Express readers say youngsters on benefits should do national service | Politics | News
Most Express readers believe young Britons not in work or education should take part in national service, according to a new poll. It comes after a former senior Army officer suggested the idea to counter Britain’s shrinking military. In a poll of nearly 3,100 Express readers, around 95% (2,920) answered ‘yes’ when asked whether youngsters on benefits should take part in national service. Almost 5% (146) answered ‘no’, while less than 1% (23) said ‘don’t know’. Britain ended national service in 1960 but there have been growing calls for it to be re-introduced amid concerns over the size of the UK Armed Forces, with the Army the smallest it has been since the Napoleonic era. Major General Tim Cross, a retired logistics officer, said the Government should consider introducing options for young people not working or studying to serve in the military as part of a national service programme. Mr Cross, who said he was not calling for conscription, told Times Radio: “I understand there are something like 800,000 youngsters between the ages of about …
