Parties indulging in frivolity is not what we need

THE scale of the challenges facing Britain is enormous but that has not been reflected in the start of the General Election campaign.

- Leo McKinstry

In place of seriousness about our national destiny, the two main parties have indulged in frivolity.

Over the weekend, the tone set by the politicians failed to match the requirements of the moment, as both party leaders focused on their contrasting policies for young people.

On Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer called for 16 and 17-year-olds to be given the vote, claiming that such a measure would revitalise our democracy.

Then Rishi Sunak set out his plan to bring back National Service, whereby all 18-yearolds will be compelled to join the military or undertake regular voluntary work with organisations like the fire brigades or charities. According to the Tory party, this new scheme is vital for "fostering a sense of duty".

But neither proposal deserves to be cloaked in idealistic rhetoric. Each is driven by the crude quest for party advantage.

Labour thinks large numbers of votes can be harvested by marching young people into the polling booths.

The Tories believe that by marching young people into the barracks they can shore up their support among older voters who hark back to a mythical golden past when National Service was a feature of life.