Comment: "The young need housing help, not more lecturing"

One of my latest annoyances in my infinite list of annoyances is the idea that young people are lazy and selfish and should be forced into manual work, or even to do National Service, to help them buck their ideas up a bit.

The fact they may never own their own home is their own fault!

Of course the reality is, young people are dealing with more stress and anxiety about the future than ever — just look at mental health waiting lists. And if you’re a mental health denier, well, look at the deposits required for first-time buyers and think if you could afford it aged 21.

Getting on the ladder here is hard and baffling and full of pitfalls, as our story on people trapped in Help to Buy ISAs shows.

Interesting new research from NHG Homes last week showed that 48 per cent of 18-24 year olds in London are planning to take on extra work to save for a house deposit.

Yes, these work-shy louts are, well, going to knuckle down and work all hours to strive for future security. They know they are in for a battle; if one good thing comes from the housing crisis, I hope it’s a rise in awareness among young people that they need to plan early for home ownership.

And rather than demonising the young, as has always happened by older generations, don’t we need to meet them halfway with their efforts? To ensure they are helped up as much as help themselves.

I fear none of the party manifestos addresses this — when will the penny drop with whoever is in power that successful countries are driven by youthful hope?