Good ‘nashy serve’?

On guard: This picture taken on Sept 14, 2016, shows Swedish military patrolling outside Visby, on Gotland island, Sweden. — Filepic/AFP

THE philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” I very much hope this is the fate of Rishi Sunak’s idea of compulsory national service for school-leavers.

Sunak’s first big announcement of the election campaign was that a re-elected Conservative government will oblige all 18-year-olds to take part in a form of national service. This will come in two forms: a minority will serve full-time in the military for a year while the majority will be expected to do voluntary work for one weekend every month for non-military organisations such as the fire service, the police, the National Health Service or charities.