National service proposed

TEENAGERS would not be sent to jail for refusing to comply with the Tories' proposed "mandatory" national service, James Cleverly has said.

The Home Secretary said there would be no criminal sanctions for young people if they defied the plans under a Conservative government.

In the first major policy announcement ahead of the General Election, Rishi Sunak pledged to get 18-year-olds to either join the military for 12 months or do "volunteer" work one weekend a month for a year.

The Prime Minister said the policy would help unite society in an "increasingly uncertain world" and give young people a "shared sense of purpose."

In an apparent pitch to older voters and those who may turn to Reform UK, the Conservatives said volunteering could include helping local fire, police and NHS services, as well as charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly people.