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What would mandatory national service mean for university students?
On Saturday, it was reported that Rishi Sunak had taken time off from campaigning ahead of the general election to work on a major policy announcement. On Sunday, writing in the Daily Mail, the prime minister reappeared to say that should the Conservatives win on 4 July, they would reintroduce national service for 18-year-olds.
The news amounted to the first education and training announcement of the Conservative campaign. It is also an unexpected and barely credible leap into populist fantasy.