More than a million young people in the UK are now outside education, employment or training. Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has described the figure as a waste of talents and futures slipping away. He rejects the claim that these young people simply do not want to work, arguing that the system offers too little help and punishes families when a teenager chooses an apprenticeship. Under current rules, a household can lose benefits when a child takes training instead of welfare, a policy Burnham calls absurd.
A new bursary of up to £4,500 a year aims to remove that trap and provide a route into skilled work. However, Burnham warns that the crisis, years in the making, requires more than one payment. Colleges need investment, apprenticeships must lead to secure jobs, and young people require support before they lose hope. The Prime Minister has said he is on a mission; young people now need him to deliver.
BBC Refuses to Be Bullied
The BBC admitted broadcasting a misleading edit of Donald Trump's speech ahead of the January 6 riots and apologised. It faced a £7.5 billion defamation demand but refused to settle, unlike several American media giants that paid Trump millions. A judge later ruled that Trump cannot claim devastating damage to his businesses while refusing to disclose financial records that might prove whether such harm exists. The BBC has shown that accountability and capitulation are not the same thing: it made an error, owned up, and refused to be bullied.
It's a Por Show
Richard Hammond, the former Top Gear presenter, has been fined £1,771 for speeding in both a Porsche and a Bentley. He received seven penalty points. The incident suggests that changing cars could not confuse the cameras. The law, it seems, has excellent eyesight.
