National service reimagined as a voluntary civic year with real incentives

The proposal for mandatory national service was poorly conceived and rightly criticised. Compulsion breeds resentment, not civic spirit. But the underlying instinct that young people would benefit from a structured opportunity for service is sound.

Create a well-funded, voluntary Civic Year programme. Participants spend 12 months in public service: NHS trusts, environmental restoration, care homes, youth work, emergency services, or military reserve training. In return, they receive a living stipend, a £10,000 grant towards education or a housing deposit, and a qualification.

Make it attractive enough that people want to do it. Target 100,000 places per year. Fund it properly. The military version of this has worked well in countries like Estonia. The civilian version, based loosely on AmeriCorps in the United States, builds skills, social bonds, and a shared sense of purpose that is otherwise hard to create in a fragmented society.