Conservatives National service plan at heart of election focus on security

On the first weekend of the general election campaign, Rishi Sunak unveiled his first headline-grabbing policy promise: introducing mandatory national service for teenagers.

- Kiran Stacey , Eleni Courea

The proposal - whereby 18-year olds would either join the military for 12 months or volunteer at weekends - sparked incredulity and ridicule. But Tory strategists introduced it for a very specific reason-one that goes to the heart of their election strategy.

For months, Sunak's aides have said they can pull off the apparently impossible and overturn a 20-point poll deficit by running a campaign that forces voters to look seriously at their two main rivals: Labour and Reform UK.

Its overarching focus will be security. By hammering home that message, the Tories hope to make voters - particularly Reform voters - nervous about the prospect of major change under a Labour government.

"Everything in the campaign falls under the 'security' banner," said one senior Conservative official. "That will mostly be about the economy, but also security of borders, safety on the streets at home and global risks that affect your economic security."

Sunak's aides are hoping that a policy blitz designed to appeal to Reform voters, combined with the fact this summer election has caught Richard Tice's party unprepared, will tempt voters back to the Conservatives.

A YouGov poll carried out after the election was called put Labour on 44%, the Conservatives second on 22% and Reform UK third on 14%. By shaving some points off Reform's share, the Tories hope to start narrowing Labour's lead in the first weeks of the campaign.

Tory insiders say their message will be focused on two themes: the economy and immigration. Both strands contain risks, however.