Newslinks for Friday 28th November 2025 | Conservative Home

Labour abandons manifesto pledge of ‘day one’ workers protection after Tories’ pressure

“Labour were last night forced into a panicked u-turn on their flagship workers rights package following fury from businesses. Ministers have jettisoned a key manifesto pledge to give employees the ability to sue bosses for unfair dismissal on their very first day in a job. It marks a drastic watering down of the Employment Rights package that was championed by Angela Rayner and has sparked anger from a major union. The revised legislation will now decrease the timeframe workers can lodge an unfair dismissal claim from two years to six months, rather than one day. Employees will still be entitled to immediate sick pay and paternity leave when the legislation kicks in from April 2026. The rowback – first revealed by The Sun tonight – expose Sir Keir Starmer to breaking another manifesto vow fresh off the back of raising taxes on workers. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “This is yet another humiliating u-turn. Labour talk about stability but govern in chaos. No company can plan, invest or hire with this level of uncertainty hanging over them.” But she said the rest of the legislation is still bad for business and would be “terrible for economic growth.” The measures could cost firms £5billion a year and risk being passed on to staff through smaller pay rises and hidden taxes which reduce wages over time.” – The Sun

• Starmer rips up Rayner’s workers’ rights bill – Daily Telegraph
• Government to ditch day-one unfair dismissal policy from workers’ rights bill – The Guardian
• Starmer faces Labour revolt over ‘day one’ workers’ rights reforms – The Times
• Business Secretary insists ‘no manifesto breach’ over U-turn on day-one protection from unfair dismissal – Sky News
• Now ditch the rest of it! Labour under pressure to scrap Angela Rayner’s workers’ rights revolution after dropping ‘job killing’ plan to let staff sue their boss from day one – Daily Mail

Comment:

• This shambles of a Budget was far from the boost that business needed – Andrew Griffith, Daily Telegraph
• Starmer has completely lost control. Things can only get worse – Annabel Denham, Daily Telegraph
• As a working-class girl, I don’t see Angela Rayner as an inspiration – she’s just an embarrassment – Jan Moir, Daily Mail

The brain drain from Starmer’s socialist chaos

“Britain is facing a new ‘brain drain’ that threatens to add to the pain of Rachel Reeves‘ disastrous Budget. Official figures on Thursday revealed an exodus of young Britons while asylum seekers now make up nearly half of net migration. As Ms Reeves struggles with her drive for growth, such stark changes risk putting even more strain on the public purse and dragging down the economy yet further, experts warn. Taxpayers face footing an ‘intolerable burden’ to support migrants arriving here, they said, while this week’s Budget is likely to drive away even more young people. Overall net migration – the difference between those arriving to live long-term in the UK minus those emigrating – plummeted to 204,000 in the year to June, the Office for National Statistics said, on the back of a series of tough Tory measures.  But the number of asylum seekers coming to Britain has surged to a record high, meaning they make up a far greater share of the numbers. Meanwhile, 174,000 16-to 34-year-olds fled Labour’s high-tax state in the year to March, accounting for just over two-thirds of Britons leaving the country, the ONS said… Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘It is a day of shame for the Government. Nearly half of net migration is asylum seekers, many of whom arrived illegally. Around half of asylum seekers do not end up getting a job, meaning hard-pressed taxpayers are being fleeced to fund a benefits bonanza for illegal immigrants. This puts an intolerable, multi-billion pound burden on the nation’s finances.’ Mr Philp added: ‘This “brain drain” will only get worse after Labour’s punishing Budget this week.’” – Daily Mail

• Migration plunges as more Brits flee UK and work visas fall – amid fears over ‘brain drain’ and ‘wealth exodus’ – LBC News
• Britons let down by governments on immigration, Trump officials say – The Times
• UK government denies brain drain due to high tax burden – CityAM
• Starmer denies ditching two-child benefit cap to avoid leadership challenge – Daily Telegraph
• Young people are fleeing Britain – The Spectator

Comment:

• Budget breaks social contract with the young – Emma Duncan, The Times
• Rachel Reeves has not just picked workers’ pockets… she’s mugged them at knifepoint – Julia Hartley-Brewer, The Sun
• Our welfare bill is ballooning – and our pathetic politicians are to blame – Ian Birrell, The i
• Under Labour’s metrics, simply removing the rich eliminates poverty – Theodore Dalrymple, Daily Telegraph
• The end of the state pension triple-lock just became inevitable – Isabel Hardman, The i

> Today:

> Yesterday:

Budget benefits fallout continues

“Jobless parents hailed Rachel Reeves’ quids-for-kids Budget as “a dream come true” yesterday and vowed to cash in by sparking a baby boom. They spoke of their joy after the Chancellor scrapped the two-child benefits cap and raised taxes to their highest level in history to pay for it. More than half a million families will get an extra £5,310 a year, with workers expected to foot the colossal £3billion bill. Critics labelled it a Budget for Benefits Street, as fury mounted over Ms Reeves’ decision to put skivers ahead of strivers. Yesterday, the Chancellor and PM Sir Keir Starmer visited a community centre in Rugby, Warks, to tell working families how the “fair” Budget will deliver change. But Tories said Ms Reeves’ fiscal measures would attract at least 25,000 more on to state hand-outs. For those out-of-work, there was relief and jubilation and a promise to reap the rewards by having more children and staying at home. Pregnant mum-of-two Juliette Howard, 25, will see her benefits soar from £28,628 to £32,480 a year. That includes Universal Credit, additional vouchers, discounts and other elements offered by the government, local councils, the NHS and schools. She would need to find a job paying £40,320 before tax to earn the equivalent sum. The former cleaner, of Melton Mowbray, Leics, said she now wants five children and is keen to remain a stay-at-home mum.” – The Sun

• Badenoch defends calling chancellor ‘spineless’ in Budget row – BBC News
• What residents of TV’s Benefits Street say about Reeves’ welfare bonanza: From ‘more money is good news’ to ‘they’re getting free money’ – Daily Mail
• Rachel Reeves’ uncle blasts Budget as ‘worse I’ve ever heard’ as he breaks ranks & says Labour ‘is out of their depth’ – The Sun
• ‘Benefits before bullets’: Fury as £2.6billion defence black hole leaves Royal Navy warships delayed – Daily Mail
• Education Secretary Privately Reassures Labour MPs Over “Misleading” OBR Claims About SEND – PoliticsHome

Comment:

• Badenoch’s budget-day performance showed she’d finally arrived – Sebastian Payne, The Times
• Reeves has finally given the Tories a route back from the wilderness – James Frayne, Daily Telegraph
• Did party-pleasing Rachel Reeves forget the voters? – Patrick Maguire, The Times
• Wealth taxes, union bungs and yet another pension raid – I predicted them all the day Labour were elected. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you – Richard Littlejohn, Daily Mail

> Yesterday:

News in brief:

• Starmer’s workers’ rights U-turn is a small victory for business – Ross Clark, The Spectator
• Blue Labour has come too late – David Littlefair, UnHerd
• The Budget’s attack on racing – Stephen Pollard, The Critic
• Labour have set our economy on a path to ruin – Damian Pudner, CapX