Give mayors more powers to tackle youth unemployment crisis, says Alan Milburn

Most of the nearly one million young people not in work, education or training are in the north and Midlands. Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian

Mayors across England should be given greater powers to tackle the youth unemployment crisis and avoid the “long-term scarring” of regions outside London, the government’s work tsar has said.

Alan Milburn, who is leading a major review into increasing inactivity among Britain’s young people, said the issue could not be solved by Whitehall alone.