Ei Maseeh, an executive committee member of the BME Community Action Group in London, said there was a clear case for the Government to look at ways of introducing compulsory work experience in schools, as other countries, such as Sweden, have done successfully.

He added: “But the Government can’t be looking at the best possible solution when it is not listening to or even appreciating what the community of white working class people in north-east England want.”

Pressed about her own experiences of working in a McDonald’s in Harrogate, South Yorkshire, Ms White added: “These are stories that the Government should care about because they may offer a way forward towards a fairer society that works for everybody.”

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said he supported mandatory work experience for people with learning difficulties.

He added: “I want to see more work experience in our schools, but what we also need is an education system which makes sure that if you just start off at 16 you do have the skills to find a job and then further training where you can get into work.”

A recent study by the Employment and Learning Alliance claimed that around 1.9million people in England’s poorest communities were not regularly in education, employment or training – meaning there are an estimated 15.6million working adults who are out of work and living in poverty.

Unemployment is particularly high among white working-class people, with 45% of those aged 16-24 unemployed compared with 29% of those in the 25 to 34 age group.