The generation trap: ‘Mortgages for people my age are virtually out of reach’

Coalition Britain: Ritchie Henshaw and his dad Paul offer a striking example of how fortunes have worsened for young jobseekers since the recession

Ritchie Henshaw had many of the advantages his father, Paul, could only dream of. The 26-year-old was the first member of his family to go to university - and spend a year studying abroad - before graduating from Leeds University with a degree in microbiology.

Fast-forward nine months and, like thousands of young people at the sharp end of the UK's patchy economic recovery, Ritchie's dreams of a secure, well-paid job like that enjoyed by his father - which would allow him to start thinking about standing on his own two feet - are as far away as ever.

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In my day and in my social class, education was about getting out and earning