Rights & wrong
HOW can a party founded to protect workers appear so intent on destroying the labour market?
As its flagship employment rights policy goes before the Lords tomorrow, even the Government’s favourite think tank is warning it will blight job prospects for millions, bankrupt businesses and do little to help employees.
The workers’ rights bill — championed by disgraced ex-deputy PM Angela Rayner — will allow sacked staff to claim unfair dismissal from day one.
But firms already forced to cut recruitment because of the Chancellor’s growth-destroying National Insurance hike will almost certainly have to trim their hiring further rather than risk being sued by failing employees eyeing an undeserved compensation pay-out.
The number of people on payrolls is already down 127,000 since Rachel Reeves’ first Budget and nearly 30,000 businesses have collapsed under Labour.
The left-wing Resolution Foundation — founded to improve living standards for low earners — warns the new bill will “inhibit hiring”, offer “little obvious gain to workers” and “only benefit employment lawyers”, while plunging tribunal courts into crisis.
The Government must know it is a disaster waiting to happen.
But will Sir Keir Starmer have the guts to face down his union masters and his back-benchers and water down the proposals before it’s too late?
We need cuts
HISTORY shows you cannot tax your way to growth.
While the Chancellor contemplates hitting hard-working Brits with yet more taxes to fill the financial black hole created by the Government’s own woeful choices, the growth she says is her No1 priority will only become more elusive.
As anyone juggling household finances knows, you can’t keep spending beyond your means and make ends meet.
Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King has waded in to state the obvious: cutting Government spending is the only way to get Britain out of the doom loop the Chancellor has put us in.
Ruinous spending on unproductive Government departments and unaccountable quangos and the obsession with Net Zero cannot go on.
And the out-of-control welfare bill will bankrupt this country unless the Government makes meaningful cuts.
True shambles
JUST when you thought the Home Office could not be more inept, a new Commons inquiry lays bare the mismanagement.
Billions have been squandered on migrant hotels while putting communities under “unsustainable pressure”.
MPs are demanding the closure of all migrant hotels as soon as possible.
How about housing migrants in the Home Office? It’s not good for much else.
