Is Rishi Sunak’s threat to punish young people who evade national service credible?

Rishi Sunak went further than ever last week in fleshing out his promise to introduce mandatory national service, suggesting that he could confiscate driver’s licences and bank accounts from 18-year-olds if they refused to participate.

The prime minister pointed to “all sorts of things” put in place by European countries that have national service schemes in an effort to ensure that young people take part, revealing for the first time the drastic measures being considered by the Tories.

“Whether that is looking at driving licences, or their access to finance, or all sorts of other things, that’s the right thing to do,” Mr Sunak told a sceptical BBC Question Time audience.

Evidence for the claim was not forthcoming from the Conservative Party, so The Independent looked at what Mr Sunak could have been referring to.

It seems likely that the prime minister was taking inspiration from Turkey when he said that “access to finance” could be restricted. Draft-evaders and deserters face financial restrictions via the removal of access to a bank account and VAT number.

Other countries that are understood to impose financial restrictions include Greece, where the penalty includes having the right to tax registration taken away – meaning that those who refuse to take part in the scheme are not able to be self-employed – as well as imprisonment. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, those who do not comply are subject to a specific tax until they turn 37, and can face a written reprimand as well as a fine of up to 2,000 Swiss francs.

Mr Sunak also floated the possibility of restricting driving licences. He could have copied this idea from France, where restrictions are in place around driving licences for those who fail to complete the one-day citizenship programme.

Labour said Mr Sunak’s “vague reference to financial penalties” and mooted restriction of driver’s licences “raise further concerns over this ill-thought-through proposal”.

And it called for the prime minister to address the “ever-growing list of questions about the Tories’ plans”.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey told The Independent: “Another day, and yet more questions arising from Rishi Sunak’s national service policy.

“The Tories are making this up as they go along. This so-called flagship election policy that Rishi Sunak tries to put front and centre of his campaign is just an uncosted, unplanned idea conjured up by a desperate party that’s shrunk the British army to its smallest size since Napoleon.

“It’s time for change with Labour. We will ensure Britain is better defended.”