Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor and Labour candidate in the upcoming Makerfield by-election, has said that 'we are not doing enough to prepare young people for modern life'. Speaking at a roundtable discussion in Ashton, he highlighted a lack of youth services, outreach programmes, and funding as key issues facing the constituency.
During the meeting at Highfield Community Hall, youth workers and teenagers described 'deserts' of youth facilities, leaving young people with little to do but hang out at McDonald's or stay indoors. Burnham pledged to make young people a priority for investment if elected, saying it would be wrong for nothing tangible to come from the 'circus of this by-election'.
Burnham noted that many areas now have 'just nail bars and vape shops', offering nothing for young people. Staff from Wigan Youth Zone revealed they need to raise around £2 million annually to stay open. Burnham proposed forming a Makerfield Youth Board to ensure ongoing focus on youth provision.
The comments come after a report by former health secretary Alan Milburn warned of a 'whole system failure' leading to nearly one in seven 16- to 24-year-olds being NEET (not in employment, education or training). Burnham linked the discussion to Milburn's concept of 'youth detachment', adding that 'life has got more challenging for young people'.
