and richard drax joins me the and richard drax joins me in the studio now.ervice as such that you're advocating what is it you're saying? >> i'm just saying that there are there would be some cases, particularly amongst the young , particularly amongst the young, of course, who are listless, rudderless , often from rudderless, often from challenging backgrounds, who can't work, won't work. and i'm suggesting that they are put into an institution like the armed forces, where they are within an infrastructure, where they can learn about camaraderie, about friendship , camaraderie, about friendship, about leadership, and about service, which i'm afraid to say, many people don't seem to understand that you serve your country. you don't take from your country . and i think the your country. and i think the evidence from the office of national statistics shows that this figure is rising . and i'm a this figure is rising. and i'm a conservative. i do not like the state interfering where it shouldn't, but in some cases, i'm not saying everyone should be called up an

it's tory mp richard drax, head. it's tory mp richard drax, right? young job seekers right?rned down work should be conscripted for two years into the army. falklands veteran simon weston battles political commentator connor tomlinson in a feisty exchange. in just a few minutes time. a feisty exchange. in just a few minutes time . this is patrick minutes time. this is patrick christys tonight. don't move this -- this is patrick christys. tonight only on gb news. now coming up, i bring you one of several exclusives that we've got for you this evening. a story that lays bare the shocking state of britain's parole system . but first, it's parole system. but first, it's time for tonight's head to head . time for tonight's head to head. a senior tory mp with years of military service has called for young job seekers who turn down work to be conscripted. richard drax, a former british army captain and current member of the commons defence select committee, told the house magazine. in some cases , magazine. in some cases, particularly among some of the young, they have got to the p

>> well, richard drax, who is a he's a member of the commons defence committee , and also defence committee he's also a former soldier. i'm quite surprised that he is suggesting that joining the army is some sort of punishment for not taking job, because it seems to me that that's the last people that the army needs, and i think, you know , we desperately think, you know, we desperately short of funding for defence and definitely short of numbers of people , there has to be people, there has to be something else. and gordon brown tried it. i think david cameron tried it. i think david cameron tried it. i think david cameron tried it. i think various, prime ministers have tried it and there have been various schemes that are sort of, you know, a national volunteering program , a national volunteering program, a sort of civic something or other scheme , there's a lot more to scheme, there's a lot more to this because the age group of the people that we're talking about, the 16 to 24 year olds, are the people who lost two years of their education during covid lockdowns and who've lost the abil

richard drax , he is a >> robert. richard drax, he is a former army captain.gs. a thing or two about the armed forces and he is talking in particular about the young . so let's say about the young. so let's say we've had a huge spike in the number of people between the age of 18 and 24 who are not in work. surely it wouldn't be. it's not that crazy an idea to think, well, maybe you could be a little bit of use in the armed forces. >> it's an obvious idea and what i'm trying to say in sensible mode , putting it in the way that mode, putting it in the way that richard has done, i mean, he's got a good argument, but it won't work. what i'm trying to do is to find something that does work. and, emily, you're absolutely right, because we're looking at it's actually tom up to 5 million that are claiming benefit have just dropped out of work. why young people are not going into work that is not a quite old man talking about it, but it is a phenomenon which we're observing across the world. it is a major crisis. well, robert, perhaps, perhaps there's a middle ground h