He criticised Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves for their views that hard-earned money automatically belonged to the state
JEREMY Clarkson has claimed that if he was young he wouldn’t work as he blasted “pink-haired people” on social media.
The former Top Gear host said modern Britain has made hard graft “pointless” for young adults trying to make their way in the world.
And he insisted that if he were starting out today, he’d simply stay home rather than try to build a career.
The former Top Gear star said politicians including Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves acted as though money earned through hard work belonged to the state, and should be handed to people who had no intention of working.
Clarkson said he feared that this outlook was sparking a new attitude that is putting off ambitious youngsters, reports The Times.
Writing in his column, Clarkson said: “Social media is full of young people with pink hair chanting ‘tax the rich’ and there’s a general sense that if the government were to confiscate all of Elton John’s money, they’d be able to buy everyone on benefits a Porsche.
“I find this a bit of a worry. Because when I was in my early twenties, Mrs Thatcher was in the hot seat and entrepreneurialism was encouraged.”
Clarkson bemoaned how in the past, asking a local council for a grant to help pay for the marketing of your new business, would see them “write a cheque on the spot”.
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour presenter added: “Today, if you wanted £2,800 from the town hall, you’d have to promise to never do a day’s work in your life.”
According to Clarkson, today’s young people might dream of opening a nail salon, only to discover they’d have to pay staff more than themselves, offer endless wellbeing days, and risk being “squeezed” by the Treasury the moment they found success.
He boldly suggested that if he were 24 today, he “wouldn’t bother”, adding that he’d instead stay home “making babies for money” or inventing workplace-friendly mental-health issues.
The TV presenter also described spending the past few weeks in a surf town in Costa Rica, surrounded by what he called an “international mix” of beautiful, laid-back youngsters growing their own food and spending their days surfing.
He admitted that although he initially found their hippy vibe irritating, he eventually saw the appeal in their slow-paced, nature-loving lifestyle.
Clarkson said the surfers in Costa Rica didn’t drink, smoke or race quad bikes, but simply enjoyed the sunset with their dogs.
The star said locals made money modestly – by growing fruit and vegetables, running tiny surf-rental huts or coffee stands, or selling chocolate from Indigenous communities, never seeking to build “empires”.
And Clarkson claimed even his own children were tempted to stay in Costa Rica rather than return to Britain because of the grim outlook.
He suggested no-one could blame them, arguing that it’s now “hard to get on the ladder” in the UK and “impossible to climb”.
The Top Gear legend blasted under-fire Chancellor Reeves for destroying ambition and said that she “doesn’t believe in that sort of thing”.
Clarkson conceded that it made more sense for a young British adult to move to Costa Rica to escape the country or simply sit at home.
The TV personality, who also hosts Clarkson’s Farm and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? has previously taken aim at customers over their behaviour in his boozer.
He slammed punters with poor aim after complaining customers were urinating on the floor of his businesses bogs.
On one occasion, Clarkson complained after claiming customers stole a crowbar from one of the pub’s sheds.
The tool was allegedly used to pry open a toilet door after a panicking little girl accidentally locked herself in.
The flurry of complaints about customers comes after the TV personality said he was the latest business to fall victim to hackers.
According to Clarkson, his boozer’s digital systems were breached and the hackers managed to “swindle” £27,000 out of the pub.
In his Sun column he wrote: “But no one thought to mention that my pub, the Farmer’s Dog, has been hit too.
“It was, though. Someone broke into our accounting system and helped themselves to £27,000.”
