Labour's Workers' Rights U-Turn Ignites Internal Rebellion
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has ignited a furious rebellion within his own party after dramatically abandoning a flagship commitment to grant workers protection from unfair dismissal from their first day in a new job. The controversial move represents another significant policy reversal for the Labour government, coming just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves bowed to backbench pressure to lift the two-child benefit cap.
Manifesto Promise Abandoned
The decision marks a stark departure from Labour's election manifesto, which explicitly promised to introduce basic rights from day one to parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal within the government's first 100 days. Instead of the promised day-one protections, the government will now reduce the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims from two years to six months, following pressure from the House of Lords where Labour lacks a majority.
Former employment minister Justin Madders, a close ally of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, declared the move constituted a clear manifesto breach, stating: "It might be a compromise. It might even be necessary to get the Bill passed as soon as possible. But it most definitely is a manifesto breach."
Mounting Criticism from Allies
The policy reversal has drawn condemnation from across the Labour movement. Veteran MP Diane Abbott echoed the breach accusation, while former Shadow Employment Minister Andy McDonald emphasised that day one rights formed a core election pledge. Trade unions joined the criticism, with TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust calling it a "very significant watering down" and urging the government to reconsider.
The government's own impact assessment acknowledges the original Employment Rights Bill would have cost businesses approximately £5 billion annually. The legislation has faced repeated setbacks in the Lords, prompting Thursday evening's dramatic announcement of the compromise position.
Government Defends Position
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson vigorously denied the government had broken its manifesto commitments, telling Sky News: "In the manifesto, what we said was that we would work with trade unions, with businesses, with civil society, in consulting on those protections that we'd be bringing forward."
The controversy deepened when it emerged that secret talks with unions and business leaders had been occurring simultaneously with Downing Street's public insistence that they would overturn all attempts to "water down day one protection." A Number 10 spokesman defended the discrepancy, claiming negotiations were "still live" when previous statements were made to journalists.
Meanwhile, the Conservative party urged Sir Keir to go further by scrapping the entire Employment Rights Bill, with Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith questioning whether the Prime Minister would maintain his new position, given his previous full-throated support for the original measures.
