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Rishi Sunak has explained the Conservatives’ justification for their plans to introduce National Service for 18-year-olds if they are voted back in at the 4 July general election.Young people will be required to complete a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spend one weekend a month for a year “volunteering” in their community, the Tories said.In a new video on Sunday, 26 May, the prime minister described how National Service would give teenagers “valuable skills” and “make our country more secure.”“Britain today faces a future that is more dangerous and more divided,” he said. More

A Tory minister has said it is “reasonable” for long-serving MPs to stand down as a post-war record of 78 Conservative MPs have announced they will not seek re-election.Speaking to Sky News, economic secretary to the Treasury Bim Afolami said: “It’s reasonable after people spending time doing a job for 20 to 30 years… that they choose to do something else.”Housing minister Michael Gove cited the “toll” of public office as he announced he was stepping down as an MP after almost 20 years.The total number of Tory MPs stepping down has surpassed the previous high of 72 who quit prior to Labour’s 1997 landslide. More

Sir Keir Starmer has said a Labour government would seek to extend the right to vote to 16 and 17-year-olds.Speaking on the campaign trail in Staffordshire on Saturday, 25 May, the opposition leader said anyone paying tax should “have a say” in how their money is spent.It came after the Times reported a change to the voting age would likely appear in the King’s Speech if Labour wins on 4 July.There is no firm indication of when the policy would be implemented. More

Rishi Sunak shared a joke with constituents in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, over his general election speech that was dampened by pouring rain.The prime minister was told by one constituent that she thought he’d “be in bed with pneumonia” as he met local ex-servicemen at one of their regular Saturday breakfast meetings.At the Buck Inn, a Wetherspoons pub, Vicky Rudd, sat next to her husband Doug, from Richmond British Legion, asked Mr Sunak about his health.”No pneumonia yet, my suit on the other hand… I’m not quite sure what state it will be in when I get back down to London,” the PM replied. More

Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituents have given their views on their MP after he announced he would stand as an independent candidate in the general election.The former Labour leader was suspended by the party in 2020 after he refused to fully accept the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings that the party broke equality law when he was in charge.Mr Corbyn has now been banished from the party after announcing he will stand as an independent.Labour has selected Praful Nargund to stand against Mr Corbyn, who has held the seat for more than 40 years. More

Harriet Harman gave her final speech as an MP after more than 40 years in the House of Commons on Friday, 24 May.The “Mother of the House” was first elected in 1982 and holds the record as the longest-ever continuously serving female Member of Parliament.Ms Harman, 73, says she will not be standing again as an MP at this year’s general election.She used her final speech to pay tribute to her late husband, Jack Dromey, and her children for the support they have provided her.Ms Harman also encouraged women to enter politics, reflecting that though at times being an MP has been hard she “wouldn’t regret a single day.” More

Theresa May told Conservative MPs to “go out there and fight” in the general election as she made a farewell speech in the House of Commons on Friday 24 May.The former prime minister confirmed in March her decision to stand down as the representative for Maidenhead, saying she would focus on championing causes instead.Ms May, 67, was first elected in 1997 and served as home secretary under David Cameron between 2010 and 2016 before succeeding him as prime minister. “I think it is the best job in the world,” she said of being an MP, before urging her colleagues to “go out there and fight” to get the Tories re-elected. More

Rishi Sunak has signalled the door is open for Boris Johnson to hit the campaign trail for the Tories.There has been speculation that the former prime minister, still seen by many Conservatives as a strong campaigner, might help drum up support for the party ahead of the 4 July general election.Asked whether it is time to bring back Mr Johnson on Friday (24 May), the prime minister said he would welcome “any Conservative to come and join the campaign”.Speaking in Belfast as part of his campaign tour of the UK, Mr Sunak said: “When it comes to Boris he was of course the person who got Brexit done, ensured we had the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe and was the first to make sure that we provided support to Ukraine.” More