B irmingham is one of the youngest cities in Europe, with almost 40 per cent of its population under the age of 25. As in the rest of Britain, the younger generation believe they are facing greater problems and anxieties than their parents and grandparents.

“I think there is a slight resentment of older people in general, though not on an individual basis,” says Chris Taylor, 29, an accommodation manager living in south Birmingham. “No one hates their nan, but younger people object to the fact that everyone’s nan’s financial interests are very well protected, while other groups have had the hammer [brought down on them].”