According to John Harris in the Observer (12/10/25) “During the first 10 years of the spending cuts that began in 2010, councils’ funding for youth services in England and Wales suffered a real-terms cut of 70%. By 2023, about 1,200 publicly run youth centres had closed, and more than 4,500 youth workers had lost their jobs”. This is the responsibility of the Tories and Labour in government and local councils.
The situation is similar in Scotland under the Scottish National Party. In Unison’s 2016 ‘Scotland’s Damage’ report, 83% of youth workers who responded to the survey said they had experienced cuts to budgets since 2010. Any wonder then that there is massive alienation, loneliness and a mental health crisis among youth?
ONS figures show youth suicide figures are up 50% in the same period in England. With 16-year-olds about to be given the right to vote, it is urgent that Your Party, if it is to gain a mass base in the working class and win the next generation, must fight for youth services and the mass restoration of facilities across the country. This can be part of a no-cuts needs budget fighting strategy by socialists in devolved governments and councils uniting in struggle with the trade unions.
