Yesterday NUS launched its #payinterns campaign with the TUC and Interns Aware. The debates on internships are not new, but with youth unemployment at a record high it is timely and welcome.

But while many sympathise, few feel able to act. No one wants to be accused of hypocrisy – but while we avoid the debate, unpaid internships outstrip entry-level jobs, denying millions of young people a foot in the door and the chance to climb the ladder. We had solutions. The Future Jobs Fund was fair, accessible, promoted opportunities in the regions (in comparison to internships we are concentrated in London and the south-east), and was effective in getting people into permanent employment. But while we bang the drum to government to learn the lessons of the FJF for the failing work programme, we must also ask ourselves – what more can we do from opposition?

First, we must get our own house in order. Many sections of our party are making strides, using our membership and supporter base to focus on building volunteers locally, not interns centrally. Others are fundraising to make sure they can pay staff before they take them on. A number of MPs use students taking placements as part of their courses. While there are still problems with costs outstripping loans, at least these programs are providing students with basic subsistence to enable anyone, regardless of income, the opportunity to apply for such a placement. But while these schemes have been embedded we’ve heard little mention of apprentices being introduced widely in MPs’ offices. A scheme is up and running but take-up is still low. This would be a great way of breaking down the barriers, stealing a march on other parties, and crucially putting our values into practice.

But, fundamentally, if we are going to make the seismic change required we need MPs to boldly stand together and make the case for paid internships funded by parliament. IPSA needs to overhaul the current practice and pave way for internships to be advertised fairly and paid for collectively. If they fail to act proactively they may be forced to do so if an intern should ever take their case before a tribunal. Hazel Blears MP has made strides in fundraising for the small-scale paid Parliamentary Internship Scheme, but as she states our ambitions should be to see paid internships available as part nationally in a range of sectors and businesses.

Being in opposition shouldn’t cloud our eyes from the opportunities we have to change practice outside the Westminster bubble. We’ve called for government procurement contracts to promote apprenticeships but we should also be looking to end business with those that continually break the law by offering unpaid internships which could be classed as jobs under the national minimum wage. These are actions we could look at where we are in power in local councils up and down the country.

This is not about stopping legitimate volunteering or structured and accessible work experience schemes.  This is about recognising that increasingly a long stint of unpaid work is becoming a necessary prerequisite to any job, in many cases people are looking at doing serial unpaid internships. Increasingly young people are told they must have experience before they can work, but that they must forfeit pay, or even in some cases pay for the opportunity. When young people are now being forced by the government to work in Poundland for free in exchange for receiving their benefits we must examine whether we as a party are doing enough to change society’s attitudes to young people and work.

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Susan Nash is national chair of Young Labour

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Photo: David Sim