Conscription Is On The Table

[Khandro]

Rishi's plan to bring it back;

https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1903634/UK-Army-conscription-National-Service-announcement-Rishi-Sunak

Would you welcome it ?

[jourdain2]

Well they started doing something similar in France while I was living there and it seemed to work OK.  18 yr olds do 6 weeks on leaving school in some sort of voluntary work.  Near us the local kids generally helped getting the harvests in.  

The summer holidays were 2 months long anyway and they'd finished exams before that, they all seemed OK with it and it built community spirit.

[sp1814]

May 2024:

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he believed bringing back compulsory service across the UK would help foster the "national spirit" that emerged during the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Chief of the General Staff, Sir Patrick Sanders, suggested the UK might need a "citizen army" to fight Putin but his concerns were dismissed by Mr Sunak's team at the time as "not helpful".

Plus ça change

[gulliver1]

The drift I am getting from this Thread about Conscription.   Is that The Loyal Brigade of AB Tory supporters led by captain ttt himself are under heavy attack from the opposition enemy .*The Labour Artillery*. Who have the Cons pinned in their foxholes . Hoping that the end won't be too painful fot them.🤣.

[gulliver1]

Bring back Dads Army . And free up Answer Bank...lol.

[rockyracoon]

Why do they not liaise with universities and apprenticeship giving companies asking them to give favourable incentives for applications from those that have voluntarily completed this scheme.  They'd get a lot less flack and young ones would have a reason for doing the service rather than being told to.

[gulliver1]

I can just imagine a whole Regiment of 18 year old Brits high on drugs charging into the Attack with  Grant Shapps leading from the Rear.

[Khandro]

It's interesting maybe, that Germany is bringing back conscription, & according to jourdain earlier, France already has it, (Israel btw has never been without it!).

Then there are rumblings that a full-scale war with Russia, should not be ruled out.

Just sayin'.     

[ynnafymmi]

I dont think that giving the present generation machine guns to play with is a very good idea.Back in the forties and fifties,yes.Not in the 2020s.Bad idea.

[davebro3]

I think the machine guns are probably outnumbered by the spades/buckets/mops/brushes etc.

If I was 18 & joining up I would probably opt for the navy. 

[jourdain2]

davebro - you canbut try!  OH joined theMerchant Navy when he left school. He qualified as a navigation officer, but in the early 1950s he decided that this was not what he wanted to do in life. Consequently, when he left he rec'd a letter from her Maj. to join up for National Service.  Naturally he applied for the Navy - he was sent into the army! On balance he enjoyed it and says it was good for him.  He ended up marching up and down a section of the Iron Curtain in Bavaria being stared at by E. German troops armed with Kalashnikovs against his Lee Enfield & 5 rounds.

 

[ynnafymmi]

Up here in Scotland any Old Firm fans recruited would be handing their machine guns over to the para-militaries over in Ulster.The Rangers fans to the UDA/UVF,the Celtic fans to SinnFein/IRA.

[Old_Geezer]

The "national spirit" that emerged during the pandemic was one of wondering what the chuff was wrong with the government imposing draconian restrictions, and why was the public accepting them sheeplike. But it does fit; if the government thinks they got away with that, why not demand a period of mandatory service too ? The sheep will roll over to accept it. Obviously China has the right idea and it can be tried successfully here.

[sandyRoe]

Any youngster who wanted to serve their country could join the Territorial Army.

[smurfchops]

Ha!  I would like to see him try and round them all up.  They would run a mile, knives in pockets.  Goodbye Rishi.

[jno]

Adm Alan West, a former chief of the naval staff, said it a “bonkers” plan which would deplete the defence budget.

“I’m delighted if more young people become aware of defence and are involved … but this idea is basically bonkers,” Lord West said. “We need to spend more on defence, and – by doing what he’s suggesting – money will be sucked out of defence.”

[Henry1865]

Me too Peter Pedant.

In 1952 on my first day on the parade ground at RAF West Kirby, he stood there, barely older than us, a sturdy South Walian with a very deep voice, and said,

"My name is Corporal Hurd - spelt B A S T A R D ." We were terrified.

Nowdays I suspect that half wouldn't bother to turn up because they're too busy enjoying themselves, and those that did would laugh.

[New Judge]

"My name is Corporal Hurd - spelt B A S T A R D ." We were terrified."

That's strange Henry.

Corporal Percy Marsh in TV's "Get Some In" spelt his name that way when introducing himself to his latest intake of Erks at RAF Skelton in 1955.

[andy-hughes]

I wonder if Mr Sunak is following Jeremy Corbin's attitude - There is no way on God's green earth that I am going to get elected, so it doesn;t matter what barmy ideas I put out there, I am never going to be called on to implement them. What about free broadband? 

Now Mr Sunak is desparate to try and woo the older Tory voters by making them misty-eyed about National Service, and how it will do young people the same 'good' it did then.

For reasons explained, this is a barmy idea, but as Mr Sunak knows, he won't be required to back it up, so he can be as hatstand as he wants in his last few weeks.

 

[andy-hughes]

"Am I 'urtin' you Private?"

"No Coporal."

"I should be lad, I'm standing on your bloody 'air!!!! Get it cut!!!!"

Really?

I don't think so!

[Henry1865]

New Judge. I imagine it was a stock joke and that Cpl Hurd may not have been the first to use it. But because of his surname it had a particular relevance.