Liz Kendall will order all councils to tackle unemployment

Ms Kendall told the BBC that young people have a “responsibility” to take advantage of the opportunities given to them.

“We will change these opportunities for young people, we will add guarantees for youth so that everyone has the opportunity to earn or study,” she said.

“But in exchange for these new opportunities, young people will be obliged to take advantage of them.

“Let me tell you why, because if you lack basic skills in today’s world, it’s cruel. If you are unemployed at a young age, it can have lifelong consequences in terms of your future employment prospects and earning potential.

“So we, the government, unlike the previous government, will take responsibility for having that guarantee.”

She said the young people she spoke to said it was “better for their mental health” to work.