Workers’ rights fines will harm growth and jobs, small businesses warn September 3, 2024 The government risks “reversing economic growth” and disincentivising hiring if it pursues plans to issue “punitive” fines to businesses that breach its workers’ rights plan, industry leaders have warned. Businesses face paying thousands of pounds in fines if they fall foul of the new protections that Labour are hoping to introduce, it was revealed on [...]
Supermarket and McDonald’s bosses to meet ministers over workers’ rights reforms September 2, 2024 Bosses from UK supermarkets and McDonald’s are set to meet government ministers to be updated on plans for new laws around workers rights. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds will join John Lewis CEO Nish Kankiwala; Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts; Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer at the Co-Op; and [...]
‘No plans’ to raise council tax but cut to discount not ruled out September 2, 2024 The government has no plans to increase English council taxes, Angela Rayner confirmed, but she declined to say whether she would scrap the single person discount to the bill. The deputy Prime Minister, who is also the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said her government “is about making sure working people [...]
Workers’ rights: New agency to issue businesses with large fines September 2, 2024 Businesses face paying large fines from a newly formed agency if they are found to have breached Labour’s proposed workers’ rights laws. As Parliament returns this week, ministers are reportedly weighing up the practicalities of the far-reaching package that includes controversial reforms like a ban on “exploitative” zero hours contracts, granting day-one rights after probation, [...]
Labour’s mutant algorithm will put houses in places that need them least August 5, 2024 Why has Labour reduced building targets in areas where the housing crisis is most acute – like London – while blanketing more affordable places, like Burnley, with new development? It all comes down to the algorithm, explains Josh Coupland On Tuesday, newly crowned yimby queen, Angela Rayner announced a raft of measures to get Britain [...]
Rayner must defy her own backbenchers and build, baby, build July 31, 2024 Angela Rayner has clearly been reading City A.M.. In a statement to the House of Commons yesterday the housing secretary outlined plans to build 370,000 homes a year, in a clear victory for our Build, Baby, Build campaign. The challenge now is to realise that ambition in bricks and mortar. It is encouraging, then, that [...]
Move to cut London’s housebuilding target raises eyebrows July 30, 2024 Angela Rayner’s decision to cut London’s housing target has raised some eyebrows given the severe housing crisis facing Londoners. In a speech in the House of Commons this afternoon, the deputy Prime Minister confirmed that mandatory housing targets would be reinstated for local authorities among a swathe of other planning changes. But the new target [...]
UK restores housebuilding targets and sets out green belt review in planning push July 30, 2024 Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves’ Labour government has unveiled a series of reforms to the planning system, including a review of the green belt, to help address “the most acute housing crisis in living memory.” Under new policies confirmed today, local authorities will again be given mandatory housing targets to help “pave the way” to [...]
Getting ‘everyone in the room’ won’t cut it, Labour must be ready to cause upset July 23, 2024 To govern as an ‘adult’, Labour must confront the hard decisions now and be ready to cause some controversy, writes James Nation.
How realistic is Labour’s plan to reform the planning system? July 9, 2024 Labour has promised to move fast and break things to get Britain building again, but will their plan actually work?