Today’s report on Neets - young people not in education, employment or training - is stark.

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Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary, says one in six 16-24 year olds could end up in that category without action. In fact, a report today says the number has already reached more than one million. He is arguing that this is a “moral crisis” and warns of a potential “lost generation”.

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Today’s report is about diagnosing a problem. There will be a full report later in the year with some potential solutions. But Milburn has also conceded that many employers have raised government policy as a problem - namely the increase in the youth minimum wage and employer National Insurance contributions.

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Milburn told me he would make it loud and clear to the chancellor that ministers should be minimising risks and maximising incentives to take on young people.

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But he also warns this is a much bigger problem - with a “system reset” needed. There are, he added, no easy solutions.

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There is no doubt this is an issue the government - whoever leads it - is going to have to address. Milburn is trying to turn this issue into a central “cause” for UK politicians.

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The essential: A government commissioned report is warning about the impact of Neets - saying it could already be costing the economy £125bn a year. He is calling for a radical rethink, but will deliver firmer conclusions later in the year.

Former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair has accused the government of having “no coherent plan” -  but two people hoping to one day lead the country say he has overlooked a key issue. And the UK’s National Screening Committee is advising that not all men be screened for prostate cancer. 

Gabby Colenso

East investigations

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Yellow tape marked “crime scene - do not enter” seals off part of a residential street. Investigators wearing protective clothing and gloves are searching among the black bags, broken furniture and scattered waste for clues. Is this the scene of a violent crime?

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“It’s not,” says Laura Haydon, who lives nearby. “It’s just a mattress.”

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Luton has the highest number of illegal dumping incidents in the East of England. Last September, the council began trialling a new approach to tackling fly-tipping: treating dump sites as conventional crime scenes and employing enforcement officers to search through waste for evidence that could identify who is responsible.

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Under the new strategy, dumped rubbish is left for three days with what the council calls “CSI tape” around it, or stickers to show it is being investigated. The council believes it is working. It says fly-tipping collections fell by about 19% in 2025-2026 compared to the previous year.

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Luton's issue reflects a wider national trend - local authorities in England dealt with 1.26 million fly-tipping incidents in 2024-25 - a 9% increase on the previous year, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.