THE Conservative candidate hoping to unseat Tim Farron on July 4 has answered whether he supports his party's National Service policy. 

Matty Jackman gave his support to the plans, which were unveiled by the Prime Minister last weekend and have become a national debate. 

Rishi Sunak would introduce mandatory National Service for every 18-year-old to be spent in a military commission or one weekend a month volunteering in their community if his government was voted in. 

Mr Jackman said: "This is a bold and brilliant announcement. If people ask, why should we care about this, it’s all about serving others.

"I am proud to say I serve in the Army Reserve, volunteer as a Community First Responder with the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and support my local church and other charities. If there is one new policy I can vouch for, it is this one."

Mr Jackman added that 'service to our community and our country is where we need to guide the next generation.' 

Shortly after the announcement, the home secretary James Cleverley clarified that 18-year-olds who refuse to comply with National Service would not face prison. 

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He said that the plans were aimed at getting young people 'out of their bubble' and tackling the problem of 'social fragmentation.' 

The Tories estimate the programme will cost £2.5 billion a year by the end of the decade and plans to fund £1 billion through plans to 'crack down on tax avoidance and evasion.' 

Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “The Conservative’s election gambit on compulsory national service is an undeliverable plan and a distraction from their failures in defence over the last 14 years.”

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall told Sky News that the plans were 'unfunded' and a 'headline-grabbing gimmick.' 

She said that the big challenges facing young people are getting the skills and qualifications they need to get a good job and to have their own home. 

The Conservatives say that young people would receive 'best-in-class' training in critical skill sets from the economy, from cyber to civil engineering to leadership.