Proposals to reintroduce National Service reminded people of this brilliantly apt Yes, Minister clip
In case you were wondering what Facebook meme the Tories were going to turn into their next policy idea, it’s ‘Bring back National Service.’
A new “Great British National Service” should be created for every 16-year-old in the UK, a think tank backed by Penny Mordaunt has proposed. @IanpayneLBC asks: should National Service be introduced in the UK? pic.twitter.com/99Qp3uKWTI
— LBC (@LBC) August 31, 2023
Despite the proposal being called the Great British National Service programme, its goal wouldn’t be a handshake from Paul Hollywood – and it wouldn’t actually be compulsory. The volunteering scheme would be like the quasi-patriotic offspring of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and Community Service.
The idea came from a centre right think tank called Onward.
(CW: Mental health, suicide)
"Young people in Britain today are unhappy, unskilled, and unmoored – and national service could be part of the answer."
Watch Onward's @Valen10Francois explain our new report
Read: https://t.co/9HgV5N5zMb pic.twitter.com/MFdGM2k8go
— Onward (@ukonward) August 31, 2023
It went down as well as you’d expect on Twitter.
1.
I've thought for some time that everything the Tories do now smacks of pisspoor, lazy, rightwing radio phone-ins from twenty or thirty years ago (& some still at it!) It's 'bring back national service' today. Put a tenner on 'bring back the death penalty' by the end of the year.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) August 31, 2023
2.
"Bring Back National Service" cries Penny Mordaunt.
What a pile of utter nonsenseShe also spouts that Tories alone believe in personal responsibility and looking after others
WOW!
Current Tories care only about themselves and their snouts in the troughs of power and money.
FACT https://t.co/ufFpCxgxYR— Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) August 31, 2023
3.
Young people have it too easy with their no chance of owning a home, mountain of student debt, climate breakdown and prospect of insecure, badly paid work, so we should make them pick up litter and do press ups in the rain https://t.co/8fU6PzvJdb
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) August 31, 2023
4.
if they did national service these days it would probably just be kids making lattes!!!! because of all the fancy coffees the woke brigade drink!! National Barista Service!!!! Is this anything
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) August 31, 2023
5.
Bring back hanging says Lee Anderson. Bring back national service says Penny Mordaunt. I say bring back governments that know their arses from their elbows.
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) August 31, 2023
6.
Who is this group, “Onward”, pushing the proposal of National Service?
Whoever they are, they have a very strong stench of 55 Tufton Street about them. https://t.co/TzkDkTaIlk
— Miffy aka Baroness Heidi Hole of Bonque. (@miffythegamer) August 31, 2023
7.
nobody who thinks national service is a good idea actually did national service themselves.
it's typical gammon 'during the war…' shit even tho none of them were even born yet.
— ℓყรɓεƭɦ (@SloaneFragment) August 31, 2023
8.
On the list of the 100 most important concerns facing young people, the chance to be co-opted into national service comes 657,947,433,324th. https://t.co/AwOilRZO8u
— Edwin Hayward (@edwinhayward) August 31, 2023
9.
If there's money for a new "national service" programme there's about 4000 things I'd spend it on that are bigger priorities right now.
— Sam Freedman (@Samfr) August 31, 2023
10.
Tories who’ve removed the freedom of movement across 27 countries for our young people, calling for the return of national service to give them something to aim for, marvellous stuff isn’t it.
Alf Garnett on crack. ♂️
— Brendan May (@bmay) August 31, 2023
11.
We need a Great British National Service so teens can learn life skills whilst:
– Picking fruit & vegetables!
– Rebuilding crumbling schools!
– Helping small businesses with export paper work!
– Running food banks!
– Cleaning barges for migrants!
– Piloting drones!
– V̶o̶t̶i̶n̶g̶— Matt Green (@mattgreencomedy) August 31, 2023
12.
still laughing about that national service nonsense. type of think piece that comes out of people who’ve not had to work for everything they have. Glad you had a nice time at uni and didn’t have to work to pay for it all x
— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) September 3, 2023
The rehashed idea reminded a lot of people of one particular scene from the great political sitcom, Yes, Minister.
“The party have had an opinion poll done. It seems all the voters are in favour of bringing back National Service.”
“Well, have another opinion poll done showing all the voters are against bringing back National Service.”
When Carol Vorderman shared the link, Richard Savill had this wry observation.
As each day passes, this programme is looking more and more like a documentary! https://t.co/m9FtZQOknP
— Richard Savill (@RichSavill) September 1, 2023
We can’t argue with that.
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‘Yes, Minister’ predicted the Nightingale Hospitals farce in 1981
Source Carol Vorderman Image Screengrab