GB News presenter tells Labour minister: “You’ve created this problem, haven’t you?”
Camilla Tominey grilled Darren Jones on youth unemployment (Image: GB NEWS)
A Labour minister faced brutal questions from Camilla Tominey over youth unemployment on GB News this morning. The presenter grilled Darren Jones on why the number of young people out of work has jumped from 14.2% to 16.2% under Labour.
She said: “Why you think youth unemployment has gone up from 14.2% to 16.2% in the last year. So it’s nothing you can blame on the Conservatives, this is on Labour’s watch, why has it happened?
The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister replied: “This has unfortunately been a long-term issue.
“When we came into government one in eight young people were coming out of school or college and going home without any work or training or education opportunities.
“That fails them because of course young people want to set themselves up for success in life and to be able to launch out of their parents’ home and go on and build their own families.
“But it’s also a failure for the economy because if we don’t get each and every person in work fulfilling their potential, earning those wages, paying their contribution in tax, we are going to be poorer as a country.”
Ms Tominey then said: “That’s an explanation of the problem. My question was why has youth unemployment gone up to its highest level in 11 years under a Labour government?”
Mr Jones replied: “Well that’s why for example my colleague Pat McFadden at the Department for Work and Pensions has launched a youth guarantee scheme working with employers to get guaranteed work and training for young people.
“That’s why we’ve put a record amount of money into apprenticeship programmes which are a great route into work…”
But the presenter interrupted: “Hang on a minute, hang on. I just need an answer to the question. Why has youth unemployment gone up as it has to reach an 11-year high under this Labour Government?”
Mr Jones said: “Well I’ve talked about the root causes of that and as I said it’s a structural problem.”
Ms Tominey went on: “What’s happened though? What’s changed? What’s changed is that two Labour budgets have clobbered employers isn’t it?
“What’s changed is you put up the minimum wage and instead of paying people more, hard-pressed businesses have had to let staff go and the staff that they let go of first are those on the bottom rung of the ladder aged 18-24.
“So you’ve created this problem, haven’t you? I know you inherited some kind of legacy but to have a jump from 14.2% to 16.2% in just a year, Labour and the Chancellor must take some responsibility for this youth unemployment figure mustn’t they?”
Mr Jones said: “Look you’re right the national minimum wage has increased but we think that’s the right thing to do especially in a cost-of-living challenge for young people in our country.
“But we have to be very careful about the assumptions we’re making here so for example, employers who employ workers under 21 they don’t pay employer national insurance contributions at all.
“So whilst I recognise that we have increased the cost of employers’ national insurance contributions in respect to the debate of young people that’s not relevant because they don’t pay it in the first place for under 21s so this is about structural challenges in the economy and how we work with employers and young people to make sure they’re getting the right training and skills opportunities and work experience to launch their careers successfully.”
It comes after new official figures showed the rate of unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds jumped to 16.2% in the three months to March – the highest level since 2015.