The House Opinion Article | The next Labour leader must put young people first

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Across Britain, too many young people are growing up believing that they will be worse off than their parents. Communities that once offered pathways into skilled work have seen industries disappear and investment pass them by. If Labour is to shape the future, it must begin with the young; that means making skills, jobs, and opportunity the central mission of the next Labour leadership.

 

For too many wasted years under the last government, our sluggish economy was characterised by low pay, insecure work, and a chronic failure to invest in the talents of our people. We’re now reaping what the Conservatives sowed. 

Young people do not lack ambition or need lectures about hard work. They need a government prepared to back them with apprenticeships, vocational education, and a foot on the ladder to high-quality jobs in every region of the country. That can be our government.

 

We should be creating a new generation of skilled workers in advanced manufacturing, green energy, construction, digital industries, transport and public services. Every young person should know that if they are willing to train, gain qualifications and contribute to society, there will be a job for them. This is not simply an economic argument. It is a moral one.

 

Work is about more than a wage packet. It provides purpose, responsibility and belonging. Strong communities are built when people feel they have a stake in society and confidence in their future. The dignity of work will always be a core Labour value because it empowers individuals and strengthens families.

 

That is why we must also be honest about the dangers of long-term welfare dependency. The welfare state should always provide security for those who need it. It should protect people from hardship, support those with disabilities, and help families through difficult times. These are principles Labour must never abandon.

 

But we should never accept a situation where, like under the Thatcher government, young people are signed off, written off, left without a route into employment. This damages confidence, limits aspirations and creates a dangerous sense of isolation. That isn’t compassion – a life spent trapped outside the labour market has profound consequences for individuals and society as a whole.

 

The answer is opportunity. We can support people when they fall while also doing everything possible to help them rise.

 

I understand young people’s concerns about the job market they face. The AI revolution is changing the way we work, the skills we need and the opportunities on offer for future generations – in as profound a way as the industrial revolution. But while it will undoubtedly both create and destroy jobs, I have no doubt it will also reward those nations who build the capacity, the infrastructure, and the workforce to take on this challenge.

 

As Alan Milburn’s report has laid bare, a million young people not in education, work or training cannot be the new normal. Pat McFadden has made a good start tackling this with the Youth Guarantee, which will help half a million young people, including those who have been out of work for 18 months. This government is rightly expanding apprenticeships for young people and developing new vocational qualifications.

The next leader must keep their foot on the gas and drive this agenda forward to create a genuine new deal for our young people.

Patrick Hurley is the Labour MP for Southport