Rural Affairs

Conservative & Labour

Liberal Democrats
Under the Conservatives:
  • Training budgets were slashed.
  • Benefit rights for 16-18 year olds were withdrawn.
  • Forced young people into poorly paid Youth Training schemes.
  • Imposed student loans.
  • Creating wide-spread youth homelessness.

Labour made cuts in education and student grants when they were last in government and they refuse to commit themselves to investing more funds into education.

Young people have suffered from the hands of both the current and previous governments, many young people now have very few prospects for the future.

 

 Liberal Democrats would stop the waste of young people's skills and talents. We would:
  • Invest in education and skills, and make post-school education and training available for all up to the age of 18.
  • Pay housing benefit in advance and help young people into rented accommodation.
  • Make sure the environment is considered whenever important decisions are made.
  • Give back to students and young people financial independence by restoring full benefit rights.
  • Reduce the age of candidature to 18 and bring down the voting age to 16.
  • Review the age of majority and have a common age of consent.
  • Ensure representation of young people on all decision-making bodies that effect them, for example, school governing bodies.

We believe that the best way to promote the interests and strengthen the rights of young people is for them to be given the power to be involved in decision-making and to have the right to an equal say to those around them.

 

Facts & Figures.

  • There are now over 150,000 young homeless people in the UK according to Shelter.

Questions & Answers.

Q.
There's not enough rented accommodation to house the homeless, so you won't be able to house young people?.
A.
There is certainly a pressing need for more housing, and we would encourage house building programmes through co-operatives and private-sector co-operation. There are over 800,000 empty homes in England alone. We would give local authorities powers to bring into use those houses left empty for more than twelve months.

Q.
Giving young people full benefit rights would discourage them from working?.
A.
Only the Liberal Democrats are committed to giving young people the education and training they need, so they can get work. The levels of benefit are currently so that that many are opting out of society altogether.

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