UUP leader Doug Beattie and SDLP counterpart Colum Eastwood voice their concerns over Tories' national service plans

In the first major policy announcement ahead of the General Election, Rishi Sunak pledged to get 18-year-olds to either join the military for 12 months or do “volunteer” work one weekend a month for a year.

The Prime Minister said the policy would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”.

In an apparent pitch to older voters and those who may turn to Reform UK, the Conservatives said volunteering could include helping local fire, police and NHS services, and charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly people.

Two Stormont leaders have spoken about Tory plans for mandatory national service

Opposition critics have dismissed the plans as unserious, with Labour saying the pledge would never come to fruition and amounted to “another unfunded commitment”.

Military conscription has never applied in Northern Ireland and UUP leader Mr Beattie, who served three tours in Afghanistan, said the plans are "not practicable".

On a social media post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: "The idea is not just military national service, but on that front it is simply not practicable.

"Concentrate on supporting our beleaguered regular and reserve forces, our defence infrastructure, including service accommodation and rebuild depleted ammunition stocks."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that the scheme would never work in Northern Ireland and questioned why billions in taxpayers money should fund it while communities here suffer significant public spending cuts.

He added: “This policy platform is unserious, unwanted and unworkable. How does Rishi Sunak think he will force kids in Northern Ireland to perform national service in the British Army or undertake ‘mandatory volunteering’ - a total contradiction in terms?

“Public services are on their knees and public sector workers in our health service and schools are still out on strike fighting for a fair pay deal. How can the British Government afford at least £2.5bn for this nonsense but not stump up the cash for junior doctors or classroom assistants or school bus drivers? It’s absolutely perverse and it’s all about winning back voters in England who have abandoned the Conservatives.

“Voters here will see right through it and understand that this is exactly why we need strong, vocal MPs at Westminster to call this out and vote it down.”