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Tomorrow is the first real test of how bold Labour are prepared to go in this conference season – possibly the last before the general election.

Two hundred miles north of Westminster in Liverpool, the party’s deputy leader Angela Rayner will tell the Trades Union Congress about plans to strengthen workers’ rights and union rights, which in the past has been one of the most kinetic and controversial parts of Labour’s policy agenda.

The tone she takes, the content she emphasises and the measures she includes – and leaves out – will reveal much about whether, behind the scenes, Labour is really as confident as it wants to project.

Should Labour choose, this could be one of the most fundamental diving lines of the next election and a key part of Labour’s template for change – opening clear red water between them and the Tories and nudging the national consensus towards workers and away from employers after 13 years of drift in the other direction under Tory rule.

It includes the first steps in the return to mass collective bargaining and a new right to ignore bosses at weekends.

Yet the spin from the top is reassurance, not revolution.

“We want a return to a New Labour settlement on trade union laws. This is about a new working partnership with the unions,” a Labour source told Sky News.

“The New Labour settlement – which had near zero strikes – is our aim,” they added – language designed to appeal to business leaders not appease union barons.

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Others worry some parts of Sir Keir Starmer’s regime appear more than happy to form an alliance with the most truculent left wing Labour union, Unite, to imply this whole agenda was watered down just before the summer at the National Policy Forum discussions between party figures and trade unions.

Anything that jeopardises the headline priority – growth – and impedes improving relations with the unions, is not a priority, they believe.

Yet this all comes at a cost.

“I do worry we’re not prepared to be exciting enough,” said one member of the shadow cabinet wanting the party to go big on the rights agenda.

While some changes to water down the agenda were indeed made pre-summer, and a couple of policy details softened, the vast swathe obtained by Sky News suggests a more meaty agenda than many realise – including a bill promised in the first 100 days of government.

Sky News understands the overall package includes:

• Gradual return of collective bargaining through ‘Fair Pay Agreements’

This is potentially the most far reaching and controversial change, with Labour naming social care – a sector it believes is in massive crisis – as the first sector it intends to target for a new system.

New bodies would negotiate minimum terms and conditions binding on all employees in a sector. This could mean some sectors could have a higher minimum level of pay than the minimum wage. The agreements could cover pay, pensions, working time, holidays, health and safety and training.

Labour concedes this will take time – “we need to get the architecture right” – and that this will not be right for many bits of the economy.

• Ban fire and rehire

At the moment businesses are meant to make contractual changes to employees’ working conditions through agreement but they currently have the right to do so unilaterally by terminating their contracts and re-hiring them on new ones.

This is designed to be used only in “exceptional” circumstances only but Labour says it’s being abused. Labour has committed to outlawing this practice by “adapting unfair dismissal and redundancy legislation to prevent workers being dismissed for failing to agree to a worse contract”.

• ‘Day 1’ employment rights

At the moment, the law leaves workers waiting up to two years to access some of their rights. Labour says it will end this “arbitrary” system and scrap qualifying time for basic rights, such as unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave.

Labour is keen to stress this is not a two-year ban on dismissal and would not impact anyone being given a probationary period by their employer.

• Ban on ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts

This will give employees the right to request a contract reflecting the hours they work after they have been there for 12 weeks. Workers will have a right to decline to use this right. Labour says some details still need to be worked through on how to do this, and this is one of the areas where the provisions have been watered down before the summer.

• Repeal of 2016 Cameron and 2022 Sunak anti-union legislation

Labour says this will rewind the clock to the 2010 settlement on trade union laws. The 2016 Trade Union Act introduced a new requirement of 50% of union members to vote in a ballot for strike action.

It would also change the laws to allow strikes by electronic ballot rather than on paper, which the party argues brings it in line with how the Conservative Party elects its leader.

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• Right to switch off

Labour said last year it would bring in a “right to switch off” so working from home does not become homes turning into 24/7 offices.

Labour says it is looking at Belgium, where from April companies with 20+ employees must have a written document setting out a policy on the right to disconnect. It’s looking at Italy too, where “smart workers” whose job takes place partially off premises must have a written agreement where bosses “specify technical and organisational measures” so workers have a “right to disconnect from company devices”. And Ireland also has a new code of practice.

However, Labour is clear this does not mean you can “never” speak to employees outside working hours, and points to evidence that overseas, these new rights are not a regular feature of tribunals. In Ireland, for instance, the code has meant employees are adding disclaimers to their emails explaining they don’t expect an urgent response.

