Restoring NHS is a meme, not a policy (former army chief Rishi Sunak’s NHS pledge is “crazy”, a former army chief said on 26 May). The Conservatives have all but announced a well-funded project to “bind” them.
James Cleverley has proposed putting rebellious teenagers to work as paramedics or special constables at weekends. How will the emergency services deal with those who are unable or unwilling to contribute, when they have to spend resources on training? Perhaps we could make Britain great again by forcing refuseniks to work on building a wall along the Kent coast.
With the government unable to look back and the opposition unwilling to look to the future, the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July will be characterised by even more hollow memes: End the elections!
David Marston
Coventry
My father served in the RAF. He was clear that he was cannon fodder and was there to manipulate the unemployment rate. If the world is as scary as Rishi Sunak says it is, then £2.5 billion needs to be put into the military now. If not, this is clearly a gimmick in the election playbook as losing candidates desperately try to gain support by announcing more and more “bold” – i.e. outlandish – ideas. Next week, Monkey Tennis.
Derek Long
Rainhill, Merseyside
National Service? Are the Conservatives deliberately trying to take away the voting rights of all 18-year-olds in the UK?
John Richards
Oxford
Do the Conservatives really think that grandparents like us, with five grandchildren under the age of 14, will vote to reintroduce National Service so that they can learn to follow orders, march and use a gun. Instead, we want them a peaceful future, a clean environment, a university education, good friends and free access to a well-funded National Health Service.
Viv and Mick Beebe
Bristol
What did I get out of the military? I learned to type and improved my social skills, but other than that it was a waste of two years. That money would definitely be better spent on an apprenticeship or reducing college tuition fees.
Harry Chesney
Loughborough, Leicestershire
If 18-year-olds no longer enrol at university in September 2025, how will higher education institutions survive a 33% cut in undergraduate funding?
Charles Jenkins
Wrexham, Denbighshire
Rather than turning the military and charities into youth leaders, why hasn’t Chancellor Rishi Sunak considered restoring the £1 billion youth services budget that has been cut since 2010 and utilising the skills of the 4,500 trained youth leaders that have been lost since then?
Pam Walker
Hartburn, Northumberland
If Conservatives like James Cleverley hate the idea of young people living “in a bubble”, they could start by closing state schools.
Laura Wright
Breedon, Somerset
Restoring national service would instill the discipline, respect and understanding of teamwork that so many of our young people need — a bold but necessary step to raise standards of morality and behavior.
Jonathan Longstaff
Buxted, East Sussex
