Political opinion: Horsham MP speaks on rise in youth unemployment
Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, has spoken out against the government's handling of rising youth unemployment, warning that current proposals are “nowhere near ambitious enough”.
Recent figures show youth unemployment has surged to an 11-year high, rising sharply in recent years and now overtaking the EU average for the first time in decades. Nearly one million young people are now not in education, employment or training (NEET), which reports show is driven by falling job vacancies as well as deeper structural challenges in the economy.
Analysis has highlighted that young workers have been particularly exposed to the economic slowdown, with sectors such as retail and hospitality hit hard by weak growth and rising costs. These sectors are major employers of young people, with over 40% of employed 16- to 24-year-olds working in retail and hospitality compared to just 16% of over-25s.
The government announced its flagship response to the youth unemployment crisis last week (March 16th), with plans to pay employers a £3,000 grant to hire young people who have been on benefits for six months. Ministers have said the policy is part of a broader package of measures to tackle long-term youth unemployment and get more young people into work.
However, the Horsham MP, John Milne, has argued that while any support is welcome, the scheme does not address the root causes of rising youth unemployment and is significantly smaller in scale than recent NI tax increases on employers.
As a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Mr Milne has been pushing for comprehensive reform of employment support to make it more responsive and better focused on delivering outcomes for young people.
In Parliament earlier this month (9 March), Mr Milne called on the government to urgently accelerate the rollout of its proposed "jobcentre in your pocket" digital service, which is currently not expected to be ready until 2028. He argued that young people need support now rather than waiting years for reform, and urged ministers to consider leveraging the private sector and technology to speed up delivery.
The Horsham MP has also challenged the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, on plans to cut funding for higher-level apprenticeships. Speaking in Parliament last week (17 March), Mr Milne warned that a "one-size-fits-all" approach risks undermining career pathways for young people in key sectors with longer training periods.
The Liberal Democrats have set out a package of measures to tackle youth unemployment, including reforming employer National Insurance to reduce the cost of hiring young workers, introducing a temporary VAT cut for hospitality, and overhauling the apprenticeship system to boost opportunities and skills.
Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, said: “The government's response to growing youth unemployment is nowhere near ambitious enough. Their jobs tax takes far more from businesses than their new scheme gives back, making it harder, not easier, to hire young people. We need a bolder approach that backs key sectors like hospitality and properly reforms apprenticeships, so they work for both trainees and employers. Ministers must use every tool at their disposal to accelerate these reforms and give young people the chances they deserve.
“As a member of the Work and Pensions Committee, I'm focused on modernising job centres, so they’re genuinely equipped to help young people into good jobs, and that has to be central to any serious strategy.
“But this isn’t just a national issue; I want to work with local employers, education providers and community organisations as much as possible to improve opportunities and give young people access to the skills and support they need.”