General election latest: Young royals would not be exempt from Sunak’s national service scheme

There is no bias in the title provided.

Labour Party ‘leaks Rishi Sunak‘s campaign diary’ in new ad attacking gaffes

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox

Get our free View from Westminster email

Young royals including Prince George and Princess Charlotte would not be exempt from taking part in Rishi Sunak’s plans to bring back national service.

Rishi Sunak has vowed to bring the controversial scheme for 18-year-olds to create a “renewed sense of pride in our country” if he wins the general election.

Under the mandatory scheme, teenagers would be given a choice between a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their community.

Labour branded the announcement “another desperate unfunded commitment”, which would cost an estimated £2.5bn each year, while armed forces veteran Justin Crump warned the “ill-thought through” plans would place an “enormous potential burden” on Britain’s military.

It comes as Wes Streeting warned striking doctors he would not meet their huge pay demands, and has vowed he would be “a shop steward for patients” as health secretary.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent, the shadow health secretary spoke of his plan to tackle of record waiting lists and the ongoing pay disputes, stating: “The NHS is not the envy of the world.”

Key Points

Show latest update 1716764400

Rishi Sunak justifies introducing National Service: ‘Democratic values are under threat’

Holly Evans27 May 2024 00:00

1716762603

Is military service really the answer that Rishi Sunak (and Sweden) think it is?

When Emmy Vilander turned 18 she, like everyone her age in Sweden, was sent an official email by the Swedish government. It asked her whether she’d consider conscription into the country’s military under Sweden’s “total defence” service and asked her how fit she was, if she had any health issues and what her motivation would be.

“I thought it might be a good thing [to do],” recalls Vilander – and so she duly filled in the form. Not long after that, she found herself in Sweden’s far north learning how to strip down a rifle, shoot a gun and build a shelter (as well as the “basic stuff like how to keep a tidy locker and how to make your bed”.)

By the end of her 10-month military service, Vilander could also drive a tank in a variety of terrains. “You learn a lot about yourself – that you can do more than you think you can do,” she tells me. “I thought it was going to be so hard – and it was – but it was also fun.”

Read the full article here:

Holly Evans26 May 2024 23:30

1716762465

Keir Starmer aims to end questions about his leadership in first major election campaign speech

The Labour leader’s “presidential” speech comes as the Tories have accused him of threatening to make a £38.5billion black hole in public finances with his spending plans.

This latest attack comes after Sir Keir has suffered months of questions about his leadership style and the number of times he has U-turned on issues.

Read the full article here:

Holly Evans26 May 2024 23:27

1716760851

Lib Dems to launch Scottish election campaign with dentistry focus

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will launch the party’s Scottish General Election campaign on Monday, with a focus on NHS dentistry.

He will join Scottish party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, with their message saying dentistry has been neglected by SNP and Conservative governments.

At the last Westminster election in 2019, the Lib Dems won four of the 59 Scottish seats, although with boundary changes there are now only 57 constituencies north of the border.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “People are resorting to DIY dentistry and buying tools off Amazon to do the job themselves because they can’t get an NHS dentist.

Sir Ed Davey is set to make NHS dentistry a key part of his campaign in Scotland (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)

“Some Ukrainians have even travelled back to Kyiv for dental care because the air-raid sirens, drone strikes and cruise missiles are less daunting than the waits in Scotland’s NHS.

“The SNP promised to scrap dental charges, but instead they have introduced new charges and doubled the price of some procedures.

“Dentists are being driven away from the NHS because working with this SNP government is harder than pulling teeth.

“No matter how much pain you are in, seeing an NHS dentist in Scotland is harder than ever before.

“It’s a stark reminder of how the SNP make empty promises and can’t get the basics right.”

Holly Evans26 May 2024 23:00

1716759398

Royal children would not be exempt from national service plans

Young royals would be among those having to spend a year in the military or volunteer in the community under Rishi Sunak’s plans to reintroduce national service.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

The Telegraph have reported that the Conservative Party told them this did not exclude royal children.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also have young children as does Zara Tindall, as well as Prince Edward’s son, the Earl of Wessex, who is 16.

Royal children would be expected to take part

Holly Evans26 May 2024 22:36

1716759051

Labour and Tories to clash on security after national service announcement

Labour and the Tories will clash over security as campaigning for the General Election enters its first full week after the Conservatives announced plans to introduce national service.

In a keynote speech ahead of polling day, Sir Keir Starmer will say that “economic security, border security, and national security” will form the “bedrock” of the party manifesto.

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak will be hammering his message that the Conservatives will take “bold action” to deliver “a secure future for the next generation”.

The Tories have announced that all 18-year-olds would be made to undertake a form of “mandatory” national service if they are re-elected on July 4.

Teenagers would choose between taking a 12-month placement in the armed forces or “volunteer” work in their community one weekend a month for a year under the proposals.

Holly Evans26 May 2024 22:30

1716757251

Rachel Reeves pledges no return to austerity under Labour

Rachel Reeves has ruled out increases to income tax or national insurance if Labour are elected in this year’s general election. Speaking on BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg on 26 May, the shadow chancellor pledged that there would not be a “return to austerity” under their government, noting that she would not put forward “unfunded proposals”. Ms Reeves has joined Sir Keir Starmer in his view that taxes on working people should be lower. “I don’t want to make any cuts to public spending which is why we’ve announced the immediate injection of cash into public services,” she added.

Holly Evans26 May 2024 22:00

1716755703

Bringing back national service? Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Sunak?

There’s nothing sadder when a relationship deteriorates to the point that one party has to start promising the moon. That trip to Paris we’ve been putting off? I can find the money. Your parents hate me? I can be more charming. Suddenly you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

It’s a bad way to fix a relationship, and it’s a disastrous way to try and fix a country. Yet it seems to be the prime minister’s current strategy for holding on to office – and it’s going about as well as you’d expect.

Read the full article from Ryan Coogan here:

Holly Evans26 May 2024 21:35

1716754551

Finally some good news for Rishi Sunak after his football team Southampton secures promotion

It has been a rollercoaster of a couple of years to be a Southampton fan – from the lows of regulation last season, to a thrilling rise up the Championship this season.

Read the full article here:

Holly Evans26 May 2024 21:15

1716753051

Ben Wallace’s favourite defence blogger exposes real cost of Sunak’s National Service plan

A former army reservist whose blog has been praised by ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace has ripped apart Rishi Sunak’s plans to reintroduce National Service.

His analysis of the Tory pledge to add 30,000 teenagers to the armed forces ranks every year has raised serious questions about the costs of the project.

Read the full article from political editor David Maddox here:

Holly Evans26 May 2024 20:50

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/general-election-national-service-sunak-starmer-latest-news-b2551736.html