clear plan will introduce National Service for every 18-year-old. Young people will be able to CHOOSE between:
- Applying for a competitive, full-time military commission over 12 months in the armed forces or UK cyber defence, where young people will learn and take part in logistics, cyber security, procurement or civil response operations. This placement will be selective, so that our world leading armed forces recruit and train the brightest and best.
- Volunteering for one weekend per month (25 days per year) in a civic role, where they can choose between roles in our communities such as:
- Local infrastructure: supporting flood defences and communities during natural disasters
- NHS: collecting and delivering food; essential items; prescriptions and other support roles.
- Fire services: helping to organise and promote fire safety messaging; distributing fire safety advice
- British Red Cross: ambulance volunteer; wheelchair volunteer.
- RNLI: Water-safety volunteers; lifeguard; shore crew.
- Search and rescue: non-mountain based volunteering opportunities; foot patrols.
- Other voluntary roles to be considered by the Royal Commission we will establish.
We are doing this by:
- Setting up a Royal Commission to design national service, working with the military and civic society. The Commission will bring forward a proposal on how to make sure the first pilot is open for applications in September 2025, and we will introduce a new National Service Act to ensure that every 18-year-old will be required to do either military or civic national service by the end of the next Parliament.
- Reinventing national service will give young people valuable life skills, make our country more secure, and build a stronger national culture. Young people will receive best-in-class training in critical skill sets for the economy, from cyber to civil engineering to leadership. It will make our country more secure by diverting young people away from crime and unemployment, and training new generations to support their community and our security. And this will build a stronger national culture, where everyone shares a commitment to improving our country, and everyone shares in a sense of belonging.
International examples
- We have seen in recent years how, across the European continent, other countries have taken steps to shore up their national service models:
- In 2017, Sweden reintroduced a selective model, with 18-year-olds mandated to complete an electronic aptitude test and physical evaluation, with the highest ranked candidates called up for military service. Earlier this year, their government announced plans to create a new Civilian Defence Service, supporting first-responder agencies and the national grid.
- President Macron has announced the intention to make Service National Universal mandatory - a one month residential one-month residential placement for all 16-year-olds focused on civic culture and cohesion, followed by 3 months part-time voluntary service.
If you would like to find out more about how you can help serve, please get in touch with my office.
Sidney Yankson
