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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Pat McFadden

Our young people aren’t shirkers or snowflakes - they were failed by government policy. That changes now

‘We will make an explicit priority of apprenticeships for the young in funding.’
‘We will make an explicit priority of apprenticeships for the young in funding.’ Photograph: Andrew Sparkes/Alamy

Neglect is a political choice, and one with deep human consequences.

That is what has struck me in the early months as secretary of state for work and pensions. Graph after graph, slide after slide, all pointing upwards, on young people out of work, on mental health issues among the population, and on the decision by default as much as design that the response should be benefits rather than changing lives.

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