UK Faces Riots Unless Government Tackles Youth Unemployment Warns Tory Peer

The UK could face more riots like those seen across London in the summer of 2011 if the government does not tackle the problem of youth unemployment, according to a Conservative Party peer.

Baroness O'Cathain, who has chaired a House of Lords committee on youth joblessness, gave the stark warning in an interview to IBTimes UK.

When questioned whether the UK's youth unemployment problem could lead to social strife like the 2011 London Riots, she said: "Absolutely – I have no doubts about it. That's why I'm deeply concerned about [the issue]."

O'Cathain's comments came as the The House of Lords European Union (EU) Committee warned that a generation of young people across Europe has been left "scarred" by joblessness.

The peer, a former board member of British Airways, also said that one of the problems young people face is access to careers advice.

"Careers advice is accessible online, but [some young] people don't even have access to [computers]," she said.

O'Cathain also claimed that there is "big tension" between young unemployed people she talked to in Liverpool and Birmingham and their local job centres.

The peer suggested one of the issues was that some of the youngsters, who "come from fractured families", have made "silly mistakes" while submitting forms relating to out-of-work benefits and have been sanctioned.

The news comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that there are more than 900,000 young people in the UK out of work and the country's unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds is 19.8% – much higher than the total jobless rate of 7.2%.

A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: "Supporting young people to get their foot in the door and have the skills they need for the future as the economy grows is a key part of our long-term economic plan.

"Already, the number of young people in jobs is going up, youth unemployment is dropping and the number of young jobseekers on benefits has been falling for the last 21 months.

"Our schemes have already offered around 200,000 opportunities to young people to try their hand in different industries, but there is always more to do.

"That's why we've offered a further 100,000 placements to any young person who wants one."