If anyone feels like Mr Bebbington that national service is the answer to anti-social behaviour and youth problems then I think you’re fooling yourselves, remember the Cray twins, they were drafted and didn’t exactly turn out reformed.

I would also stress young conscripts would be used as cannon fodder in the next contrived conflict. Most people have forgotten Tony Blair’s little folly about the weapons of mass destruction.

That’s where many our committed armed forces bravely fought and died for what was clearly a political agenda.

Without conscription we have highly skilled, highly motivated and dedicated armed forces that are prepared to give the ultimate sacrifice if necessary.

This force should never be diluted. If we want to tackle anti social behaviour, youth knife crime or crime in general we must overhaul our legal system, deal out real justice.

Give young offenders a real sharp shock instead of a slap on the wrist. I see more and more suspended sentences for very serious crimes.Here’s where the real problem of social degradation rests.

It’s a very difficult problem to solve especially when these cases are a cash cow for the legal profession, representing a youngster in court maybe 100 times is far more lucrative than early hard corrective punishment.

Foreign groomers and rapists are rarely deported after serving their lenient sentences and vicious murderers get to have a life after early release.

“Conscription” another of Sunak’s cons just like his Rwanda con.

GARY BIRDLE
Warrington