Starmer facing Labour backlash over ‘sellout’ U-turn on employment rights bill – UK politics live

By Andrew Sparrow · The Guardian World

Minister denies unfair dismissal policy U-turn is breach of manifesto pledge but unions and Labour MPs criticise decision Good morning. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves spent yesterday denying that Labour broke a manifesto promise with its tax-raising budget. Given that Reeves had been expected to freeze income tax thresholds for weeks, it was a rather stale argument that did not go anywhere new. Then, late yesterday afternoon, the government opened up another broken manifesto argument with a surprise announcement about a U-turn on the employment rights bill. Here is our overnight story by Jessica Elgot and Richard Partington. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, has claimed that the U-turn does not breach Labour’s manifesto . If you read what the manifesto said , it is hard to argue that this decision does not contradict it. But, in a clip for broadcasters last night, Kyle gave it a go. He argued: We also promised in the manifesto that we would bring people together, that this would not be legislation, that this would not be legislations that pits one side against another … The manifesto committed to day one rights. We are committing to day one rights. The manifesto committed us to finding compromise … and we are delivering on that. Sharon Graham, leader of Unite, one of the two biggest unions in Britain and a major donor to Labour, has denounced the U-turn. She said: The employment rights bill is a shell of its former self. With fire and rehire and zero hours contracts not being banned, the Bill is already unrecognisable. These constant row backs will only damage workers’ confidence that the protections promised will be worth the wait. Labour needs to keep its promises. Some Labour MPs have condemned the U-turn, with one calling it a “sellout”. This is from Andy McDonald , a former shadow cabinet minister. We can all read the manifesto ourselves and, and it says that we’ll deliver day one rights and that includes unfair dismissal. We’re no longer doing it, so we’re…