'Rot in bed, rot in trench': Rishi Sunak's military service plan invites Gen-Z flak
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called early general elections on July 4, 2024
Britain's Conservative Party under Rishi Sunak's premiership has proposed that every 18-year-old should do mandatory military or civilian service if they are re-elected in the July 4 polls. The announcement has led to a meme fest amongGen-Z.
Social media in and beyond Britain is filled with young people feeling jittery about their purported readiness to serve.
The policy has been pitched by Sunak as an opportunity for young people to "gain valuable skills, make our country more secure and build a strong national culture."
Also watch |Lagging in polls, UK Conservatives pitch national service at 18
"If you can fix your parents' iPad, then you can fix an Apache helicopter," a dramatic voice-over is reported as saying in one TikTok video.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
South Korea plans for military deployment in Strait of Hormuz amid US pressure
)
Nigerian Navy discovers 99,000 litres of suspected stolen, illegally refined products as it intensifies anti-crude oil theft operations
)
Who is Aditi Paudel? 17-year-old becomes Japan's first literacy ambassador
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US tanks can spin their heavy turrets much faster than Russian tanks
)
Man pushes Russian humanoid robot. Watch what happens next
)
US Open 2026: Auger-Aliassime out but Swiatek, Osaka, and Gauff advance into third round
)
Nobel laureate Machado says Venezuela’s ‘illegitimate’ regime has no right to strike US oil deal
)
The Verdict: Peace for Iran, pressure on Afghanistan: Pakistan’s contradictory diplomacy
)
Netherlands shifts 86 tonnes of gold reserve to UK citing geopolitical risks
)
Kenya vs Tata Chemicals: Why President William Ruto ordered company to stop operations
)
Breaking | Vance takes the podium: First White House briefing since Leavitt's exit
)
Indian agencies uncover hawala, shell firms and fake trade used to hide illicit money, FATF says
)
Inside Iran's shadow fleet: How Tehran dodges the US blockade at sea
)
Bangladesh batter Towhid Hridoy creates history with 350 not out in South Africa
)
China detains 52 Singaporeans over alleged pyramid schemes; Beijing denies arrest
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Krishna Janmashtami 2026: From Dhaniya Panjiri to Makhana Kheer- 5 best sweet dishes perfect for celebrating Lord Krishna’s birth
)
ISRO stages comeback with GSLV-F17/EOS-05 success; targets six more launches
)
Lollapalooza India 2027: From Olivia Dean to KATSEYE, check full lineup, dates and tickets
)
‘I wouldn’t call it a war,’ says JD Vance on ongoing conflict with Iran
)
Iran's army conducts drone & missile attack on US bases
)
Volkswagen to cut 50,000 more jobs, 100,000 roles to be eliminated by 2030
)
Happy Krishna Janmashtami 2026 wishes: 30+ messages, quotes, greetings, and WhatsApp status ideas to share
)
Husband uses secret camera to record wife’s affair, wins divorce case, ends up in jail for spying
)
Suvendu Adhikari threatens to cut school aid over refusal to sing full Vande Mataram
)
At least 2 killed in Minneapolis shooting, suspect also dead
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian fighter jets use bulky, low-pressure tyres compared to US jets
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US tanks weigh over 20 tons more than Russian tanks
)
NATO troops gather in Arctic, Russia threatens nuclear retaliation
)
Manipur violence: 25 houses torched in Manipur’s Kangpokpi a day after 10 homes were burnt along Imphal-Tamenglong road
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (September 4, 2026): GDN, Dhamaal 4, Jagamae Sangeetham- Watch 6 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Iran attacks US bases in Kuwait & UAE, supersecret missile project in focus | Gravitas
)
Killing the Himalayas slowly: Human urine is melting a glacier on Mount Everest
"If you can rot in bed, you can rot in a trench," the video continues while speaking of the practice of spending hours in bed during the day while snacking or using a smartphone-like electronic device.
Sunak's mandatory military civilian service is expected to alienate young voters, according to Mathew Mators Gillingwater, 22.
Gillingwater's TikTok video in GRWM (Get Ready With Me) format while showing off a pair of cargo khakis on the front line during a potential World War III is going viral in the UK.
"I didn’t get to finish my bronzer, though, because I literally started getting shot at," Matos Gillingwater said in the video.
Matos Gillingwater added: “Luckily, the French were on our side this time and I got one of the French girlies to do my French tips. They look amazing."
Matos Gillingwater said in an interview that the potential conscription "is just pushing us further and further away."
"Does [Sunak] want us to vote for him?” Matos Gillingwater said, referring to young people. "Is he trying to get ousted?"
It would be the first form of national service in Britain in over six decades. Under the proposed plan, only a small minority of 18-year-olds — reportedly 30,000 out of an estimated 700,000, the Associated Press reported — would spend a year full-time in the military.