A north-east former school teacher and serviceman has said he will vote Tory for the first time, thanks to Rishi Sunak’s pledge to reintroduce national service.
Alex Wasinowicz, 64, from Fordoun in Aberdeenshire, credited the army with turning his life around, and believes today’s youngsters are in need of similar “discipline”.
A lifelong Lib Dem voter, Alex is changing the habit of a lifetime by voting Tory in July’s General Election.
Mr Sunak announced at the weekend that 18-year-olds would be forced to carry out national service if the Tories are voted back in.
Young people 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.
Mr Sunak said the policy would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”.
Experienced Aberdeen teacher had a troubled past before turning the corner
Alex Wasinowicz left school at 16 with no qualifications and joined the army.
He spent eight years with the Black Watch and Queen’s Own Highlanders, seeing service in Northern Ireland, before becoming a PE teacher.
Alex worked at “nearly every school in Aberdeen”, including St Machar, Northfield, and Dyce academies. Although now retired, he still helps out at Dyce Academy.
Originally from Perth, Alex admitted he had a difficult start in life. But he credits the military with turning that around.
“I was getting myself into trouble. The police used to spend a lot of time at my mother’s house. I was strongly advised to join the army because I was turning into a rebel.
“I don’t want to blame the system, but the school didn’t help me to develop, which is why I was later determined to become a teacher.
“Later in life I returned to Perth High School, my old school, as a teacher. I was there for three years. I met one teacher who remembered me as a child, and he was flabbergasted, completely discombobulated that I’d become a teacher.”
‘Second World War soldiers would turn in their graves at the way society is today’
Alex claims his military experience allowed him to thrive in some of the north-east’s most challenging schools.
“I really enjoyed working at Northfield Academy – I understand some teachers have found it difficult there, but I enjoyed it.
“I could deal with the kids, I could deal with the challenges teachers faced.
“But that’s because my mindset was military.”
He believes mandatory national service would change society for the better, and improve what he sees as the deterioration of our social fabric. Much of which he says he witnessed in the classroom.
“Second World War soldiers who died would be turning in their graves to see society the way it is today.
“Having been a school teacher and witnessed the way teachers are spoken to, it’s deplorable.
“It’s well known that there is a crisis in the teaching profession. Local authorities are finding it difficult to recruit teachers.
“And that’s simply because, as has been shown throughout the news, teachers are being physically and verbally abused.”
National service would help ‘lost souls’ feel proud of themselves
He added: “I experienced a great many things in the military, but the greatest thing about the military is the discipline, the focus, the belonging.
“There are a lot of kids today that, sadly, are not being raised as one would hope. Basically lost souls.
“If 18-year-olds go into the army, hopefully the majority who do will become so proud of themselves that they will achieve things with their life. To do that, they must push themselves – physically and mentally.
“There will be those that despise military training and authority. Hopefully the military will change that, and they can adapt, be proud of themselves, of who they are, and serve the King and country, as I once served the Queen and country.”
‘I was only able to achieve my dreams through military discipline’
The Tory leader’s national service pledge has been criticised in more than a few quarters, including by former chief of the general staff Richard Dannatt, who branded it “electoral opportunism”.
And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has slammed the idea as a “teenage Dad’s Army”.
But Mr Sunak has doubled down on the proposal, saying that national service schemes in other countries “show just how fulfilling it is for young people”.
And Alex is certain that Mr Sunak is onto something.
“I’m 100% behind it, and that comes from experience,” said Alex.
“I was only able to achieve becoming a teacher, which was a dream of mine, because of the military training and the discipline that I had, and still have, in pushing myself onwards and upwards to be the best I can be.
“The military did that for me and it’s done it for a lot of other people as well. It definitely brought the best out of me.
“So I’m all for the Tories’ proposition that military service will be compulsory.”
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if national service wins the Tories the election’
Indeed, Alex believes the proposals could help the Tories retain power, in an election they are widely tipped to lose.
And he is so impressed with the party’s national service pledge that he’ll be breaking the habit of a lifetime to help them.
“I actually vote Liberal Democrat,” said Alex. “I’ve never voted Tory before.
“But I’m now going to change my vote to the Tories come July, simply because of that.
“The Tories have pulled the rabbit out of the hat with this national service, it’s something that’s reverberating throughout the whole of Britain.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tories win the election because of this.
“I feel a lot of people are going to end up voting Tory, just because of this national service initiative.”
Alex believes “old school” national service would provide the young generation with the discipline required to succeed in life. Something he feels is lacking among many youngsters today.
“Once the politics are sorted out and old school methods are implemented, I believe in the long run that society will have a much more disciplined generation, with children developing into adults with a much stronger identity of who they are, what they are, and a sense of belonging.
“There’s only so much the military can do. But there’s no doubt in my mind: give these kids a sense of belonging, identity, military training.
‘I’d like to shake Mr Sunak’s hand’
“The army moulded me into what I am today. National service is a good thing, and it’s needed for many kids in today’s society.
“That comes not only from a former serviceman, but a former school teacher who has worked in some of the most challenging schools both north and south of the border.”
He added: “I’d very much like to shake Mr Sunak’s hand for this.
“If national service becomes compulsory once again in Britain, I think those special generations that went before us would applaud it.
“Well done Mr Sunak.
“My apologies to the Liberal Democrats, but I will be voting Tory in July.
“If the Tories win, something magical will happen here. This could change society.”
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