Tories must go beyond citizen service

But what matters of course is the steak behind the sizzle. Regardless of the politics, NCS is well-intentioned, consisting of a week-long outward bound residential, a week of neighbourhood community service and an ongoing "social action" project. It aims to bring together young people, give them confidence, encourage them to interact with older generations and combat the negative stereotypes of young people across communities.

The Conservatives would redirect £50m from the government's "Prevent" counter-terrorism programme to fund the scheme for the first two years, with a public spending review this autumn setting out funding beyond 2013. However, the Tories want to encourage young people to provide a "small contribution" to the programme's costs, understood to be around £50, potentially undermining its quest to reach all young people. Anyone unable to afford this will be able to get a bursary, however, the Tories assure us.