NEW research for the Labour Party shows that in 2019, young workers aged 22 to 29 in London earned on average 36 per cent more a week than those in the North-West.

For those aged 18 to 21 the gap was 17 per cent in the capital's favour.

Now the party is calling for the government to introduce a regional opportunities guarantee as part of the Kickstart Scheme, to ensure that no young person is left behind simply because of where they live.

The new findings come as research by the Social Mobility Commission highlighted that young people in their 20s moving to London earn more than a third more than those who stay at home.

Cat Smith, Labour’s shadow minister for young people, is calling on the government to target the Kickstart scheme, to pay for the direct creation of high-quality jobs for young people at the highest risk of long-term unemployment, in regions with the highest levels of deprivation.

Mrs Smith, MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, said: “Even before the pandemic, stark geographical inequalities in economic prosperity prevented many young people living outside of London and the large cities from accessing equal opportunities.

“The government’s Kickstart scheme for young people must not follow the one-size-fits-all approach we have seen in other sectors.

“Where you are born, and your family background, should not determine your life chances.”