Rishi Sunak is expected to continue defending his controversial plans to revive National Service, urging employers to prioritize jobseekers who have served time in the army.
The Prime Minister said that all 18-year-olds would be required to undertake a form of “Mandatory” National Service if the Conservatives are re-elected on July 4th.
Despite growing criticism of the plans – which the Conservatives estimate would cost £2.5 billion a year by the end of the decade – the Financial Times reports that the Prime Minister is expected to double down.
Sunak said one way to “get the most out of National Service” would be to encourage bosses to “consider those completing placements in the armed forces when applying for jobs”, the paper reports.
Critics across political divides have dismissed the plan as unserious, while top military figures are skeptical about how it would work.
But Sunak hopes his pledge can boost his bid to reduce the huge polling gap between the Tories and Labor as the campaign enters its first full week.
Is National Service a good idea?
Security will also be the focus of the day for the Labor Party, with Sir Keir Starmer saying in a keynote speech that “economic security, border security and national security” will form the “foundation” of the party’s manifesto.
“The very basis of any good government is economic security, border security and national security,” the Labor leader is expected to say.
“This is the foundation, the basis on which our manifesto and our first steps will be built.”
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Recognizing that some voters may be unsure of the Labor Party’s national security credentials, he is expected to say: “Regardless of what the polls say, I know there are countless people who have not yet decided how they will vote in this election.
“They are fed up with Conservative failure, chaos and division, but they still have doubts about us.
“Has Labor changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders and our security?
“My answer is yes, you can – because I changed this party. Permanently. This has been my driving mission since day one.”
Voters can trust the Labor Party on security issues, says Starmer. Photo: PA
According to The Times, the Labor Party would bring together MI5, the police and Whitehall departments to carry out a 100-day review of all the threats Britain faces, including from Russia and Iran, if it wins the election. .
The election campaign is expected to ramp up next week.
Sir Ed Davey will be north of the border launching the Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign with Scottish leader Alex Cole-Hamilton.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
