“Have the Tories got a problem with young people?”
“No, not at all”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper MP denies the government is prioritising the elderly – after an announcement of further tax relief for pensioners.#Newsnightpic.twitter.com/edqPSI8eEj
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) May 28, 2024
Victoria Derbyshire left a minister squirming as she explained why young voters have turned their backs on the Tories.
A recent YouGov poll showed that just 8% of those aged 18 to 24 say they will vote Conservative at the general election, compared to 57% who support Labour.
On Newsnight on Tuesday, Derbyshire told transport secretary Mark Harper precisely why his party was so unpopular with Britain’s young people.
The pair squared up after the Tories pledged that those on the basic state pension would not be taxed on it if the party is re-elected.
She said: “Compared to what you’ve done for pensioners, look at what you’ve done for young people.
“You’re going to force them to do national service, you’ve tripled their tuition fees, you froze the threshold at which they have to start paying back their student loan, you’ve extended the student loan repayment term from 30 to 40 years meaning many graduates will be paying off their student debt in their 60s.”
As Harper shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Derbyshire went on: “You invested only about a third of what was recommended by the catch-up tsar to help kids catch up after the pandemic, rents rose nearly 9% in the last year and houses are at their most expensive since 1876.
“That’s why I ask, have the Tories got a problem with young people?”
But Harper replied: “No, not at all. That’s why, for example, we’ve cut national insurance contributions for working people – that applies to everyone who works for a living.
“We’ve increased the national living wage to a record level to make sure those on the lowest incomes have had significant rises.”
Harper also said he “strongly believed in tuition fees” because they allow universities to provide more places for working class children.
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