The left-wing head of the National Union of Students has blamed the privatisation of education for encouraging young people to fight for Islamic State.

Malia Bouattia, 28, told a debate on Wednesday that young people joining terrorist groups in Syria felt “so disempowered they’re left with no choice”.

Mass unemployment and the closure of youth centres had worsened their desperation, she told an event held at University College London to discuss anti-terrorism legislation. She said: “To answer the question around what is leading people to taking certain actions and joining these groups and wanting to inflict violence, I’d say it surrounds the political climate which we’re in,” The Huffington Post reported.

“We need to start asking why people feel so desperate that they have to