Burnham pledge to help young Scots back into work

Andy Burnham will pledge to help the army of young people on the jobs scrapheap in his first speech in Scotland as Prime Minister – while signalling a ‘more pragmatic’ approach to North Sea drilling. He will commit to work with the SNP Government on getting more young people into jobs when he delivers the speech in west central Scotland tomorrow. He also yesterday offered to work with the SNP on tackling the epidemic of crime and antisocial behaviour in Glasgow , and signalled an imminent decision on the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields. He is under growing pressure to grant consent for new drilling. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch , who is in Scotland today, urged him to ‘stop faffing about’ and approve both sites. It follows research which found that refusal could cost the UK economy £10.8billion and result in 3,300 fewer jobs being supported per year. Asked about the ideas and opinions of young people at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Mr Burnham said: ‘I will be in Scotland on Friday making a speech on these issues, looking at how we can do more to support young people and help the government in Scotland develop its approach to getting more young people into work.’ Andy Burnham is expected to pledge more help for young people getting back into work as he makes his first speech in Scotland as Prime Minister He said that the new UK Government Your First Home scheme will help first-time buyers with the costs of getting on the property ladder, and added: ‘We need to do much more to help young people get themselves established in life and we will do that in all parts of the UK, including Scotland.’ Mr Burnham also faced calls from Glasgow North East MP Maureen Burke to lead a co-ordinated response to make Glasgow safer amid concerns about crime, violence, antisocial behaviour and drug-taking. He replied: ‘Policing is obviously a devolved matter but I am very open to working with the SNP government, Police Scotland, Glasgow City Council to deal with the issues that she is referencing. ‘As Mayor of Greater Manchester, I brought forward Operation Vulcan, which was a multi-agency approach to changing Cheetham Hill, and it did rip out entrenched criminality in that area. I am more than happy to talk to her about how we pioneer that in Glasgow too, and that is an offer that is open to her.’ Mr Burnham’s speech tomorrow is expected to expand on his push for ‘deeper devolution’ across the UK, including more powers for local councils. It will include a pledge to ensure the UK Government is taking action in Scotland to tackle the number of so-called NEETs – young people who are not in education, employment or training, although it is acknowledged that different approaches to those taken by English regions may be required north of the Border. Across those aged 16-64, Scotland’s economic inactivity rate – those not working and also not seeking work – is currently 22.2 per cent, compared with 20.9 per cent across the UK. At PMQs, Mrs Badenoch issued a renewed appeal for the UK Government to announce support for Rosebank and Jackdaw. She said: ‘In July, he said he would approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea. What is he waiting for? ‘If he’d approved them back then, we would have British gas warming British homes this winter. So will he now stop faffing about and approve Rosebank and Jackdaw?’ Mr Burnham said: ‘I will take a pragmatic approach on oil and gas. We will set out our decisions shortly.’ Former Scottish Labour leader Lord Anas Sarwar, now Mr Burnham’s trade minister, told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme: ‘I’m looking forward to that more pragmatic approach.’ When he opens the SNP’s conference in Aberdeen today, Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn will claim that Mr Burnham is ‘obsessed’ with First Minister John Swinney. In his Labour conference speech, Mr Burnham insisted he is ‘utterly determined’ to prove Mr Swinney was wrong to claim he would be the last Prime Minister of the UK. Mr Flynn will state: ‘Be in no doubt that the electoral success of our friends in Plaid in Wales, and of ourselves here in Scotland, ended the reign of yet another Westminster Prime Minister.’ ‘Friends, the eighth Prime Minister to tumble during our time in office. And that explains why Andy Burnham is so obsessed with John Swinney and the Scottish National Party.’