Labour has given young people a chance to shape their own futures

It is a harsh reality that too often politics responds to those who shout the loudest. We know that young people are currently far less likely to vote than their parents and grandparents, and as a result they have been ignored for too long and written off as ‘non-voters’. The situation is made worse by the missing million who have dropped off the electoral register this year alone, many of whom are young people and students. The Tories seem relaxed about this injustice, content for young people to continue to be marginalized and have no say in the political process. Ed Miliband has made a different choice. Labour are committed to backing the next generation, which is why we are placing the concerns of young people at the centre of our election campaign and our programme for government. Lisa Nandy, Jan Royall, Liam Byrne, Sadiq Khan and Stephen Twigg are all playing a key role in ensuring this happens.

In January, Ed launched the “Shape Your Future” consultation in Nick Clegg’s backyard, at Sheffield Hallam University. This was a unique step for a major political party. Instead of dictating policy from the centre, Ed asked young people themselves to take the lead in helping to identify their own priorities and to tell us what a Labour Government could deliver to change their lives for the better. This consultation will feed into a Young Britain Manifesto that will be published in advance of the election and will set out clearly how Labour will back young people to achieve their  personal aspirations and their passionate desire for a fairer society.

Thousands of young people responded to the online survey, and hundreds more met Labour MPs at Shape Your Future events across the country, The response we received was overwhelmingly positive and more evidence of their appetite for political engagement. For many young people, the Lib Dem tuition fee  betrayal fuelled their disillusionment, undermined their trust and raised serious doubts about whether voting makes a difference.

We can now share some of the results. When young people were asked to identify the issues that they wanted to see addressed by an incoming Labour Government, it is no surprise that the cost of education remained at the top of the list. Other priority areas for action were the cost of living, the NHS and a solution to the housing crisis that disproportionately impacts on the young. In particular young people identified raising the minimum wage and making university more affordable as  key commitments that would begin to rebuild their faith in the relevance and purpose of politics.

Labour’s better plan for a better future rooted in our values and a clear sense of what needs to change reflects the priority issues which young people tell us matter to them.  It combines practical support to help them fulfil their ambitions and aspirations with a passionate commitment to a fairer country. In stark contrast to the Tories, Labour believes Britain’s future success will depend on our ability to unleash the talent of all young people not just a privileged few.

We are committed to increasing the minimum wage to £8 an hour by 2020 and supporting employers to pay the living wage. We have a plan to create a million new green jobs. Our improvements to the NHS will give equal status to mental health and well as major new investment in more doctors and nurses with time to care for young people and families. We will stop private landlords ripping tenants off through unjustifiable agent fees and rent rises.

But today we can announce that we are going further. Young people have sent us a strong message that making the higher education system more affordable is a key part of building a Britain that works for them and Ed Miliband will this afternoon set out how we will make that happen.

The results of our consultation have informed our Young Britain manifesto which will be published before the election. We will also announce new measures to ensure an incoming Labour Government is held to account by young people on an ongoing basis for the promises we make.

Labour is the only party with a serious plan to support all young people to fulfil their personal potential and pursue their dreams. The only party with a serious plan to tackle the inequality and injustice at home and abroad which many young people abhor. And the only party committed to a new style of politics which asks young people to shape their future in partnership with politicians. Our existing policies, today’s announcement on tuition fees and the Young Britain manifesto we will publish give us a unique opportunity to take our case to young people in every part of the country. They also demonstrate Ed Miliband’s commitment to parents and grandparents that we will restore the Promise of Britain. All young people not just a few  will once again have the chance of a better future. That is the only way to secure a better future for our country.