Starmer faces backlash over U-turn on Rayner’s workers’ rights reforms – live updates

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson said there was a “very real possibility” the Employment Rights Act would be implemented if the government had not made a U-turn on day one protection against unfair dismissal.

The education secretary told Sky News: “The Employment Rights Bill is the biggest improvement to workers’ rights in a generation.

“There have been discussions about unfair dismissal and time between businesses, the TUC and the Government, and following that discussion an agreement has been reached on the way forward, which is welcome.

“This means the time limit will drop from two years to six months, with important day one rights for sick pay and parental leave. But the risk was that if we didn’t make progress, these important rights would not come into force from April next year.”

He added: “Unless this discussion took place and a pragmatic approach was reached, there was a very real possibility that this implementation would be delayed for years.”

Ministers have abandoned plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal in a U-turn that breached Labour’s manifesto.

Ministers canceled the proposal to reduce the “qualification period” required for workers to claim unfair dismissal from 24 months to the first day, in order to pass the law in Parliament.

The government now plans to introduce a six-month service entitlement instead; Other first-day paternity leave and sick pay rights will continue to come into force in April 2026.

Unite boss Sharon Graham said the bill had become “a shell of its former self”, while TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said the “absolute priority” was to get the legislation on the statute books.

“Following the government’s announcement, it is now vital that peers respect Labour’s manifesto mandate and that this bill receives royal assent as soon as possible,” Mr Nowak said.

Ms Graham said: “These continued retreats will only undermine workers’ confidence that the protections promised will be worth the wait. Labor needs to keep its promises.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson has denied the compromise on Labour’s flagship employment rights bill was an unfulfilled manifesto promise because Labour’s election document had made a commitment to consultation.

“We will fully consult with business, workers and civil society on how to implement our plans before the law is passed,” the manifesto said, but continued: “This will include banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, ending firefighting and rehiring, and introducing basic rights such as parental leave, sick pay and protection against unfair dismissal from day one.”

Asked if this was a broken promise, Ms Phillipson said: “We said in the manifesto that we would work with unions, business, civil society to consult on the safeguards we would put forward.

“So the manifesto has both parts – important rights and consultation.”

Sir Keir Starmer faced fury in the background after ministers abandoned plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal in a U-turn that breached the Labor Party manifesto.

MPs, including former deputy leader Angela Rayner and a former minister who spearheaded the Employment Rights Bill, raised concerns about the reduction announced by the Government on Thursday night.

Andy McDonald, the Labor MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, described the move as a “total betrayal” and vowed to press for its reversal.

“We cannot support this half-measure,” he said, adding: “This is the wrong move and I will be campaigning for this concession to be reversed.”

Neil Duncan-Jordan, Labor MP for Poole, told the Press Association: “There have been no discussions with the PLP about this.

“The Lords have no priority over the manifesto commitment, so why have we capitulated?”

Rachael Maskell, Labor MP for York Central, told PA: “Employers have nothing to fear from day one rights, but workers have everything to fear from an employer who does not want day one rights.”