On the United Nation’s International Youth Day 2015, MSP and Labour Deputy Leader candidate Alex Rowley has called for his party to unite against the devastating cuts targeting young people in Scotland.
He said: “Young people are getting a raw deal from the Tory government. Their attacks on the young are wrong and I vow to stand up for Scotland’s youth and champion funding for their future.”
The theme of International Youth Day 2015 is “youth civic engagement” and Rowley is advocating a much higher degree of youth involvement in Scottish politics. He is keen to back young people having a greater say in policies that affect their lives the most. He discussed this at a recent meeting in the Scottish Parliament with members of the Scottish Youth Parliament from across all of Fife.
He has spoken of the five great betrayals committed by the Tories in a generational war against the young. Scottish young people need someone to support them as they face the biggest assault on the rights of young people for over fifty years.
This is stated by Alex Rowley in an appeal to Labour Party members to choose him as Deputy Leader in order to champion youth in the 2016 election manifesto.
He said: “The Tories are fighting a generational war, wrongly thinking young people will exhibit apathy and not anger to their policies, but hitting people with the least incomes and the most to lose is wrong and we must resist this attack.”
Rowley highlighted:
- TAX CREDITS BETRAYAL – This weeks leaked memo showing cuts in tax credits with the Tories using young people as their battering ram against migrants-by banning claims for benefits until a person has worked for four years.
- HOUSING BENEFITS BETRAYAL – The cuts in housing benefits preventing under 21s claiming housing benefit. Already, 11,600 Scottish 16-21 year olds stand to lose their housing benefit under both this and previously announced plans. The risk is forcing young people into poverty which is detrimental to their health and well-being.
- LIVING WAGE BETRAYAL – Denial of Tory living wage to the under 25s resulting in poor young shop workers, waitresses, bar staff, carers or those on a starter job being paid less but doing the same job.
- JOBS BETRAYAL – Jobs still in short supply with just 22% of UK 16-24 year olds in full time employment last year, with countless others working part time.
- EDUCATION BETRAYAL – Cutting back on grants for students that mean even with free tuition fees in Scotland working class students suffer.
On top of these attacks from the Tories, Scottish young people have also had to face the brunt of massive cuts to further education in Scotland from the SNP government, claims Rowley. This has included cuts to bursaries which affect the poorest students the most.
Rowley has stated: “A country that ignores it’s young and shows a lack of support for the next generation of workers, parents and adults is not building for the future. Under my plans as Deputy Leader I will speak out for youth and put young people at the forefront of our agenda.”
