Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

[News] Should we Bring Back National Service? Sunak says YES.

Would you support a Form of Military Service? If so, what kind?

  • No, not in any form

    Votes: 223 54.0%
  • One month, as a voluntary, community based scheme

    Votes: 20 4.8%
  • One year, voluntary, community based scheme

    Votes: 42 10.2%
  • Voluntary military service for 12 months

    Votes: 23 5.6%
  • Compulsory community based military service for one month

    Votes: 26 6.3%
  • Compulsory military service for 12 months

    Votes: 82 19.9%
  • How old are you - 18-24

    Votes: 10 2.4%
  • 25-49

    Votes: 83 20.1%
  • 50-64

    Votes: 121 29.3%
  • 65+

    Votes: 59 14.3%

  • Total voters
    413


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
23,686
Brighton
If you take Mr Sunak at his word, conscription could come soon if Britain are to do “whatever it takes” to support Ukraine. Sending the RAF to secure Ukrainian airspace, putting our troops on the ground, sending the Royal Navy to the Black Sea and positioning Nuclear weapons on NATO Ukraine soil is surely the actions behind that sort of rhetoric?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain was prepared to do "whatever it takes".

Of course, no one believes a word Mr Sunak says so his rhetoric ends up being pathetic. Great Britain certainly WON’T do whatever it takes to support Ukraine and nor should we unless we want WW3/Armageddon.
 




sydney

tinky ****in winky
Jul 11, 2003
17,965
town full of eejits
ah well , here we go , another massive argument .....why wouldn't you initiate national service ..? People might actually learn something( a trade ) , get used to being mobile and off their fat arses and have their own money to spend on thick shakes and shithouse tattoos.
 


WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,772
And how would we use these hundreds of thousands of conscripts to ensure we are safer from rogue states' cyber attacks exactly. Is it the Monkey/Keyboard/Shakespeare principle :laugh:
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,575
Brighton
I don't understand the relevance of national service to this argument, the reason we have less troops is because the UK government has been actively trying to reduce troop numbers and the size of our army. It's a political decision that troop numbers have been declining which could be reversed without the introduction of national service.
 


Paulie Gualtieri

Bada Bing
NSC Patron
May 8, 2018
10,624
Basic NSC mistake. Expecting people to read what you have written, let alone understand what you have written, before offering their opinion.

I voted absolutely not. I see it, even voluntarily, with a cast iron guarantee that no volunteer would come to any harm, as the thin end of the wedge. It would soon be weaponized by those far to old to be eligible.

I can see the Daily Mail calling for that Begum woman to be brought home, signed up, and made to search for land mines, while the nation watch drone footage of her on a pay-to-view channel (coincidentally owned by the Harmsworth family - who knew?).

Edit: and I'm 65.
So basically a higher stakes version of Gladiators?
 




sydney

tinky ****in winky
Jul 11, 2003
17,965
town full of eejits
I'm assuming The Government of the day would take control of those areas if we went to war.

No one in the West is set up for a war, which is a good thing and also quite scary
you are both right , if there is a war we are sitting ducks.
If you take Mr Sunak at his word, conscription could come soon if Britain are to do “whatever it takes” to support Ukraine. Sending the RAF to secure Ukrainian airspace, putting our troops on the ground, sending the Royal Navy to the Black Sea and positioning Nuclear weapons on NATO Ukraine soil is surely the actions behind that sort of rhetoric?

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain was prepared to do "whatever it takes".

Of course, no one believes a word Mr Sunak says so his rhetoric ends up being pathetic. Great Britain certainly WON’T do whatever it takes to support Ukraine and nor should we unless we want WW3/Armageddon.
Sunak is an absolute **** , how the f*** there has not been an uprising in the UK is mind boggling , what's wrong with you ...??
 


Paulie Gualtieri

Bada Bing
NSC Patron
May 8, 2018
10,624
I do wonder if my eldests training on Fortnite and its associated tactics would be comparable with the real world if called upon. Saying that , the way he talks to his teammates sometimes is disgusting
 


dejavuatbtn

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
7,574
Henfield
Bottom line is, the way things are panning out in the current climate our existing armed forces are woefully short of human resource. If things hit the fan there will be a requirement to increase our armed forces - would be helpful if we have already identified those people who have the skills and inclination, rather than doing a pot luck conscription.
 




The Grockle

Formally Croydon Seagull
Sep 26, 2008
5,761
Dorset
This is one of the rare occasions trump is right when he says NATO counties need to start paying what they have signed up to.

There is no excuse for countries not to spend the required amount currently to try and keep Europe safe.
To be fair when he was in power he made the threat to cut the US' contribution and Germany increased their % as a result.

