National service at 16 under David Cameron

Tory leader David Cameron was joined by Sir Michael Caine today for the launch of the National Citizen Service at the party’s headquarters in Millbank
12 April 2012

David Cameron scored a coup today by enlisting Sir Michael Caine to back his plan for a citizen's army of school leavers.

The Tory leader set out a vision of every 16-year-old spending two months on a scheme called National Citizen Service, giving something back to the community and getting away from the urban gang culture.

It was boosted by an endorsement from former Labour voter Sir Michael, 77, one of Britain's best-loved actors whose own rags to riches story began as a young gang member in south London. "I voted for Tony Blair," he said. "This time I am voting for David.

"I'm a representative of all those young people who have been forgotten in this country," said the actor, who played an ageing vigilante in last year's movie Harry Brown.

Tories contrasted the "optimistic" policy launch with a Gordon Brown press conference that attacked the Conservatives' plan to block the National Insurance rise.

Mr Cameron accused the Prime Minister of "having nothing positive to say" and accused Lord Mandelson of launching a fresh attack on business leaders. Another 13 business leaders backed the Tory policy against what they called a "tax on jobs".

Mr Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling hit back hard, claiming there was a black hole amounting to £27 billion in the Conservative commitment that would force severe cuts in police, education and other budgets.

Sir Michael said at the Tory conference that he spent hours recently while filming in Elephant and Castle, yards from where he grew up, talking to young gang members. "We should give them a second chance," he said. "That's why I'm here."

Born Maurice Micklewhite, a fish porter's son, in 1933, he said life was tougher for teenagers now than in his day: "I didn't have drugs and I didn't have guns. You now have a hard core of people who have both."

Mr Cameron has long promised to revive the concept of National Service but with a community focus rather than two years in the military. He wants school leavers to spend two months in the summer after their final exams taking part in voluntary schemes which would include "fun" activities to build teamwork and five weeks spent in the local community.

The Tories pledged to divert £50 million of funding from community cohesion programmes to pay for pilot schemes in the first two years. About 10,000 youngsters would graduate in the first year with another 30,000 the year after.

Eventually Mr Cameron said he hoped every school leaver would take part but there were no firm guarantees of long-term funding to expand the programme and, unlike National Service, it will not be compulsory.

In the first week the emphasis will be on teamwork with challenges such as rock climbing and canoeing away from home. Week two builds new skills, such as helping the elderly. In week three the teenagers go home and create a project to help their community. The next five weeks are spent turning their project into reality.

Several times at today's launch Sir Michael fluffed his lines by referring to the Tories as "the government" and saying how much he hated doing military National Service.

Asked later what the Tories could offer him, he added: "I hope they will put my tax down that the socialists just put up." The actor is worth an estimated £45 million and has homes in Surrey and Chelsea. Last year he threatened to emigrate if taxes went any higher.

The star of Zulu, Get Carter and The Italian Job said he would escape the partial rise in National Insurance under Tory plans because as a pensioner he was exempt. A Labour supporter for most of his life, he praised Baroness Thatcher in the Eighties and voted for Tony Blair in 1997. But he said Labour had turned from "servants of the people" to "masters".

Mr Cameron joked with a reporter who asked if the Tory plan was "the self-preservation society", a refrain from The Italian Job's theme song. The Tory leader retorted: "As an idea, I hope it does more than just blow the bloody doors off!"

Writing in today's Standard, Mr Cameron tells of his excitement at seeing the plan take shape in pilot schemes in London and other areas.

He also praised the Standard's anti-poverty campaign to highlight The Dispossessed, saying: "As The Standard has done so effectively in recent weeks, we must challenge the mindset that allows schools to fail their children, families to get trapped on welfare, that allows inequality to rise and social mobility to fall."

National Citizen Service - what it means

Who would do it?
Sixteen year old volunteers during their summer holiday, mixing people from all backgrounds.

What is it?
Week One develops teamwork with physical challenges such as rock climbing and canoeing away from home. Week Two builds new skills, such as by helping the elderly. In Week Three they return home and think up a project to help their community. For the next five weeks they turn their project into reality.

Why not compulsory?
David Cameron's original idea was to make every teenager do it but he was advised against. He hopes most youngsters will come to see it as an essential "rite of passage".

What's the point?
To expand people's horizons, mix social classes and develop citizenship, ambition and social responsibility.

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