Politics · United Kingdom · 2 hrs ago
Burnham to pledge help for young Scots seeking work
Andy Burnham is expected to pledge more help for young people in Scotland to find work in his first speech there as Prime Minister.
He says the UK Government will work with Scotland’s SNP government on the issue, while recognising that Scotland may need a different approach from English regions.
The pledge is aimed at young people not in education, employment or training, often called NEETs.
Burnham also says he will take a pragmatic approach to North Sea oil and gas drilling, with a decision on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields expected soon.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is urging him to approve the fields, citing research that says rejecting them could cost the UK economy £10.8 billion and mean 3,300 fewer jobs supported each year.
Burnham’s speech is expected to set out his plans, including a push for more powers for local councils.
Andy Burnham is expected to pledge help for young people in Scotland seeking work in his first speech there as Prime Minister.
He plans to work with the Scottish Government on getting more young people into jobs and tackling the number not in education, employment or training.
Burnham also said he was open to working with Scottish authorities on crime and antisocial behaviour in Glasgow.
He signalled a pragmatic approach to North Sea drilling as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged him to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
- Who
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to make the pledge. The Scottish Government is expected to work with him.
- What
- Burnham is expected to pledge help for young people seeking work in Scotland.
- When
- He is expected to make the pledge in a speech on Friday.
- Where
- West central Scotland.
- Why
- The pledge is intended to support young people into work and address the number not in education, employment or training.
Andy Burnham
Kemi Badenoch
North Sea drilling
Andy Burnham
Burnham said he would take a pragmatic approach and indicated a decision on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields was imminent.
Kemi Badenoch
Badenoch urged him to approve both fields.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham said he would make a speech in Scotland on Friday about supporting young people.
Burnham is due to deliver his first speech in Scotland as Prime Minister and pledge action to help young people into work.
- Scotland’s economic inactivity rate
- 22.2 per cent among people aged 16–64
- UK economic inactivity rate
- 20.9 per cent among people aged 16–64
- Fields in dispute
- Rosebank and Jackdaw
- Estimated economic cost of refusing consent
- £10.8 billion
- Estimated jobs supported per year that could be lost
- 3,300
What people are saying
We need to do much more to help young people get themselves established in life and we will do that in all parts of the UK, including Scotland.
I will be in Scotland on Friday making a speech on these issues, looking at how we can do more to support young people and help the government in Scotland develop its approach to getting more young people into work.
If he’d approved them back then, we would have British gas warming British homes this winter.