Labour makes statutory youth service pledge
Joe Lepper
Friday, February 23, 2018
Labour's shadow chancellor has said he wants to include a commitment to making youth services statutory in the party's manifesto for the next general election.
In a video address to the General Federation of Trade Unions, McDonnell said he wants a statutory youth service, which would require councils to provide a minimum level of youth provision, to form part of Labour's existing pledge to create a national education service.
"I recognise that trade union work to engage with the younger generation will be assisted by the rebuilding of the youth service that has been so callously pulled apart by the Conservatives," McDonnell said.
"This is why I am supporting the inclusion in the next Labour Party manifesto of the commitment to create a statutory youth service as part of the national education service, creating lifelong learning from cradle to grave."
Labour has previously supported the idea of statutory youth services. Former leader Ed Miliband backed the idea in 2011, but the party's 2015 general election manifesto contained no reference to it.
Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also pledged to push for statutory youth services during his leadership campaign in 2015, but the policy did not appear in the party's manifesto for last year's general election.
According to figures published by the House of Commons library in November 2017, spending on youth services has dropped by more than half (53.6 per cent) since 2011/12.
National Youth Agency (NYA) chief executive Leigh Middleton said: "We at the NYA welcome all efforts to increase access to high-quality youth work and youth services.
"It's great to see that youth work is rising up the political priority list and we welcome the commitment by Labour as well as others to secure a statutory youth offer. We look forward to working with all partners, including the LGA, to secure greater investment and support for youth work."
Anna Barker, chair of the British Youth Council said: "Young people have been concerned about youth services for a number of years. Youth services provide a vital role in supporting young people across the country. They have suffered as a result of financial cuts and restrictions. We know that thousands of young people rely on these services and we believe it's vital they're restored.
"Youth services provide a supportive place for young people to become a force for good in society and any commitment to strengthen them is good news."
Tony Taylor, co-ordinator of campaign group In Defence of Youth Work (IDYW), said: "IDYW is much encouraged by John McDonnell's desire to see a commitment to a statutory youth service in the Labour Party manifesto, especially as he places youth work within a [proposed] new 'cradle to grave' education service and recognises the importance of 'civic, personal and social education'.
"Potentially, the shadow chancellor's statement opens a new chapter in the task of renewing open, holistic youth work and imagining a democratised youth service.
Taylor added that the IDYW conference on 9 March will be discussing the adoption of a set of practical proposals for the future to contribute to the debate.
