Few young people can afford to spend months working for free as unpaid interns. The Liberal Democrats in Government have recognised cracking down on unpaid internships, including the introduction of the Government’s Social Mobility Business Compact, the policy of naming and shaming rogue employers, steeper fines for non-payment of the national minimum wage and clearer advice through Government websites.

All good stuff but we need to go further. We need to end unpaid internships lasting longer than four weeks to help address this problem and to create a stronger economy and a fairer society.

This is the right thing to do, ending long term unpaid internships which price out young people from careers they have the aptitude for, and deprive businesses of talent. While many unpaid internships are already in breach of National Minimum Wage law, this would create a presumption that a young person on an internship is a worker (and is thus eligible to be paid) after four weeks. Importantly, this could be achieved in this Parliament.

As well as supporting young people and improving social mobility, this proposal would also provide employers with clarity on the lawcwith most polled supporting this change.

I’m hopeful this well thought through change will happen soon – do you agree?