# Burnham calls for renewed youth services and support to tackle NEET rise

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-crisis-facing-britains-young-people-is-politicians-fault-to-fix-it-we-need-a-generational-response-andy-burnham/
- Published: 2026-11-15T17:00:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T17:33:05+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/15/britain-young-people-crisis-alan-milburn-review-welfare-childhood
- Topics: Business, Economy, UK, World

## Key points

- Burnham blames political choices for the youth NEET crisis.
- He calls for earlier support throughout childhood.
- He backs equal value for technical and academic education.

## Summary

Andy Burnham argues that the rise in young people not in education, employment or training reflects political failures, including years of cuts to childhood and youth services. He says the consequences are both economic and moral, and that reducing welfare spending through benefit cuts would worsen poverty and pressure on public services.

Burnham says Alan Milburn’s forthcoming review of young people and work should prompt a rethink of how the state supports children from early years through adulthood. His proposed “whole-childhood” approach includes earlier help with wider needs such as mental health, and giving technical education equal standing with academic routes. The article says about one million 16- to 24-year-olds are NEET and that the welfare bill rose by £114bn under the Conservatives.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.