This week, British prime minister Rishi Sunak announced a future Conservative Government would bring back mandatory national service.
Under his plan, every 18-year-old would have to spend time in a full-time military commission or spend one weekend a month volunteering in ‘civil resilience’.
Critics immediately slammed the idea – a former chief of the naval staff described the plan as “bonkers” and a former chief of general staff said the announcement was “electoral opportunism”.
The proposal is not on the table in Ireland, but military service is an accepted part of life in many countries, including Israel. However, security analyst Declan Power says Israel’s attack on Gaza may be exposing the flaws of mandatory military service.
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Today, on In the News, how national service works in other countries – and why a different strategy is needed here.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
