Left, right, left, right!

That's an interesting list

no doubt the pensioners, who have been economically active all their lives, will be blamed because there are too many of them and they’re expensive

I agree with this point maddyone. I’m also sick of hearing that ‘old people’ …
1) voted for Brexit
2) will agree with NS
3) vote Conservative
4) don’t pay tax

Ageism is a genuine problem in this country!

Germanshepherdsmum

Covid did trash the economy Lizzie. It’s an inescapable fact.

Plus the way it was handled by Sunak. The amount of fraud it generated was astounding.

Or the data can speak for itself

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05871/#:~:text=Following%20the%20start%20of%20the,414%2C000%20above%20pre%2Dpandemic%20levels.

Covid did trash the economy Lizzie. It’s an inescapable fact.

If you can't objectively look at the reasons behind a problem, you cannot solve it

There is always a reason and the fact that the job market was effectively closed in many areas during the pandemic is one viable reason

I wonder how much longer covid will be blamed for the shortcomings of young people GSM

I wonder how long Covid will be blamed for trashing the UK economy?

pieinthesky Hear, hear👏👏👏. Agree with both your posts.

I wonder how much longer covid will be blamed for the shortcomings of young people.

It doesn’t alter the fact that almost three million under 25s are neither in education, employment, nor apprenticeships. That number is a shocking indictment on our society. I don’t think they should all go and do national service because that clearly is not the answer. I’m fed up of hearing about how Covid is to blame too. It may have cemented in some minds that it is perfectly possible to stay at home and not contribute to society in any way, I don’t know about that, but Covid is being used as a scapegoat. I don’t know what the answer is, but it clearly is not a situation that can simply go on indefinitely. Nonetheless, it appears that is exactly what might happen unfortunately, and no doubt the pensioners, who have been economically active all their lives, will be blamed because there are too many of them and they’re expensive.

I think when you read about young people's employment rates there is a much bigger picture that has had an impact than simple "mental health"

The pandemic had a huge impact on hiring workers within this current age range as many people were furloughed and businesses shut.

There was the introduction of 0 hour contracts.

Young people are paid less and unable to support themselves financially. Many independent young people are worse off working than claiming benefits and cannot afford to house themselves on a wage. Coupled with the knowledge they are paid less for the same work.

They have less employment rights and are the age range most likely to miss out on redundancy pay because they are more likely to have been in work less than 2 years than other age ranges... Which means they are the more likely victims of cutbacks.

The above issues have made it incredibly difficult to build a CV when looking for employment.

There are quite a few issues older people need to fix to bring more younger people into employment

Just thought I'd post this:

youtu.be/6GSKwf4AIlI?si=qsEqSwJbDVzlNVSX

Please don’t generalise. I think you will find that a lot of young people care a great deal about the environment but they aren’t the ones that you notice. It’s this sort of attitude that Rishi Sunak is playing to in the hope that people will vote for him.

Rishi Sunak has said it will get young people “out of their bubble” how about getting him and most of his cabinet out of their bubbles. Maybe they could spend a year as”ordinary” people do without the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle most of them have. Try living on an average wage or the state pension, relying on the overworked and underfunded NHS for their healthcare and sending their children to state schools.There is nothing wrong with the teenagers of today that can’t be put right with the knowledge that they will not leave university with a hug3 student loan and the hope that they will get a job with a decent wage that will enable them to have their own home and not stay with their parents forever. These are the youngsters whose education was disrupted by Covid and are now working hard to catch up.YOU are the problem Rishi, you and your Tory ministers not youngsters.

Again, I see no reason why it should be under 25s who are targeted. There are many people older than that who don’t contribute to society (whether they claim benefits or not) - why shouldn’t they be conscripted too? Obviously there would have to be a cut off age, but there is enough resentment from young to old without limiting conscription to very young people. Community service could extend to anyone under retirement age who is able bodied and not working or caring for a sick or disabled person or a child under 4.

there is nothing wrong with our young

True, nothing at all wrong with most of them.
But there’s something wrong with the almost three million under 25s who are not in education, or apprenticeship, or working. The nearly three million under 25s who do doing at all and cost us a great deal in benefits, however small those benefits may be.
This is a serious problem and needs addressing.

MayBee70

Am I right in thinking that the cost is going to come from the money allocated to areas that had lost EU funding because of Brexit?

James Cleverly said money earmarked for town centre improvements would be used for this scheme. The Government want to repair our fractured society, stop people living in bubbles, as he called it, and become more tolerant and community minded.

Even the people that are usually wheeled out to defend Conservative policy don’t seem to be coming up with anything positive about the idea.

Since the army is to choose who they will take:

The idea they will choose those some posters feel need "sorting out"?

which they might or might not, but to imagine that our overstretched social, medical and fire services can somehow "discipline" the "rejects" youngsters is appalling given the strain on those services.

petra

Sago

The army will be expected to instill the discipline that their parents and teachers didn’t manage to.
A year is not long enough.

Sago
It’s not as simplistic as that. Many years ago some children realised that they had been given power.
What exactly do you do when your strapping 6ft son metaphorically gives you the finger.
What exactly can you do when little jimmy verbally abuses the teacher.
If the 6footer has a father, do you want him to take charge, whack him? Father done for assault.
If little jimmy doesn’t want to engage with the many programmes that will be on offer to him, what do you do?

The 6footer will find his own people. Little jimmy will eventually end up in a sin bin school and sadly end up like the 6footer.

I’m confused Petra.
Your point is?

What exactly do you do when your strapping 6ft son metaphorically gives you the finger.

Countless times over the years I've had parents of three year olds tell me, "I can't do a thing with him," regarding manners or discipline.
To which I've always replied, "You need to get a grip now, because in ten years time, when he's taller than you, you have no chance."

(I've said the same to parents of girls).

Too many parents don't have the confidence to be the adult and take charge. Bringing up small children, laying down the necessary ground rules, is bloomin' hard work.

Don't speak for all of us please.

What exactly do you mean by us older generations?
I thought you were younger than most Gransnetters?

And I doubt many of the "older generation" throw their rubbish on the ground for others to pick up.

You know, the very fact that us older generations didn't address our mental health is the reason so many are shut down, unable to find joy and lack empathy.

Also. I saw a young person do X so they must all be Y is just a horrific way of looking at the world

Actually, Primrose, I do wonder who the people are who throw out their litter from takeaway food, plastic rubbish etc, all the way along a route I take through an AONB.

biglouis

Many 18 year olds would probably benefit from a spell in the military or doing something useful for the community, rather than whinging about their "poor mental health" Good idea but it will never happen.

What is this?