UK's Sunak Plans National Service for 18-Year-Olds
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
civilian
Adjective
səˈvɪliən
relating to people who are not part of the armed forces
During World War II, German bombing resulted in over 40,000 civilian deaths in London.
conscription
Noun
kənˈskrɪpʃn
compulsory enrolment for military service
In the US, military conscription was enforced in six wars, including the Vietnam War.
logistics
Noun
ləˈdʒɪstɪks
the careful organization and process of putting an operation, plan, etc. into effect; the business of moving goods for delivery to customers
I'll need someone to help me with the logistics of starting a business.
amount
Phrasal Verb
əˈmaʊnt
to be considered or classified as
His actions could amount to treason.
trail
Verb
treɪl
to be losing a game or competition
By halftime, the home team was trailing by ten points.
opposition
Noun
ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃn
a group of opponents in sports, business, or politics
The opposition claims that the country's new tax rules are designed to favor the rich and powerful.
Article
UK's Sunak Plans National Service for 18-Year-Olds
All 18-year-olds in Britain will have to perform a year of compulsory military or civilian national service if the governing Conservative Party wins the July 4 national election, the party said on May 26.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to bring back a form of national service for the first time in more than 60 years, seeking to energize his election campaign after a weak start.
The UK introduced military conscription for men and some women during World War II, and imposed 18 months of compulsory military service for men between 1947 and 1960. Since then Britain has had an all-volunteer military whose size has steadily shrunk.
Under the plan, a small minority of 18-year-olds — 30,000 out of an estimated 700,000 — would spend 12 months in the military, working in areas such as logistics or cyber defense. The rest would spend one weekend a month working for charities, community groups, or organizations such as hospitals, the police and the fire service.
Sunak said the program would help "create a shared sense of purpose among our young people and a renewed sense of pride in our country."
Home Secretary James Cleverly said no one would be forced to serve in the military.
Cleverly said on May 26 that the main goal of the new plan was building "a society where people mix with people outside their own communities, mix with people from different backgrounds, different religions, different income levels."
The Conservatives estimated the cost of the national service plan at $3.2 billion a year.
Former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the Conservative plan amounted to "compulsory volunteering" and predicted "it'll never happen."
Sunak took most people — including those in his own party — by surprise when he announced on May 22 that the national election would be held on July 4.
The Conservatives, who have been in office for 14 years, are trailing the opposition Labour Party led by Keir Starmer in opinion polls and are trying to overcome a widespread sense that voters want change.
Discussion
1.
What are your thoughts on Rishi Sunak's plans to introduce national service?
2.
What do you make of the claim that the plan will "never happen"?
3.
Does your country have compulsory national service? Do you think it should?
4.
Has your country recently made any changes to its military policies?
5.
Do you know anyone who has served in the armed forces?
