Six in 10 young people open to mandatory year of national service, new poll finds - 'It's an opportunity, not an obligation!'

Some 19 per cent said they would "very much" like to take part, while 41 per cent said they would "somewhat like to take part". Just 12 per cent ruled it out entirely.

With Honor co-founder and former US Marine Rye Barcott told GB News the result was "encouraging".

The author of the new book Courage Can Save US - which follows ten American political leaders, five Democrats and five Republicans, who continue working across party lines - told the People's Channel: "What this poll found is that young people in particular want to serve - military and civilian service. They want a path forward to give back.

"Why is that important? Because service actually equips you with life skills. Whether that's going to be running a business, serving in a non-profit, you know, running for office.

"I was so proud to serve with Britons when I served in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. Service puts you shoulder to shoulder with people that think differently than you. You're on a common mission."

The Focaldata poll also found some 53 per cent of the 18-24s surveyed see service as an opportunity, against 34 per cent who said an obligation.

But among over-65s, the results flip. Just 26 per cent said it would be an opportunity while 40 per cent think it would be an obligation.

The data is seen by some as a way to solve Britain's Neets crisis (people not in employment, education or training) with 17 per cent of those polled believing a year of service would help the almost a million Neets between the ages of 16 and 24 get into work.

This is also backed by employers, 73 per cent of whom said they would be more likely to hire a candidate if they had completed a year of mandatory service.

Al Carns MP, the former Minister for the Armed Forces and a Royal Marines reserve officer, said: "I joined the Royal Marines at 19 and learned early that resilience comes from people who are ready to step up.

"Some wear a uniform, but many never will. They are the young people who help in a flood, support a struggling school or keep a community going in a crisis.

"This poll shows they are willing, and that employers will value it. Now we need to build the routes that let them serve."

Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat MP added: "I served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army reservist, and some of the finest soldiers I knew were barely out of their teens.

"We spend too long talking about young people and not long enough listening to them.

"Ask them, and most see serving their community as an opportunity rather than a chore.

"Al Carns and I sit on opposite sides of the House, but on this we agree: mandatory service should not necessarily be seen as the default option, giving young people the chance to serve belongs to no single party."

During the 2024 General Election campaign, the Conservative Party proposed reintroducing a mandatory National Service scheme for all 18-year-olds, which would have asked them to choose between a year-long full-time military placement or spending one weekend a month volunteering in community roles like the NHS or the police.

Official estimates suggest that such a placement would likely cost the Government £15,000 per person. With the approximately 766,000 18-year-olds in the UK, this could cost the taxpayer an estimated £11.5billion.

Despite the costs, some 68 per cent of those polled said they would still choose to back a paid, full-time year of service. Just 10 per cent were opposed.

Asked whether that figure is realistic for a whole generation, Mr Barcott told GB News: "That’s for the British to decide."

He pointed to America’s AmeriCorps programme, which he said pays a stipend "roughly around that level".

"The overall budget for AmeriCorps, which engages about 100,000 Americans in a year of service, is about $1billion," he said. "The US defence budget is about $1trillion.

"When we think about the actual cost-benefit, that’s something to keep in perspective."

Mr Barcott later added that despite upfront costs, there is a major economic advantage to investing in young people.

Drawing again on the AmeriCorps example, he said: "In the epilogue to Courage Can Save Us, what I look at is the cost for AmeriCorps in the United States.

"So for every dollar that's spent, it is estimated that more than $27 of benefit comes back to society.

"And you have to factor in a number of different things there, including the productive capacity of a citizen over their lifetime.

"So the math is important to think through in terms of the long-term benefits of these programs."

When asked who should pay towards the £15,000 costs attached to the service, two-thirds of those polled (66 per cent) said employers should contribute towards the wage. A quarter (25 per cent) said the Government should pay in full.

"More than 70 per cent of employers said they would favour in their hiring process a service background," Mr Barcott said.

"Service equips you with the life skills. It gives you discipline, it gives you the ability to work with others. It frankly humbles you."

Victoria Head, CEO of City Year UK, said: "Young people are telling us clearly that they are supportive of a year of service when it is paid, recognised, and leads somewhere.

"Employers, the government and charities should join forces to give them that opportunity."

Stephen Greene, Director of UK Year of Service, said: "Young people in the UK have so much to contribute to our collective future.

"The UK Year of Service pilot program showed that they can make a meaningful difference in their communities while gaining the skills employers need most."

The survey also found majorities in every main party’s voters backed the funded scheme, from Labour at 75 per cent to Reform at 67 per cent.

"It’s one of the few issues that actually does unite us, this recognition that service matters, and we should seek more of it," Mr Barcott said.

"Courage is a form of service. And let’s seek more ways that our young adults in particular can serve."