Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is proposing to bring back national service if he is re-elected to No 10.
That plan has been ridiculed by senior colleagues and former top military people.
The former head of the Royal Navy, Admiral Lord West, tells the Guardian newspaper the proposal is “bonkers”, adding that it would deplete the defence budget at a time when it needs investment.
A Liberal Democrat MP has called the Conservatives’ plans to introduce 12 months of mandatory national service a “desperate campaign announcement.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he believed it would help foster the “national spirit” that emerged during the pandemic and will “foster a culture of service” and “strengthen our country’s security”
