Rayner rules out devolving employment law
◆ Labour’s deputy leader says she wants to see good workplace practices implemented across the whole of the UK
The deputy leader of the UK Labour Party has ruled out devolving employment law to Scotland should her party win power at the next general election.
Angela Rayner said she wanted to see good employment practices implemented across the whole of the UK.
The SNP has repeatedly called for the full devolution of employment law. It insisted neither the Conservatives nor Labour can be trusted to protect hard-fought workers’ rights
Labour has pledged to tackle insecure work by giving workers the right to protection against unfair dismissal, sick pay from day one and parental leave. The party would also ban zero-hour contracts and fire and rehire policies.
Asked if she would commit to the devolution of employment law, Ms Rayner said this would not be needed. She added: “I want employment law across the whole of the United Kingdom to be uplifted and better. That’s why we’ve got a new deal for working people. I want a new deal for working people to be here in Scotland, so that we have those protections of employment law.
“Look, I’m a Greater Manchester MP, I saw what the Tories did during furlough – they tried to give us less because we were northern, you know, we don’t need as much in our area. I don’t want to see those disparities. I want to see us having real, good employment practices across the whole of the United Kingdom. So the new deal for working people will be in effect across the board, rather than it being split off between the different nations.
“That’s what I want to see, and that’s the focus I’ve got. So whether you’re in Manchester or Edinburgh, you will have good employment practices under a UK Labour Government.”
She added: “My focus is on getting the new deal for working people across the United Kingdom, not devolving that particular issue. That’s what I want to see.”
Ms Rayner made the comments during a visit to the Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries training college in Glasgow with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. He said Labour had a “bold, radical plan” on workers’ rights.
David Linden, the SNP’S social justice spokesman, said: “Labour and the Tories have worked hand-in-glove for years to block the devolution of employment law to Scotland. Instead, Westminster has focused its efforts on imposing an agenda of austerity that Scotland didn’t vote for. With regressive policies like the Anti-strike Bill, it is clear workers’ rights are under a concerted attack.
“Neither the Tories nor Labour at Westminster can be trusted to protect these hard-fought rights. Power over employment law must be handed to Scotland’s Parliament where workers’ rights can be defended and strengthened under progressive leadership.
“Labour once proudly brandished itself the party of the workers. How far they have fallen under Sir Keir Starmer, that they would rather the rights of Scottish workers were ripped up by Westminster, than protected at Holyrood.
“With the full powers of independence, we can escape this broken Westminster system, strengthen workers’ rights and enshrine them into Scotland’s written constitution for good.”
Ms Rayner also suggested yesterday the party’s candidate in a key by-election in Scotland would not be disciplined for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap.
She said Michael Shanks, who is standing in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, would not be the first Labour MP to defy the whip.
Mr Shanks previously said he would vote to abolish the cap, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said scrapping it will not be party policy going into the next general election.
However, Ms Rayner indicated Labour is examining the rape clause, which forces women to declare their child was conceived as a result of rape to be entitled to benefits. She said it was “appalling”, adding: “We will be looking at that and we will be putting our priorities forward at the general election.”
Ms Rayner was visiting the Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries training college in Glasgow with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Asked if Mr Shanks would be suspended from Labour if he voted against the twochild benefit cap on a three
My focus is on getting the new deal for working people
Angela Rayner
line whip in Westminster, she said: “That’s not how we work in the Labour Party. Obviously, if backbench MPS vote against the whip then – they do do that from time to time, and they have done that. Obviously our frontbench MPS, it's slightly different for us because we are the frontbench and we're in that field.
“But he’s right to raise issues. The Labour Party and MPS raise issues all the time. I raise issues, I argue my case. But we have a collective responsibility as a shadow cabinet to take things forward, and we’re a government-in-waiting, and that means that we have to make difficult choices because we can’t fund everything, because the Tories crashed the economy and they’ve left us in a very difficult place. ”That’s not saying that we haven’t got a child poverty strategy, and as we get into government, as we grow the economy and have more money, that we can’t do things to help and alleviate difficulties.”
Ms Rayner said Mr Shanks “wouldn’t be the first Labour MP to vote against a vote that we've had in Parliament”. She said: “He will be the voice of the people that he's there to represent “The SNP has accused Labour of being engulfed in division and disharmony over the two-child cap and other issues. The parties are fighting for the by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, expected in October.