Keir Starmer is facing backbench anger after ministers abandoned plans to give workers day-one protection against unfair dismissal, a move that Labour MPs have labelled a "complete betrayal" and a breach of the party's manifesto.
The government has axed the proposal to remove the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims, opting instead for a six-month period. The U-turn came amid a standoff between peers and MPs over the original day-one rights, as well as measures to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts.
Former minister Andy McDonald described the move as a "complete betrayal" and vowed to campaign for its reversal. Neil Duncan-Jordan, Labour MP for Poole, questioned why the government had capitulated to the Lords, while Rachael Maskell warned that workers have everything to fear from an employer who does not want day-one rights.
Justin Madders, who was sacked in the prime minister's reshuffle, said the change "definitely is a manifesto breach". The manifesto had promised to introduce basic rights from day one, including protection from unfair dismissal.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson defended the compromise, saying there was a "very real prospect" of delay if the government had not made the U-turn. She argued the manifesto commitment included consultation with businesses and unions, and that the new timeframe will allow important rights like sick pay and parental leave to come into force from April 2026.
