Telegraph commenter Hamish de Bretton-Gordon has argued young people should welcome National Service to say thank you for furlough – even though the vast majority of those eligible for enrollment would have been too young to receive government pay-outs during the pandemic.
Under new plans unveiled by the prime minister, eighteen-year-olds would be forced to carry out a form of National Service if the Tories are voted back in at the July 4th General Election.
Young people would be given a choice between a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year “volunteering,” in their community.
The Prime Minister said the policy would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”.
Reacting to the news, chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the proposals should be welcomed by young Brits, who have a debt of gratitude to repay for the furlough scheme rolled out during the pandemic.
“The hard reality is that this should not be seen as a social engineering project for the “youth” – although some are now so transfixed by their phones that enforced physical exercise is probably needed – but essential to protect our nation from another fascist tyrant marching West at an ever-increasing speed”, he wrote in The Telegraph.
“National service should not just be confined to those turning 18. Those young adults who benefited so much from lockdown and furlough – their health and jobs preserved by an enormous national effort – should be give an opportunity to thank their elders for their sacrifices.”
The comments have resulted in ridicule on social media, with several people pointing out that most people eligible for National Service wouldn’t have been old enough to receive furlough money.
The Telegraph has also been forced to amend the headline a number of times since it was first published following public backlash.
Spare a thought for the sub-editors!
Related: Humbled Tories try to defend Rayner smears after police close their investigation