Andy Burnham: Govt must not create a lost generation by betraying A-level students
Andy Burnham, Labour's shadow education secretary, calls on the government not to betray trust of young people and create a "lost generation":
"Young people receiving their results today were starting reception class in 1998. Their achievements provide evidence of the difference made by a Labour Government which invested in young people. But the Tory-led Government needs to ensure that their hard work does not go to waste.
"Ministers must wake up to the real danger of creating a lost generation.
"This year, demand for university places has surged as students try to avoid the higher fees that come in from 2012. But the numbers of university places have been cut, England's Careers Service is in meltdown, EMA has been scrapped and youth unemployment stands at nearly at one million.
"The government has got its policies for young people hopelessly wrong. They need hope, help, and support – not the ladder kicked away. Putting more young people on the dole doesn't save money, it wastes money.
"Before the election, David Cameron and Nick Clegg made promises to young people to win their votes. Young people are looking to them now to honour those commitments and not betray their trust."