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• Minimum wage

Last year Labour called for the minimum wage to be a minimum of £10 per hour. However, the government raised the rate from April to £10.42 for over 23s from £9.50 so Labour may up the ante this conference season. Labour has previously said it would ban unpaid internships except when they are part of an education or training course.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner board a train to Selby, North Yorkshire at Kings Cross station in London to meet with newly elected MP Keir Mather after his success in the Selby and Ainsty by-election. Picture date: Friday July 21, 2023.

The Tories are desperate to give this agenda the highest profile possible, and expected to go further tightening strike laws in the coming days. It wants to implement anti-strike laws passed last year making unions responsible for minimum levels of workforce in certain sectors, and need to pass secondary legislation to make this work. This is a fight that it wants. Will Labour let the Tories have it by leaning into the issue from tomorrow?

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Starmer and Macron agree need for ‘new deterrent’ to stop small boat crossings

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Starmer and Macron agree need for 'new deterrent' to stop small boat crossings

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have agreed the need for a “new deterrent” to deter small boats crossings in the Channel, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister met Mr Macron this afternoon as part of the French president’s state visit to the UK, which began on Tuesday.

High up the agenda for the two leaders is the need to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel, which Mr Macron said yesterday was a “burden” for both the UK and France.

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The small boats crisis is a pressing issue for the prime minister, given that more than 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in the first six months of this year – a rise of almost 50% on the number crossing in 2024.

Sir Keir is hoping he can reach a deal for a one-in one-out return treaty with France, ahead of the UK-France summit on Thursday, which will involve ministerial teams from both nations.

The deal would see those crossing the Channel illegally sent back to France in exchange for Britain taking in any asylum seeker with a family connection in the UK.

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However, it is understood the deal is still in the balance, with some EU countries unhappy about France and the UK agreeing on a bilateral deal.

French newspaper Le Monde reports that up to 50 small boat migrants could be sent back to France each week, starting from August, as part of an agreement between Sir Keir and Mr Macron.

A statement from Downing Street said: “The prime minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street this afternoon.

“They reflected on the state visit of the president so far, agreeing that it had been an important representation of the deep ties between our two countries.

“Moving on to discuss joint working, they shared their desire to deepen our partnership further – from joint leadership in support of Ukraine to strengthening our defence collaboration and increasing bilateral trade and investment.”

It added: “The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.

“The prime minister spoke of his government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.

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“The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.”

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, seized on the statement to criticise Labour for scrapping the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, which the Tories claim would have sent asylum seekers “entering the UK illegally” to Rwanda.

He said in an online post: “We had a deterrent ready to go, where every single illegal immigrant arriving over the Channel would be sent to Rwanda.

“But Starmer cancelled this before it had a chance to start.

“Now, a year later, he’s realised he made a massive mistake. That’s why numbers have surged and this year so far has been the worst in history for illegal channel crossings.

“Starmer is weak and incompetent and he’s lost control of our borders.”

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Ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry defects to Reform

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Ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry defects to Reform

Ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry has defected to Reform, in the latest blow to the Conservatives.

The former MP for Rossendale and Darwen, who served as Northern Powerhouse minister under Boris Johnson and lost his seat last year, said he had defected to Nigel Farage’s party because the Tories had “lost their way”.

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Reform UK confirmed the defection to Sky News, which was first broken by The Sun.

Speaking to the paper, Sir Jake said Mr Farage’s party was the “last chance to pull Britain back from terminal decline”.

“Our streets are completely lawless,” he said.

“Migration is out of control. Taxes are going through the roof.

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“And day after day, I hear from people in my community and beyond who say the same thing: ‘This isn’t the Britain I grew up in’.”

Sir Jake accused his former party of “abandoning the British people” but said he was not “giving up”.

“I’m staying. And I’m fighting.

“Fighting for the Britain I want my kids, and one day, my grandkids, to grow up in.”

Mr Farage welcomed what he said was “a very brave decision” by Sir Jake.

“His admission that the Conservative government he was part of broke the country is unprecedented and principled,” he added.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Reform support increasing the benefits bill by removing the two-child cap, and nationalising British industry. By contrast the Conservatives, under new leadership, will keep making the case for sound money, lower taxes and bringing the welfare bill under control.

“We wish Jake well in his new high spend, high tax party.”

Sir Jake’s defection to Reform comes just days after former Conservative cabinet minister David Jones joined Reform UK, which continues to lead in the polls.

