In June 1381, young yeomen marched from Essex and Kent to London to protest capped wages and a poll tax. Since then young people have not moved on from peasantry, but there seems no such revolt. We have been branded “generation screwed”. Faced with some of the worst socio-economic conditions for 18-24 year-olds in decades, where is the anger necessary to spark meaningful change?

I am 21 years-old, and as my peers and I congregate in big cities in the pursuit of a secure future, we are immediately confronted by the uncomfortable truth that many dreams feel far beyond reach. Those who were lucky enough to find jobs before graduating from university face constant job insecurity in the wake of the onset of AI, and those less fortunate are left excluded and unsure.

Subscribe to the New Statesman and save 40% for 1 year!