This is a Government whose legacy will not be remembered as one that delivered for the younger generation. Whilst a rigid, single plan deficit reduction strategy guides the programme of government, the fallout of a global economic crisis is playing out in the labour market, diminishing hopes of employment and aspiration for school leavers and graduates alike.
Last week's youth unemployment figures and this week's NEET figures show that there is clearly a lot for us to be concerned about. However, we should be careful not to allow ourselves to indulge too deeply in the gloomy soundings of the Government's 'broken society' claims that have been compounded- if not driven by- the power of the right-wing press. Whilst there are significant policy challenges ahead for addressing the deep rooted social, economic and political realities facing young people, by passively consenting to the depiction of a "feral youth" that has been played out in the media over recent weeks, we are doing a disservice to a majority of young, aspirational citizens. We too will be reinforcing what could become a self fulfilling prophecy.
I don't often find myself agreeing with ConservativeHome Editor Tim Montgomerie but in The Times last week (Monday August 15) he wrote 'For all its problems Britain is a great country... To be born in this country is to have won the lottery of life'. That is not to say Britain's are born as equals; as is certainly not the case. Montgomerie's was however a pitch for optimism amid a chorus of hopelessness. To be born in Britain is, in many respects, winning the lottery of life. The popular uprisings in the Arab world have prompted us to reflect on the relative freedoms that we enjoy, compared with our counterparts in Syria, Libya and Egypt.
Although, justifiably, many young people up and down the country certainly do not wake up every morning thinking their numbers have come up. There are 979,000 16- 24 year olds not in educational, employment or training and in parts of the country there are 10 people chasing every job. For young people seeking employment in this climate, theirs is not a life of security, independence and freedom.
My argument is this. First, if we allow the Government to label society and the younger generation as 'broken', then we risk reinforcing this message, allowing it to penetrate to the national psyche. Whilst we seek to understand the riots that left families with lost relatives, homes and businesses, we must reject the notion that young people are somehow a homogenous group that drains rather than enhances society. This depiction of modern day Britain is at odds with the thousands who responded to the violence by volunteering their time to kick start the clean ups in London, Liverpool and elsewhere in the country.
Second, so far this Tory-led Government's record has offered little in the way of hope for young people. Cuts to education and employment programmes and rhetoric on a 'broken society' are all that can be offered. What messages of aspiration for young people who want to get ahead in life and for those who need support in doing so? Social enterprises, community groups and local authorities have a role to play in rejecting the Government's portrayal of the youth of today. At the least, the press and media have a role to play in questioning it.
So in the months that follow I intend to use this blog to draw on examples of inspirational young people whose contributions as citizens are often overlooked. Drawing from the daily experiences of young people, I will seek to address key policy challenges and encourage debate, from, as well as about, young people, on their aspirations and the realisation of their ambitions in modern day Britain.