Encouraging more young people to join the armed forces could help cut the youth unemployment rate, the Work and Pensions Secretary suggested today.
Liz Kendall said she ‘absolutely agrees’ with calls to ensure more young people join the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army, which are suffering from a manpower crisis.
She went on to pledge to put a ‘plan into action’ following talks with the Ministry of Defence.
Ms Kendall’s remarks came after Conservative MP Mark Pritchard highlighted that youth unemployment stood at 642,000 in October to December last year.
This figure was 136,000 more than the previous year and the unemployment rate for young people was 14.8 per cent, up from 11.9 per cent from the year before.
Mr Pritchard asked in the Commons: ‘She mentions earlier in her statement ‘earn and learn’, does she agree with me that one way of perhaps attracting some people back into work is for her to have discussions with her colleagues in the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Secretary?
‘And would she agree with me that getting more young people into His Majesty’s armed forces – air force, navy, army – would be a starting place?’
Ms Kendall replied: ‘I absolutely agree with the honourable gentleman.
Liz Kendall said she ‘absolutely agrees’ with calls to ensure more young people join the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and British Army.
She went on to pledge to put a ‘plan into action’ following talks with the Ministry of Defence.
Britain’s Armed Forces have shrunk by almost 200,000 personnel since the Cold War ended.
‘Indeed, before I was appointed to this position in opposition, as a constituency MP, I have discussed with my local jobcentre and the armed forces recruitment precisely these issues because of the really exciting careers and opportunities that are available, I think are really important for young people in my constituency and the one that he represents.
‘And I will certainly be having more conversations with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to make sure we put this plan into action.’
Britain’s Armed Forces have shrunk by almost 200,000 personnel since the Cold War.
The RAF now has one of the smallest combat fleets in history, while the British Army looks set to drop below 70,000 for the first time since the Napoleonic era.
Meanwhile, the Royal Navy fleet – once the crowing jewel of Britain’s military might – now has barely enough active warships to field a single carrier strike group.
Ministers are braced for a ferocious Labour backlash today after billions of pounds of benefits cuts were finally unveiled.
In a highly-anticipated Commons statement, Ms Kendall laid out moves to save £5billion amid fears spiralling costs are ‘unsustainable’.
‘The social security system we inherited from the Conservatives is failing the very people it is supposed to help and holding our country back,’ Ms Kendall said. ‘Today we say ”no more”.’
Eligibility is being tightened for the main Personal Independence Payment (PIP) disability benefit, with ongoing checks ramped up.
Those with mental health complaints could also face more pressure to seek jobs, while disabled people will be incentivised to try work with guarantees they will not lose out if it proves impossible.
Young adults could be barred from getting the health-related element of Universal Credit until they are 22 – potentially affecting 66,000 people.
However, the idea of freezing PIP in cash terms has been ditched in the face of a mutiny on the Left.
And the initiative is only set to slow the alarming increase in overall health and disability benefits spending forecast for the coming years.
Ms Kendall said the measures in the Green Paper were slated to save £5billion by 2029/2030, after £1billion is reinvested in support for work.
But that would still leave health and disability spending £15billion higher than this year, based on OBR forecast from last Autumn.
The problem was underlined today as figures showed numbers receiving PIP have risen 71 per cent over the past five years.
