Young people oppose the proposals, while older Britons are enthusiastic
Over the weekend, Rishi Sunak announced that he would reintroduce national service in the UK if re-elected as prime minister.
The proposed scheme would see youngsters required to choose between a year-long military placement or having to take part in community volunteering one weekend every month for a year.
Putting this outline of the policy to the public sees Britons divided: 47% say they would support such a move, while 45% would be opposed.
The split is generational. Young Britons – for whom such service is something they might realistically have to perform – oppose the plans by 65% to 27%. By contrast, the older Britons back the move by 63% to 31%.
Conservatives and Labour also sit on either side of the debate – unsurprising given how age and voting correlate. Seven in ten 2019 Conservatives (71%) back the national service proposals, compared to just 26% of 2019 Labour voters.
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Photo: Getty
