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- The Know Daily - Tuesday 28 May 2024
The Know Daily - Tuesday 28 May 2024
đď¸ National service explained, a big climate breakthrough + pubs told to âpour a proper pintâ.
Read in 5m 36s â Listening to Ruth B. â
đď¸ The Conservativesâ pledge to introduce national service
𪨠Researchers have come up with a way to recycle cement
đş Pubs have been told to âpour a proper pintâ
A plant that went extinct in the wild in Great Britain has recently been reintroduced - but its location is being kept under wraps for now. The rosy saxifrage was last seen in Eryri (or Snowdonia) over 60 years ago, and a horticulturist working on the project said he hoped the day would come when âeveryone who visits [the plant] will be able to appreciate itâ đ
đŹđ§ National service explained
Election campaigning is well underway, with the Conservatives pledging to introduce national service if they win on 4 July.
What would it involve, exactly?
The details have ânot yet been hammered outâ, noted Sky News. What we do know is that 18-year-olds would be required to either spend a year full-time in the armed forces, or spend one weekend a month volunteering, for example in the police or the NHS. The PM has said that those who undertake the military part of the scheme would receive a âstipendâ to help with living expenses, but gave no further details.
Opportunity. Community. Security.
This is why I would introduce a bold new model of National Service đ
â Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak)
7:04 AM ⢠May 26, 2024
How would the scheme be enforced?
Thatâs TBC. The Conservatives have confirmed that âsome form of sanctionâ would apply to those who refuse to get involved, but again gave no further details. Ministers have said the plan would cost ÂŁ2.5bn a year and be funded by cash previously used for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion.
Whatâs the logic behind it?
Speaking to the BBC, Home Secretary James Cleverly said the main point of the plan was to make sure âpeople mix with people outside their bubbleâ for âcommunity cohesionâ. But political commentators are more cynical, viewing the PMâs pledge as an attempt to win back support from the right-wing Reform UK party.
Writing in the New Statesman, Andrew Marr said the plan âwill be welcomed by many core conservative votersâ, adding that it âfinally got a Tory idea onto the front pagesâ after a shaky start to the campaign for Sunak.
Whatâs the reaction been?
Critics from across the political divide have dismissed the plan as âunseriousâ, said Sky News. Labourâs shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall described it as a âheadline-grabbing gimmickâ and an âunfunded commitmentâ, with leading military figures also sceptical over how it would work.
And unsurprisingly, the prospect of bringing back mandatory national service got quite the response on social media - and led to a whole host of memes.
đââď¸ TRIVIA TIME
Apple Music has revealed its 100 Best Albums of all time, as judged by industry experts. Which album topped the list?
A) Back to Black
B) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
C) Abbey Road
Scroll to the very bottom for the answer.
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