Charlie Mullins has claimed the UK needs a “Donald Trump figure” to tackle the record high number of young people not in education, employment or training.
The Pimlico Plumbers founder told GB News that authorities need to “stop pussyfooting around” with unemployed youth and tackle Britain’s workshy young people.
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show 987,000 young people aged 16-24 were not in education, employment or training between October and December 2024.
Mullins said: “The real problem is the benefits system. The second problem is laziness. And the third problem is that the government could step in and create a government-funded apprenticeship scheme.
Charlie Mullins fumed that the UK needs a “Donald Trump figure” to tackle the record high number
GB NEWS
“You leave school, you either go to university, get a job, or go straight into a government-funded apprenticeship scheme. Problem solved.
“If and when Reform gets in, and if I work with them, within six months you could resolve youth unemployment and lazy people.
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“It’s not difficult to solve that. I mean, we need a Donald Trump over here to liven people up. We need to stop pussyfooting around with these people and give them an incentive to go to work.
“But yes, there are people with genuine mental health issues. As you rightly said, some need to get into the workplace, and I think most of those issues would go away. So, we’re going backwards.
“If we want to turn things around, we’ve got to liven up. We’ve just got to stop being so soft with people and show them the benefits of being in work.
He added: “Give them a job, give them a future but please stop the benefits for the lazy so-and-so’s.”
New figures from the Office for National Statistics show 987,000 young people aged 16-24 were not in education, employment or training between October and December 2024.
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Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: “The Government is now rightly prioritising change but with close to one million young people outside of employment or education the situation is stark.”
Stephen Evans from the Learning and Work Institute called the rise “worrying” and emphasised “the importance of implementing a youth guarantee.”
Russell Hobby of Teach First described the figures as “shocking” and “unjust.”
He added: “The Government must increase and prioritise funding to schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.”