Last week`s Leader reminded readers that austerity has always been a Tory "choice" rather than a British "necessity", but that did not prevent Cameron and Osborne deviously pretending that the continuance of government borrowing would "burden younger generations" (Crumbling Britain, 20th April, 2018). Labour leaders already promise to end the cuts, but would do well to base much of their propaganda on the point your Leader also makes, that Tory policies have "enfeebled the collective institutions" on which young people rely.
Based on a "doctrinaire conservatism" which aimed to shrink the state back to levels last seen in the 1930s, Tory austerity policies have targeted young people. Ally the failure to regulate the many Rachman-like landlords, which has meant Generation Rent is never likely to save sufficiently for deposits to own their homes, with the hike in tuition fees to £9000, and the sheer hypocrisy of austerity`s authors, Cameron and Osborne, becomes all too obvious. "Saddling future generations with debt", weighing down "our children" with a "millstone of debt" were Cameron`s excuses for his draconian cuts, and their dire effects will, no doubt, be highlighted in your forthcoming articles on "Crumbling Britain". Denying young people any semblance of equal opportunity by underfunding schools, causing the closure of Sure Start centres, applying appalling minimum wage and apprentice rate levels to the under 25s, and extending zero-hours contracts even to university lecturers are just some of the many reasons the majority of young people will never vote Tory. Who can blame them?
Brexit was indeed a "symptom of discontent", but a government dedicated to reducing inequality and increasing fairness in our society can be the cure!
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