Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins has raged at “lazy” Gen Zers in a lively clash on GB News.
He accused youngsters of capitalising on the “Covid situation” to shun responsibility.
It comes as shocking new figures revealed this week that more people under 25 are now ‘economically inactive’ than ever before, with a reported surge by about 700,000 since the pandemic.
Mullins hit out at the younger generation and demanded tougher measures to clamp down on workshy Britons.
A fiery clash broke out on GB News
GB NEWS
“I haven’t heard anyone say yet that they are on benefits because they’re lazy”, he said.
“We all know that 50 per cent of them that are on benefits are just lazy, bone-idle, workshy, layabouts.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
GB News presenter Stephen Dixon waded in on the discussion to urge caution from Mullins, arguing it is important not to “discredit a whole generation” and he likely employs youngsters himself.
“Of course we do”, Mullins responded.
“There’s loads of youngsters that want work but unfortunately, the apprenticeships scheme isn’t geared up to give them work.
“There’s loads that don’t want work. Some of these figures suggest the highest areas are Kensington and Chelsea where the wealthy aren’t going to work.
Charlie Mullins wants more in work
GETTY
Charlie Mullins hit out at 'workshy' youngsters
GB NEWS
“Someone needs to stand up and say ‘enough is enough’, a lot of these people are just lazy, workshy, they aren’t contributing.
“They are taking more out of the pot than what people are putting in. How long can the country go on allowing this?”
Political commentator Alex Petropoulos hit back at Mullins, arguing the reason for the dip in young workers is a lack of high quality jobs that sees employees treated well and paid well.
“If the right jobs existed, high-paying, well benefited jobs, young people would be taking them”, he said.
“The reason young people are sitting on their bums is because the right jobs aren’t there.
“We’re living in a situation where all our costs are going up. Housing and transport included.”
GB News host Stephen Dixon opposed the point about a lack of “right jobs”, arguing that people should value having employment first.
“It’s about doing a job”, he said.
“If I was out of work, I would do any job to pull in some money.”
Petropoulos said a lot of young people have worked for degrees and are coming out of university to find a job in their field is not readily available.
But Dixon’s co-host, Anne Diamond, said “that’s a sense of entitlement” as she slapped down the remark.
Mullins said “there’s a million jobs out there. If they stopped the benefits, you would stop watching Netflix most of the night and get up in the morning and go to work and contribute to society.”