Labour slams government for ‘writing off’ young people as number of under-25s out of…

28 December 2023, 23:27

The government is “writing off” young people, Labour has claimed, with the number of people below the age of 25 not wanting for work because of well being causes doubling since 2010.

The opposition occasion mentioned that there have been 235,000 16-24-year-olds out of work or not wanting for employment because of long-term illness.

This is over double the 116,000 who had been in the identical place in 2010/11, Labour claimed.

It comes regardless of the number of young people happening over that 13-year interval; in May 2010 there have been about 7.3 million people between the ages of 16 and 24, in accordance with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

But in May 2023 the number of people in the identical age bracket was about 6.8 million, ONS figures present.

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Labour’s Shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall mentioned: “By neglecting the foundations needed for a healthy economy, the Tories are writing off hundreds of thousands of young people.”

Ms Kendall mentioned that mentioned if her occasion took energy, it will be certain young people didn’t fall between the cracks between providers and government departments.

Labour mentioned that enhancing psychological well being providers, as nicely as lowering NHS ready lists and strengthening staff’ rights, would the “root causes” of financial inactivity.

A government spokesperson mentioned: “We are driving down inactivity and serving to young people into work as we construct on our monitor file of youth unemployment falling by 43% since 2010.

“We are investing £2.3 billion into psychological well being providers and supporting extra 16 and 17-year-olds to take part in schooling and apprenticeships.

“More extensively our Back to Work Plan will assist as much as 1.1 million people with long-term well being circumstances, disabilities or long-term unemployed to look for and keep in work.”

A Conservative spokesman accused Labour of having a “brass neck”, saying the party had “by no means left workplace with unemployment decrease than what they inherited”.

Labour’s newest broadside in opposition to the Conservatives comes after one other shadow Cabinet member mentioned that she anticipated a common election subsequent spring, after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt introduced the date of the Spring Budget on Wednesday.

Emily Thornberry, the shadow lawyer common, mentioned: “It’s the worst saved secret in Parliament that we’re more likely to be heading for a May election, and this Budget date appears to verify that.”

Mr Hunt revealed the funds shall be on March 6, having commissioned the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to organize forecasts for the financial system and public funds for the identical date.

Several measures are mentioned to have been deliberate out to win over voters within the lead as much as the election, together with cuts to inheritance tax.

But veteran Conservative MP and former management candidate Iain Duncan Smith mentioned he wouldn’t go for a May election.

He mentioned: “You want the voters to feel things have changed. It would be better to go after the summer break when people are coming back from holiday and feel better about life.”