The old saying of 'a stopped clock is right twice a day' can definitely be applied to Trump but I agree with stance on NATO contributions as well his views on Iraq. It's a sad state of affairs when Trump seems to have a better understanding of foreign policy than many across the pond.
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,526
The arse end of Hangleton
Voluntary service already in existence National Coastwatch Institution - assisting the Coastguard.
There's one at Newhaven Fort. It's watchkeeping so who is going to volunteer to stay up all night watching the Channel. Hands Up.
newhaven@nci.org.uk

St John Ambulance
Red Cross
CareforCalais
NHS (300 voluntary roles) https://volunteering.england.nhs.uk/volunteer
National Trust
etc etc etc
Food banks
Lions Clubs
Rotary
etc

The OP is trying to re-invent the wheel !
 






Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,953
Brighton
Ah but you’re forgetting, there might not be sufficient money for the NHS or the like, but there’s always cash on tap for mad schemes which would please the Daily Mail.
Agree. Which is why it would need to be constructed with young people put first, delivered in a financially sustainable way, and voluntary.
 


birthofanorange

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 31, 2011
6,500
David Gilmour's armpit
Some really valid points there.

Just on the skills though - training in firearms, hand to hand combat, orienteering, fitness, survival skills all are useful and could be tought in community settings without someone having to join the army.

It’s not just the UK where this debate is happening- Sweden introduced a new form of national service recently.


My concern would be if compulsory conscription ever came in, those who had completed a voluntary national/civic service scheme might be the first to be called up after the Army Reservists.
I had zero interest in those when I was younger and zero interest in those now that I'm 60+. Fitness and survival skills are certainly useful, but the rest can get in the sea.
 




Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,630
Young people already have the chance to do worthy deeds on a voluntary basis if they want to: it's called the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

I started mine when I was about 14, mind you I only did it because I wanted a free camping trip to the New Forest. Never got the actual award :lol:

Sorry for letting ARE COUNTRY down :D
 


Zeberdi

“Vorsprung durch Technik”
NSC Patron
Oct 20, 2022
6,947
Young people already have the chance to do worthy deeds on a voluntary basis if they want to: it's called the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

I started mine when I was about 14, mind you I only did it because I wanted a free camping trip to the New Forest. Never got the actual award :lol:

Sorry for letting ARE COUNTRY down :D
I give up :ffsparr: - the thread isn’t about doing worthy deeds but whether some form of non-compulsory national service should be bought back to better prepare us for any future conflict with Russia etc.

Look at some of the models being introduced in the EU - France for example


The DoE is a fantastic reward scheme but that is not what people have in mind when they talk about complusory or non-compulsory national service.
 
Last edited:


Zeberdi

“Vorsprung durch Technik”
NSC Patron
Oct 20, 2022
6,947
I had zero interest in those when I was younger and zero interest in those now that I'm 60+. Fitness and survival skills are certainly useful, but the rest can get in the sea.
I would have loved to have been trained in the use of firearms, even just a rifle - just because I like target shooting (not because I either want to own guns or shoot anyone). I did a short self-defence course and toyed with the idea of judo when I was at school but again, nothing that left any lasting value if I was ever in a life threatening situation or called upon to defend anyone else.
 


birthofanorange

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 31, 2011
6,500
David Gilmour's armpit
I would have loved to have been trained in the use of firearms, even just a rifle - just because I like target shooting (not because I either want to own guns or shoot anyone). I did a short self-defence course and toyed with the idea of judo when I was at school but again, nothing that left any lasting value if I was ever in a life threatening situation or called upon to defend anyone else.
I'm sure many people who went on to shoot/kill folk had the same interest re: target shooting etc. when they first picked up a gun. Not saying that you would go down that route, obviously, but I have never had the desire to fire guns, for whatever purpose.
Same kinda thing with unarmed combat - I have no interest in it, despite my school chums being obsessed with Bruce Lee and the like.
 




WATFORD zero

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 10, 2003
27,772
I'm sorry @Zebedee but what is this 'future conflict with Russia etc' that you are envisaging and think we should be preparing for ?

I'm really struggling to think of a situation where Britain's safety will be improved in any way by having a few hundred thousand conscripts dug in along the coast of Britain. Future (and current) threats to Britain will be from terrorism, economic and technological attacks.
There are quite a few reasons behind various groups raising 'National Service' as an issue, but surely there is no case for it 'improving' Britain's safety :shrug:
 
Last edited:


Somethingdean

Well-known member
May 18, 2019
129
Oh dear, directly from the Daily Mail! Don't drink soy milk because it makes you gay, and latte isn't real coffee. :lolol: :lolol:

Btw, the countries that were occupied by the Germans in 1940 were not forced to abandon their languages which is why French. Dutch, Flemish, Greek, Polish, etc etc is still being spoken today.

Do try harder.
I didn't say anything about soy milk "turning you gay". I just meant that if the younger generation weren't so busy spending their money on fancy drinks, they could be spending their time learning a useful skill, like firing a gun and constructing a fall-out shelter.
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here