Sarah Beeny faces intense backlash for supporting Rishi Sunak’s national service pledge-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

Sarah Beeny has been slammed for supporting the Tories national service pledge (Picture: Ken McKay/ ITV/ REX/ Shutterstock)

Sarah Beeny has come under fire after labelling the Tories’ national service pledge as ‘a cracking idea’.

After calling a General Election for July 4 last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that, if re-elected, the Conservative Party would resurrect the compulsory government service for 18-year-olds.

The announcement has unsurprisingly divided people, with many slamming it as ‘ridiculous’.

However now the Property Ladder presenter, 52, has said she supports the idea, which could be reinstated 60 years after it was abolished in the United Kingdom.

Sarah is married to Graham Swift, and they share four children: Billy, 18, Charlie, 16, Rafferty, 14, and Laurie, 12.

Sharing her thoughts on the election pledge, she posted on X: ‘Going to be honest – think a year of helping other people out is a cracking idea – may not agree with many conservative policies but this is a cracker…..’

The TV presenter said it was a ‘cracking idea’ (Picture: Cat Morley/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)

Her post was quickly met with over 1000 replies, with many strong responses from followers.

Some called it a ‘hideous idea’, while another said it was ‘frightening and awful’.

One user, Jane, questioned: ‘Actually I don’t agree at all .. have you actually considered your own children being sent? It’s a ridiculous idea.’

After being asked what her sons thought of national service, Sarah replied: ‘They actually think it would be a good idea – 24 days volunteering to help others locally wouldn’t be that hard?’

Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak made the announcement last week (Picture: Henry Nicholls – WPA Pool/ Getty Images)

Responding to a vast amount of people who both slammed and supported her initial comment, Sarah told one person she ‘loved healthy debate’ discussing the issue.

Her sentiments were echoed by James Blunt, who said he also supported the idea.

‘We all know it’s not going to happen, but I think the concept — to understand a bit about serving your community — is not a bad idea,’ he told the Hay Festival on Monday.

Before he got a record deal, James served in the Army for six years and was a British officer during the Kosovo War.

‘The greatest thing about the Army is that we worked together as a team, people from all corners of the UK, and that was a huge benefit,’ he said, as reported by the Evening Standard.

James Blunt said he also backed the idea, but admitted it would ‘never happen’ (Picture: Getty)

‘I’m a posh twat and these people were salt of the earth. A guy from Newcastle who would otherwise be nicking cars is in the Army, and I know he’s going to be able to hot-wire my tank to get out of a situation. Likewise, he knows that when we come across the enemy, I’m going to be able to chat my way out of the situation.’

Last week the Prime Minister said Britain has ‘generations of young people who have not had the opportunities they deserve’ as he claimed the radical measure would help unite society in an ‘increasingly uncertain world’.

In future, 18-year-olds would be given a choice between a full-time placement in the armed forces for 12 months or spending one weekend a month for a year volunteering in their community, the Tories said.

In an apparent pitch to older voters, the party said this could include helping local fire, police and NHS services as well as charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly, isolated people.

She shares four sons with husband Graham Swift (Picture: Channel 4)

In recent years Sarah has also spoken openly about her experience battling breast cancer after being diagnosed in 2022.

Earlier this year she reflected on how it impacted her loved ones.  

‘It was scary at times for them and of course they struggled. The truth is, when you have cancer your entire family goes through it too,’ she said.

However, in April 2023 Sarah shared the happy news that she had been given the all-clear, after having her final round of chemotherapy.

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