Foyle MP slams Prime Minister's ‘national service’ proposals
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced plans to bring back a form of compulsory national service
A Conservative Party plan to reintroduce mandatory national service in the British military or ‘mandatory volunteering’ for 18-year-olds is a 'shameless stunt from a dying government' - the SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said.
The Prime Minister said the policy, which will see 18-year-olds forced to either sign up to the military or cyber defence force or undertake community volunteering work, would make society “more cohesive” and strengthen the UK’s defence.
Mr Eastwood said that the scheme would never work in Northern Ireland and questioned why billions in taxpayers money should fund it while communities here suffer significant public spending cuts.
The Foyle MP said: “This policy platform is unserious, unwanted and unworkable. How does Rishi Sunak think he will force kids in Northern Ireland to perform national service in the British Army or undertake ‘mandatory volunteering’ - a total contradiction in terms?
“Public services are on their knees and public sector workers in our health service and schools are still out on strike fighting for a fair pay deal. How can the British Government afford at least £2.5bn for this nonsense but not stump up the cash for junior doctors or classroom assistants or school bus drivers? It’s absolutely perverse and it’s all about winning back voters in England who have abandoned the Conservatives.
“Voters here will see right through it and understand that this is exactly why we need strong, vocal MPs at Westminster to call this out and vote it down.”