May makes grab for the centre ground with review of workers’ rights

PM appoints former Blair adviser to consider how to protect self-employed and temporary staff

THERESA MAY is to launch a review of workers’ rights, paving the way for new laws to protect the self-employed and temporary staff.

The Prime Minister spoke of building “a new centre ground for British politics” as she announced the review, which will ensure that employment protections are “keeping pace with the changing world of work”.

She has appointed Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair, to conduct the work, a sign that she is deliberately seeking to appeal to Labour voters who have been alienated by Jeremy Corbyn and the hard Left.

But the move is likely to anger business leaders, who had hoped for less red tape after Britain leaves the European Union.

Under David Cameron, a similar exercise was carried out by Adrian Beecroft, a venture capitalist.

The Beecroft review recommended scrapping swathes of employment legislation that was seen as a drag on enterprise but the proposals were blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

Mrs May’s review, announced on the eve of the Conservative Party con- ference, will examine concerns that six million people are missing out on standard workplace rights such as maternity leave, holiday pay, sick pay and pensions.

It will also look at whether the National Living Wage is being undermined and the extent to which zerohours contracts and other emerging practices may leave workers with the commitments of full-time work but without the benefits.

The decision to put someone who was such an influential New Labour figure in charge of the review is par- ticularly symbolic given Mr Blair’s success in appealing to both working-class voters and middle England.

Referring to her promise made on the steps of Downing Street when she took over, Mrs May said: “We are building a new centre ground in British politics; improving the security and rights of ordinary working people is a key part of building a country and an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

She said that “flexibility and innovation” were a vital part of what makes the nation’s economy so strong, “but it is essential that these virtues are combined with the right support and protections for workers”. Citing record numbers in work, and an unemployment rate almost half the EU average, Mrs May added: “That’s a proud record, but … we need to be certain that employment regulation and practices are keeping pace with changing world of work.”

A total of 4.8 million people are selfemployed, 900,000 are on zero-hours contracts and 1.7 million are in temporary work.

Mr Taylor is chief executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragements of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He will examine how the changing economy has affected workers in six key areas.

As well as job security and rights, the review will address whether people are receiving the right training; whether they need new forms of workplace representation outside traditional unions; and whether technology can create new opportunities for the elderly and disabled.

It will look at examples such as the California App Based Drivers Association, which lobbies companies such as Uber on behalf of their drivers.

It comes as the national minimum wage for young workers today rises to £6.95, equivalent to a £450 pay rise for half a million low-paid workers.

Mr Taylor said: “New forms of employment have many advantages for workers and consumers but there are challenges and risks.”

‘Improving the security of ordinary working people is a key part of building a country that works for all’

SIR – I have a degree of sympathy for Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe (report, September 30), who was appointed as Metropolitan Police Commissioner at a time when the effects of the unrealistic police budget cuts championed by the then home secretary, Theresa May, were beginning to bite.

However, with only three years’ experience in the Metropolitan Police before his appointment, he was not suitable for the demanding role. He was probably viewed as a person who was unlikely to challenge further police reform and budget cuts planned by the government. He was indecisive as to whether he would use police regulations to force experienced officers to retire. He remained silent when he should have intervened to provide clear leadership over “Plebgate”. He has overseen the closure of a third of police stations and allowed successful Safer Neighbourhoods teams to disappear.

While I accept that he had a very difficult job in very testing circumstances, he will leave a fine force fractured, overburdened, unsupported and with low morale. Clifford Baxter Wareham, Dorset