Esther McVey just insulted everyone in austerity-ravaged Britain
Work and pensions secretary Esther McVey just insulted millions more people.
The damage she’s wrought through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for millions of sick and disabled people is bad enough. But her latest ‘initiative’ is a further insult to millions battling to cope with eight years of Tory-led austerity.
Really, Esther?
McVey’s currently rallying support for the latest DWP initiative to encourage young people to get summer jobs:
New campaign to encourage young people into summer jobs – with lots of young people telling me how important summer jobs are to them https://t.co/SvcSO8wSuO
— Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) July 30, 2018
Read on...
Really, Esther?
According to McVey, the number of young people with Saturday or summer jobs has fallen by around 60% since the 1980s. She also helpfully pointed out that employers want experienced workers. No shit.
What McVey completely fails to mention is the soaring rise of insecure, zero-hours jobs; or that most ‘temporary jobs’ are the only employment option for millions of skilled and experienced adults.
And it’s not as if young people don’t want jobs, or don’t look for them. In fact, they need them more than ever.
“Pisspoor”
The reaction to McVey on Twitter was swift and accurate.
Many pointed out how difficult it is to find ‘summer jobs’ in Tory Britain:
All students I teach want summer jobs but the low-paid irregular hours "summer jobs" are now taken by adults who have to take these pisspoor pay/conditions because of 10 years of your enforced austerity.
— Robert G Long (@RobotLong) July 30, 2018
Do you not think if there were summer jobs available young people would think of this all by themselves?
— Jackie Toseland (@silverlynx925) July 30, 2018
Some pointed out that Tory claims about rising employment are skewed and inaccurate:
I would be happy to support the scheme but I know next month you will be bragging over social media that there are record employment figures. Based on the formula you do not deny using it proves everything that people say about you. Not nice. pic.twitter.com/VuRCsD7A4S
— Alan Allcock (@alannpl) July 30, 2018
And then there’s the ever-rising pension age. This also means that “there are now more than 10 million over-50s in work – double the 1990s number and accounting for almost a third of the overall UK workforce”.
Esther McVey DWP says teenagers should get summer jobs. Summers the time I CAN get work st 64 I will gladly pass to teenager as I should Hv had my state pension 4years ago still 2 to go. Need 35 to qualify I will Hv done 51 yrs #WASPI #OneVoice @ThePledge pic.twitter.com/EfqOm4n2zU
— Angela Taylor (@retrowedding68) July 27, 2018
There are no summer jobs for young ppl as they’re being done by old ppl who would otherwise be sanctioned. Even the person who delivers our weekly local paper is a middle aged man ffs. #Conservative #Britain
— Paul smith (@paul_smudga) July 31, 2018
And beyond this, McVey completely fails to acknowledge the devastating plight of young people who’ve grown up under austerity.
Young people
Young working people often face exploitation:
New campaign to encourage young people to accept working unpaid either under the workfare cosh of 'Youth Obligation', internships, or ultra precarious non-jobs frequently circumventing even the min wage though agency supply chains @EstherMcVey1 @dwppressoffice @boycottworkfare
— Christian Garland (@Displ_Estr) July 30, 2018
or, as we know it…cheap labour!
its all the @Conservatives live and breathe for!#summerjobs pic.twitter.com/wepDTQjrIm— Simon Ball (@simon_ball46) July 27, 2018
Young people are running out of options.
Those who continue in education will also be left more than £50,000 in debt.
Under the Tories, funding for apprenticeships has hit an all-time low. In April 2017, it launched the apprenticeship levy. But although designed to create three million new apprentices by 2020, the scheme has been widely criticised. And there’s now a drop in young people on apprenticeships. The impact of this is reflected in a critical 20% rise in 16-year-olds classed as NEET – not in employment, education or training.
Benefit changes in March 2017 removed housing benefit entitlement for 18-to-21-year-olds. So not working isn’t an option for most young people – not least because families are also struggling under slashed benefits and Universal Credit. But where are the jobs?
Our town is dead
Maplins
Toys r us
Poundworld
Mothercare
Carphone Warehouse
Pep & co
Select fashion
New look
Vauxhall’s laying off 600
All gone … so please tell me where our jobs are— cazza wills (@Cazzacjw) July 30, 2018
Under the Conservatives, spending on mental health services for young people has been cut by nearly £50m. And as the 2017 Youth Index report [pdf, p5] also revealed, “many young people feel that they have no control over their lives, are full of self-doubt and feel trapped by their circumstances”.
So the very last thing young people need is McVey’s patronising ‘advice’.
There is another way
Labour’s manifesto planned to end tuition fees and reintroduce maintenance grants. This was seen as one of the key reasons for the surge to Labour from voters aged 18-34 in the last election. Both Labour and the Green Party manifestos pledge to end exploitative zero-hours contracts and to push for a decent living wage. And both parties promised significant policies to help young people.
McVey’s ‘initiative’ is damaging and insulting to pretty much everyone. So too are the policies of this Tory government, and it’s time for change.
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