Labour’s leadership is under fire as a damning report warns the party is risking a ‘lost generation’ of unemployed youth, with one in six young people predicted to remain out of work unless major welfare reforms are enacted.

Alan Milburn, former Labour Cabinet minister and architect of the 2000s welfare-to-work schemes, published the findings today, lambasting the current government’s inaction. His report, obtained exclusively by this newspaper, states that over half of the 1.2 million young people classed as NEETs—those not in employment, education, or training—have never held a job, a statistic the government has yet to address.

Milburn’s report, titled *Generation Locked Out*, calls for an immediate £4.2 million injection into training programs and wage subsidies for employers hiring young workers. ‘This isn’t just a crisis—it’s a generational failure,’ Milburn told this newspaper. ‘Labour’s rhetoric on social justice rings hollow when a sixth of our youth face permanent exclusion from the workforce.’

Labour’s internal divisions deepened as former Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly criticised the party’s economic strategy, calling Ed Miliband’s net-zero policies a ‘fantasy’ that distracts from pressing domestic issues. ‘The public wants solutions, not slogans,’ Blair said in a statement to *The Express*. His remarks followed reports that Labour’s energy policies are under review amid rising household bills.

The timing of Milburn’s report could not be worse for Labour, coinciding with a 13% rise in energy bills announced for October. Families across the UK will see their heating costs jump by an average of £221 per year, adding pressure to already stretched household budgets. The energy hike comes as global tensions escalate, with the UK’s military campaign in the Middle East driving up petrol prices by 14.5p per litre and food costs rising by 89p per meal.

Meanwhile, Labour’s foreign policy is also under scrutiny after the US-led military action against Iran triggered a 12% spike in oil prices, further inflating UK living costs. The *Independent*’s analysis reveals that families are now spending an additional £821 annually on mortgages due to higher interest rates, a direct consequence of the conflict.

Against this backdrop, Labour’s former ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, has been accused of overstepping his role by sending unsolicited policy advice to ministers during his tenure. Declassified files, set for release next week, reportedly show Mandelson messaging senior officials with detailed recommendations on domestic policy—a breach of diplomatic protocol. The *Telegraph* obtained documents suggesting Mandelson also lobbied for closer ties with Russian and Chinese investors, raising further questions about his conduct.

As the political storm intensifies, public safety concerns have also taken centre stage after seven children and two adults drowned in UK waters during the recent heatwave. The *Daily Mirror*’s front-page plea—‘Be safe in water, or more will die’—has resonated with communities nationwide, prompting calls for stricter swimming safety regulations. Meanwhile, the *Sun* splashed on former model Katie Price’s extraordinary claim that her husband is imprisoned in Dubai for ‘spying,’ a story yet to be independently verified.

The *Daily Star* meanwhile turned to football, revealing that England’s World Cup training base will be patrolled by AI-equipped ‘hunter-catcher’ drones to prevent rival teams from spying on tactics. Security chiefs confirmed the drones, equipped with thermal imaging, will scan the perimeter for unauthorised devices—a first for a major tournament.