For many of its supporters, the idea harks back to an idealised 1950s - those patriotic halcyon days when you could leave your front door unlocked and the police cycled around nabbing petty criminals.

Rishi Sunak has pledged that, if re-elected, he would bring back national service, last seen in 1960. This "decrepit" notion was beloved of the now long-departed "Sir Bufton Tuftons" in the Commons.

BUSHFIELD crops up from time to time stirring memories. I walked into Bushfield on 3 March 1949 to become 22117899 RFN. Hitchings, JF, KRRC first of 60 National Service lads, mostly Londoners, to ...