Young, gifted and trapped: If the young give up on politics, politics will give up on them

A report published today by the Resolution Foundation think-tank makes for depressing reading, especially for people in their twenties. Despite recent falls in overall unemployment, the outlook for young people remains gloomy: insecure work, zero-hours contracts, and old codgers generally getting in the way of their careers and hopes of prosperity.

In 2010, the Tory intellectual David Willetts wrote a superb book called The Pinch: How The Baby Boomers Took Their Children’s Future, And Why They Should Give It Back. It appeared as if the Government, influenced by his ideas, might be prepared to take action.

But, for the most part, that hasn’t happened. Instead, by the beginning of this year, young people were nearly three times more likely than the rest of the population to be jobless, according to Labour Party analysis. The Institute for Public Policy Research has noted that there is often a mismatch between a young person’s skills and employers’ expectations. If the last government did less for young people than might have been hoped, the new, all-blue model seems even worse. George Osborne kindly introduced a “living wage” in the Budget, but not for those under 25. University grants were cut, too, while housing benefit for 18- to 21-year-olds was tossed on to the scrapheap.

Britain’s demographic profile poses challenges for the Government – debates about raising the retirement age show how even the most logical policies can have unwanted side-effects. Yet, as in that example, it is the young who, more often than not, seem to come out worst.

Fundamentally, though, this is as much about politics as economics. Young people get a raw deal because politicians know they are less likely to vote than pensioners and the middle-aged. At the beginning of a parliamentary cycle, Britain’s youth should consider how best to collectively engage with the political system. Come 2020, party leaders need to know there are young votes worth fighting for.