Too many of Britain’s next generation are in danger of being cut adrift from the world of work. The latest figures show that one in eight of those aged 16-24 are currently not in education, employment or training – or NEETs. Such a figure – which equates to more 957,000 people – has been unimaginable […]
A Chancellor’s Spending Review is a chance to set out the Government’s fiscal priorities for the years ahead, and signal which political issues are most important. But there was one giant, gaping hole in the Review. No mention of welfare at all. It was barely an asterisk in the reams of documents and announcements. That is odd […]
In recent months, the Labour Government has talked tough about welfare reform, particularly in its apparent willingness to make difficult choices on disability benefits. The current system, according to the Prime Minister, could not be defended on ‘economic or moral terms’. In announcing the reform package, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz […]
‘You have two choices: you can weave baskets or work on a switchboard.’ Twenty years ago, that was the choice offered to me – a partially-sighted teenager whose sight was rapidly deteriorating – by the careers adviser at my secondary school. Decades later, after carving out a successful business career, I reflect on how different […]
