Shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, will today launch a youth unemployment taskforce at the Labour Party conference in Manchester.

Supported by business and trade unions, Labour's Youth Jobs Taskforce aims to tackle the issue in Britain's 10 most blighted youth unemployment hotspots.

Mr Byrne, who will chair the taskforce, which also includes Alan Buckle, global deputy chairman of consultancy giants KPMG, the chief executive of Daylsefod Organic and representatives from unions Unison and the TUC.

‘Britain's youth jobs crisis can't wait for a Labour government in 2015.  We have to take action today,' Mr Byrne will say.  ‘Our task is to make sure the best ideas anywhere become Labour's approach everywhere'.

Labour local authorities will also demand the devolution of greater powers under City Deal schemes to tackle joblessness among young people aged 16 to 24.  Latest official statistics issued last month showed the number of young people out of work increased by 7,000 to 1.02 million in the last quarter.