AceShowbiz - Veteran actor Michael Caine has turned to politics ahead of the upcoming U.K. Election - throwing his support behind a Conservative campaign to offer community work to teenagers. The "Alfie" star recently spoke out about the underprivileged youngsters he met while shooting his latest movie "Harry Brown" in London, insisting many young people need help finding focus in life.

Now he has teamed up with Conservative leader David Cameron, who is vying to become the next U.K. Prime Minister when the country goes to the polls in May, to back the party's scheme to introduce National Citizen Service. The program will give 16 year olds the chance to join two-month summer residential courses with outdoor activities and community work, and Caine joined Cameron at an event in London on Thursday, April 8 to officially back the campaign.

Caine told the crowd, "When they first mentioned this to me, all I heard was 'national service' (conscription) and I thought 'Oh, my God, they're bringing it back. I did it myself and it wasn't very good but what we do need is something to replace it." And in a reference to Caine's famous line in 1969 movie "The Italian Job", Cameron added, "As a project, I hope that it does a bit more than just blow the bl**dy doors off."