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Peers told they risk ‘constitutional crisis’ after surprise vote to continue blocking employment rights bill
Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer announced the creation of 25 Labour new peers. About an hour or so later, the government lost an important vote on the employment rights bill – by 24 votes.
The defeat was unexpected, because the government already announced a significant U-turn on the bill, as part a compromise deal negotiated with business and unions intended to ensure the legislation clears the Lords quickly. What is going to happen next is not yet clear.
Here is the PA Media story on the Lords vote.
Flagship workers’ rights reforms face a further holdup as peers inflicted a defeat over a late change linked to the government concession on unfair dismissal that has been branded “a job destroyer”.
The latest setback means a continuation of the parliamentary tussle over the employment rights bill known as “ping-pong”, when legislation is batted between the Commons and Lords until agreement is reached.
In an attempt to end the stand-off, the government recently ditched its election pledge to give employees day-one protection against unfair dismissal and instead accepted a six-month qualifying period for the workplace safeguard, demanded by the upper chamber.
However, alongside this it introduced at the 11th hour a measure to scrap the compensation caps for unfair dismissal, which are currently the lower of 52 weeks’ pay or £118,223.
The government insists this formed part of the compromise agreement reached with business groups and trade unions although this is disputed.
With the clock ticking down to the Christmas recess, peers backed by 244 votes to 220, majority 24, a Tory call to force a review of the existing compensation limits, which ministers are seeking to remove.
The fresh defeat has sparked an angry response from the unions, with unelected members accused of “defying the will of the British public” and told to “move out the way”.
But speaking in the Lords, Tory shadow business minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom said: “The constitutional implications of introducing major new policy at ping-pong are profound.”
He added: “This is not obstruction. It is the bare minimum that a competent administration should undertake.”
Speaking after the vote, Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, said:
Continuing to vote down the employment rights bill – a clear manifesto commitment – is undemocratic. This bill has been debated and scrutinised for months. Tory Peers are actively defying the will of the British public and their own supporters who overwhelmingly support measures in this bill.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, went further. He said:
The behaviour of the House of Lords can no longer be seen as constructive scrutiny and increasingly looks like cynical wrecking tactics that risk a constitutional crisis if they continue.
Further delay is in nobody’s interests and only prolongs uncertainty, the bill must pass before Christmas including lifting the caps on compensation.
The Lords vote came as Starmer was also facing criticism over the fact that he has now appointed almost 100 new peers to the Lords, an institution he once suggested he would abolish.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly performance figures.
Morning: Keir Starmer is on a visit in Norfolk promoting government policy on buses.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2pm: Starmer holds a further video call with ‘coalition of the willing’ leaders, after a call yesterday with Donald Trump involved “pretty strong words”, according to the president.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
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MPs should sit if necessary at weekend to get employment rights bill passed before Christmas, union leader says
The Fire Brigades Union is saying Keir Starmer should if necessary force MPs to sit over the weekend to ensure that the employment rights bill will become law before Christmas.
The Commons is due to rise a week today for the Christmas recess, but the employment rights bill cannot become law until the dispute between the elected house and the Lords is resolved. (See 8.42am.) Commenting on the vote in the Lords last night, Steve Wright, the FBU general secretary, said:
For 14 years, the Tories hammered the living standards of working people. They are now using the unelected Lords to continue that policy.
This is a disgraceful attempt to subvert democracy. The employment rights bill was a clear manifesto commitment, and the electorate has backed it.
The Labour government cannot allow the Tories to use their inbuilt majority in the Lords to deny workers protection against unfair dismissal and zero-hour contracts.
There must be no more watering-down of the bill. Keir Starmer must prioritise the urgent delivery of the legislation - and get it passed before the Christmas recess. If that means MPs must sit on a Saturday, as the Commons did during Brexit, then so be it.
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Peers told they risk ‘constitutional crisis’ after surprise vote to continue blocking employment rights bill
Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer announced the creation of 25 Labour new peers. About an hour or so later, the government lost an important vote on the employment rights bill – by 24 votes.
The defeat was unexpected, because the government already announced a significant U-turn on the bill, as part a compromise deal negotiated with business and unions intended to ensure the legislation clears the Lords quickly. What is going to happen next is not yet clear.
Here is the PA Media story on the Lords vote.
Flagship workers’ rights reforms face a further holdup as peers inflicted a defeat over a late change linked to the government concession on unfair dismissal that has been branded “a job destroyer”.
The latest setback means a continuation of the parliamentary tussle over the employment rights bill known as “ping-pong”, when legislation is batted between the Commons and Lords until agreement is reached.
In an attempt to end the stand-off, the government recently ditched its election pledge to give employees day-one protection against unfair dismissal and instead accepted a six-month qualifying period for the workplace safeguard, demanded by the upper chamber.
However, alongside this it introduced at the 11th hour a measure to scrap the compensation caps for unfair dismissal, which are currently the lower of 52 weeks’ pay or £118,223.
The government insists this formed part of the compromise agreement reached with business groups and trade unions although this is disputed.
With the clock ticking down to the Christmas recess, peers backed by 244 votes to 220, majority 24, a Tory call to force a review of the existing compensation limits, which ministers are seeking to remove.
The fresh defeat has sparked an angry response from the unions, with unelected members accused of “defying the will of the British public” and told to “move out the way”.
But speaking in the Lords, Tory shadow business minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom said: “The constitutional implications of introducing major new policy at ping-pong are profound.”
He added: “This is not obstruction. It is the bare minimum that a competent administration should undertake.”
Speaking after the vote, Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, said:
Continuing to vote down the employment rights bill – a clear manifesto commitment – is undemocratic. This bill has been debated and scrutinised for months. Tory Peers are actively defying the will of the British public and their own supporters who overwhelmingly support measures in this bill.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union, went further. He said:
The behaviour of the House of Lords can no longer be seen as constructive scrutiny and increasingly looks like cynical wrecking tactics that risk a constitutional crisis if they continue.
Further delay is in nobody’s interests and only prolongs uncertainty, the bill must pass before Christmas including lifting the caps on compensation.
The Lords vote came as Starmer was also facing criticism over the fact that he has now appointed almost 100 new peers to the Lords, an institution he once suggested he would abolish.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: NHS England publishes its monthly performance figures.
Morning: Keir Starmer is on a visit in Norfolk promoting government policy on buses.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2pm: Starmer holds a further video call with ‘coalition of the willing’ leaders, after a call yesterday with Donald Trump involved “pretty strong words”, according to the president.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
