Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner's flagship employment policy has been plunged into crisis after a bombshell legal opinion from leading human rights barristers. The advice, commissioned by the influential Centre for Policy Studies, concludes that her 'New Deal for Working People' contains measures that are 'incompatible with human rights law'.
The core of the controversy lies in plans to vastly increase the power of trade unions. The legal experts, from the prestigious Blackstone Chambers, pinpoint proposals that would effectively force employers to recognise unions and bargain with them, even without majority workforce support.
A Charter for Strikes and Economic Disruption?
Critics are sounding the alarm, arguing the plans would open the floodgates to widespread industrial action. The policy would simplify the process for initiating strikes and remove the current requirement for a minimum 50% turnout in some essential services ballots.
This, business leaders fear, would make damaging strikes far more common, destabilising key sectors and delivering a hammer blow to economic productivity.
The Human Rights Argument
The legal opinion makes a startling claim: the proposals violate Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects freedom of association. The barristers argue that by forcing employers to deal with unions that may not represent most workers, the policy infringes upon the rights of both employers and employees who choose not to join.
This frames the debate not just as an economic issue, but as a fundamental issue of individual liberty versus collective power.
Political Fallout and Labour's Response
The report lands as a political gift for the Conservative Party, who have seized upon it as evidence that a future Labour government would be in the pocket of union bosses. It forces Sir Keir Starmer and Ms. Rayner onto the defensive, challenging their claim to be a pro-business and fiscally responsible government-in-waiting.
Labour has hit back, dismissing the report as 'nonsense' from a right-leaning think tank and standing firmly by its commitment to overhaul workers' rights. A party spokesperson insisted their plans are about 'boosting wages and improving working conditions for millions' and will be fully compliant with all legal obligations.
Despite Labour's defiance, this legal warning ensures that the battle over union power and workers' rights will be a defining and fiercely contested issue heading into the next general election.
