The Green Party have pledged a £12-an-hour minimum wage for anyone over 16 by 2022.
The eyebrow-raising election pledge outstrips the wildest dreams of the Tories or even Labour in a bid to ensure all youngsters earn the living wage.
It comes days after the Greens also pledged a universal basic income of £89 a week for all adults by 2025.
By comparison, Labour has said it would pay all over-16s £10.81 an hour by 2024 and trial the Universal Basic Income, but not commit to bring it in.
The Tories have pledged a £10.50-an-hour minimum wage by 2024 but only for over-21s.
(Image: PA)
The Green Party’s generous offer would of course depend on the party winning a Westminster majority at odds of 1,000/1. Currently, the party has just one seat.
Under the current system, the minimum wage for under-18s is £4.35, for 18 to 20-year-olds it is £6.15, and for 21 to 24-year-olds it is £7.71.
Meanwhile apprentices can be paid as little as £3.90.
Greens co-leader Sian Berry said: “The Living Wage must mean what it says on the tin.
“The Green Party will end the discrimination against young people where it is legal to pay under-21s a genuine pittance for doing exactly the same work as someone older.
“It isn’t fair, it doesn’t make sense, and it must stop.”
