JOBLESS youngsters will bear the brunt of a fresh drive to slash welfare spending, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The PM vowed to take another swing at the ballooning benefits bill after bottling a package of cuts earlier in the year.
Almost a million under-25s are not in either work, education or training but instead relying on state handouts.
Sir Keir told The Sun: “We must get them back into work.
“Those that can should be in work, so everyone has that ability to get up, to earn to contribute and actually have the self-fulfillment and the self-respect that work gives so many people.”
He said having so many so young on benefits was damaging to the country as many of them would “struggle to get off benefits for the rest of their lives”.
He added: “So we have to bear down on this to do more on welfare and I’m determined to do this.”
However, he twice refused to confirm welfare cuts would be in Rachel Reeves’ November Budget.
Labour MPs torpedoed a £5billion slate of savings this year by threatening to rebel.
The PM is also pushing for more young people to take up apprenticeships — putting them on an equal footing with degrees and saying they guarantee skilled work for years to come.
He added: “We do not value them enough.”
