Ms Kendall told the BBC that young people have a “responsibility” to seize the opportunities presented to them.

“We will transform these opportunities for young people, we will put in place a youth guarantee so that everyone has the chance to earn money or learn,” she said.

“But in exchange for these new opportunities, young people will have the responsibility to seize them.

“Let me tell you why, because if you lack basic skills in today’s world, it’s brutal. If you are unemployed when you are young, it can have lifelong consequences in terms of your job prospects and earning potential.

“So we, the government, will face our responsibility, unlike the previous government, to put in place this guarantee. »

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