European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois (left), and deputy chair David Jones, speak to the media outside Portcullis House, Westminster
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Former Welsh secretary David Jones (R) alongside Tory MP Mark Francois. Pic: PA

Mr Jones, who was MP for Clwyd West from 2005 until standing down in 2024, said he had quit the Tories after “more than 50 years of continuous membership”.

Sir Jake was the MP Rossendale and Darwen in Lancashire between 2010 and 2024, when he was defeated by Labour’s Andy MacNae.

He held several ministerial posts including in the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Energy and Climate Change and the Cabinet Office.

Nigel Farage holds up six fingers to indicate the six votes his party's candidate won by in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Nigel Farage after winning the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.
Pic: Reuters

He was also chairman of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022, under Liz Truss.

Announcing his defection – which comes a year after the Tories suffered their worst ever election defeat – Sir Jake said “Britain was broken” and “the Conservative governments I was part of share the blame”.

“We now have a tax system that punishes hard work and ambition,” he said.

“Just this week, we saw record numbers of our brightest and best people leaving Britain because they can’t see a future here. At the same time, our benefits system is pulling in the world’s poor with no plan for integration and no control over who comes in.

“If you were deliberately trying to wreck the country, you’d be hard-pressed to do a better job than the last two decades of Labour and Tory rule.

“Millions of people, just like me, want a country they can be proud of again. The only way we get that is with Reform in government. That’s why I’ve resigned from the Conservative Party. I’m now backing Reform UK and working to make them the next party of government.”

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He added: “And with Nigel Farage leading Reform, we’ve got someone the country can actually trust. He doesn’t change his views to fit the mood of the day. And people respect that. So do I. That’s why I believe he should be our next prime minister.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Not content with taking advice from Liz Truss, Nigel Farage has now tempted her Tory Party chairman into his ranks.

“It’s clear Farage wants Liz Truss’s reckless economics, which crashed our economy and sent mortgages spiralling, to be Reform’s blueprint for Britain. It’s a recipe for disaster and working people would be left paying the price.”

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Controversial welfare bill passes final Commons stage – but only after another concession

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Controversial welfare bill passes final Commons stage - but only after another concession

Sir Keir Starmer’s watered down welfare bill has passed its final stage in the Commons, after another concession was made to MPs.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill passed by 336 votes to 242 on Wednesday night – a majority of 94.

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In a bid to thwart further opposition to the bill following last week’s climbdown, the government said it would not try to introduce any more reforms to personal independence payments (PIP) until a review by work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms on the assessment process has concluded.

Sir Stephen said he wanted to finish his review by next autumn, but that the government would not agree to complete the review in 12 months as some MPs wanted.

Marie Tidball, the Labour MP who had called for the 12-month limit, later signalled she was happy with the government’s compromise.

Ministers also agreed to her calls to have a majority of the taskforce looking at PIP to be disabled or from disability organisations, and for the outcome of the review to come before any PIP changes. It will also be voted on by MPs.

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A total of 47 Labour MPs have rebelled against the government to vote against its welfare reforms.

Mother of the House Diane Abbott, former minister Dawn Butler, Andy McDonald, Stella Creasy and Jonathan Brash were among those in the “no” lobby.

Meanwhile, MPs rejected a separate amendment by Green MP Sian Berry, which called for the basic rate of universal credit to increase by 4.8% above inflation each year until 2030.

A total of 39 Labour MPs voted for scrapping the clauses that halved Universal Credit for new claimants – the only major cut left in the bill after the government made its concessions.

The passing of the bill will come as a relief to Sir Keir Starmer, who last week was forced into a humiliating climbdown over his flagship welfare package in the face of significant opposition from his own MPs.

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Prior to the vote last Tuesday, the government offered significant concessions including exempting existing personal independence payment claimants (PIP) from stricter new criteria and only freezing and cutting the universal credit health top-up for new applications.

As the vote last week unfolded, it offered further confessions amid concerns the bill could be voted down – notably, that changes in eligibility for PIP would not take place until a review he is carrying out into the benefit is published in autumn 2026.

They ended up voting for only one part of the plan: a cut to Universal Credit (UC) sickness benefits for new claimants from £97 a week to £50 from 2026/7.

A total of 49 Labour MPs voted against the bill – the largest rebellion in a prime minister’s first year in office since 47 MPs voted against Tony Blair’s Lone Parent benefit in 1997, according to Professor Phil Cowley from Queen Mary University.

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