Political Opinion: Rugby MP's column: Turning up the volume on youth opportunity

As Whitney Houston says in The Greatest Love of All, “I believe the children are the future.” In reply, many used to say, “Unless we stop them now.” That was very much the spirit of the last government.

Well, let me be clear: I want this government to be a lot more Whitney Houston and a lot less tired comedian.

I was and still am a fan, but her lyrics resonate today for a much more poignant reason. Supporting young people to get the best start in life, and allowing them to be the architects of their own future - not merely inhabitants of one designed by those who came before them - is at the forefront of my agenda as MP.

We have all seen the statistics on those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). While Rugby fares slightly better than the rest of the country, with 380 16–24-year-olds claiming unemployment benefits, the rate of UC claimants for 20–24-year-olds is higher than the national average. I want to see these figures come down. Not only does this situation rob young people of opportunity, but it also risks condemning them to a life of inactivity, reliant on the state for their needs. This is unfair both to them and to the rest of the taxpaying population. And it is our responsibility as a government to change it.

The budget’s spending and policies started to tilt the scales back towards younger people. Perhaps the Chancellor is a fan of the song too and will turn up the volume!

The Government has announced £820 million of new funding to expand its Youth Guarantee scheme, tackling the problem head-on and offering a brighter future to young people in Rugby and across Britain. The package includes hundreds of thousands of new training and work experience placements, plus a new Jobs Guarantee that fully subsidises six months of paid employment for 18–21-year-olds who are long-term unemployed on Universal Credit.

Behind the scenes, I am working with officials and campaigning to establish a youth hub in the Rugby constituency. This is an exciting opportunity that would have a very real impact on our area’s young people, offering help with CV writing, wellbeing services, and employment advice. I will provide further updates when officials decide.

The Youth Guarantee is an important start, but I believe we can go further. Within Parliament, I am making the case for what I call a Youth Triple Lock - a commitment to protecting and expanding opportunities for young people in the same way we protect pensioners. This is not about pitting generations against each other. As the Prime Minister has rightly said, we should not set young against old. Rather, it is about recognising that if we value security and dignity for older people, we must extend that same commitment to the young.

Don't let anyone tell you that all parties are the same. We have already seen from the past 14 years the Tories’ shameful attitude towards young people. Sending rates of NEET spiralling, writing young people off whilst simultaneously footing the enormous benefits bill.

Under the Tories’ watch, the number of 16–24-year-olds who were NEET rose from 673,000 to 921,000, a colossal jump of nearly a quarter of a million young people.

The Greens attract those disillusioned with the status quo, but offer few concrete pathways into work or training. Neither provides the serious investment or structured support that young people need.

I can't see Reform offering anything substantial either, apart from empty slogans about “remoralising youth” - which highlights the issue exactly. Young people don't need to have their morals recalibrated. They already have the initiative; they just need to be encouraged to use it to shape their own future.

It is clear to see that it is only this Labour government that genuinely cares about backing our young people. We are the only party backing young people with real funding, real programmes, and real opportunities. I am proud to champion this cause, both within my party and in Parliament. Supporting young people to become the architects of their own future - not merely inhabitants of one designed by those who came before them - is central to my work as your MP.