At the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, one theme kept coming up.

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The future of our young people and the startling number of them who are not in education, employment or training.

The scale is hard to ignore. The number of NEETS passed one million earlier this year for the first time since 2013. Nearly half of young people who are NEET report a health condition that limits their ability to work – a challenge highlighted by the Chancellor John Healey in his speech.

The long-term consequences are what concern me most. Impetus has estimated that almost one million NEET young people will cost the state roughly £240 billion over their lifetimes. The human cost is harder to count. Long spells out of work or learning in early adulthood can leave lasting marks on........

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