Blair’s former policy chief Matthew Taylor to lead Fair Work Agency
Labour has appointed Tony Blair’s former policy chief to lead Britain’s new jobs market watchdog being created by the government to enforce its strengthening of workers’ rights.Matthew Taylor, who led the influential Taylor report on the gig economy and modern working practices for Theresa May’s government, will become the chair of the Fair Work Agency when the body launches next April.The new watchdog will form a key plank of Labour’s proposals to drastically strengthen workers’ rights by drawing together Britain’s existing labour enforcement agencies into a single body.It will have powers to tackle employers flouting the law, including naming and shaming rogue businesses paying staff below the legal minimum wage, issuing fines and bringing legal cases on workers’ behalf.Taylor, who ran Blair’s No 10 policy unit in the 2000s, used his gig economy review for May’s government to call for a drastic overhaul of workplace rights.
While his report was seen as central to Tory efforts to win over economically insecure Labour voters, it was largely mothballed as the party cycled through prime ministers.He also held the role as the government’s head of labour market enforcement between 2019 and 2021, but sharply attacked the Tories for backsliding on its pledges to protect workers from unscrupulous employment practices.Taylor told the Guardian Starmer’s government had the potential to make progress after the Tories had reneged on their promises.“I think it was quite clear that the previous government had not got that balance right, [and] I think this government is going to get that balance right,” he said.“Flexible work will always have an important role in our economy, but it mustn’t be at the price of the insecurity and unfairness towards workers.
”Hiring Taylor – one of the country’s leading employment experts – is expected to underscore Labour’s commitment to bolstering workplace rights despite mounting pressure from businesses for the party to water down planned changes.Bosses have warned the government’s landmark employment rights bill, which includes banning zero-hours contracts and day-one rights protecting against unfair dismissal, will drive up unemployment and hurt the economy.Business groups have ramped up their lobbying before Rachel Reeves’s 26 November budget, amid criticism that the chancellor added to a slowdown in the jobs market by raising taxes on employment in last year’s budget.Ministers have, though, insisted the bill will be enacted “in full” amid intense pressure from trade unions and leftwing MPs fearful that Keir Starmer’s government will backslide on the legislation.Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionStarmer’s reshuffle last month fuelled unease among trade unions after the resignation of Angela Rayner and replacement of Justin Madders, the employment minister, who had championed the plan.
Labour also faced a fierce trade union backlash after the Guardian revealed this month that ministers were exploring charging workers a fee to take their bosses to an employment tribunal.The justice secretary, David Lammy, then ruled out the measure last week.Kate Dearden, who replaced Madders last month, said Labour was “absolutely committed” to boosting workers’ rights.“We’ll always listen carefully to feedback from businesses and from trade unions, because we want to ensure this legislation works for workers and employers alike.That’s why it’s pro-business, it’s pro-worker, and pro-growth,” she said.
The creation of the Fair Work Agency, however, comes amid questions over the resourcing and the capacity of the government to oversee its tougher approach to the enforcement of its package of workers’ rights,While drawing together the functions and powers of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, along with other existing enforcement responsibilities, to create the Fair Work Agency, experts believe extra resources are also likely to be required,
Two years after school phone bans were implemented in Australia, what has changed?
Phone bans are now well-established in many Australian primary and secondary schools. Have they made a difference?Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWhen Australian Christian College, a high school in the Melbourne outer suburb of Casey, implemented a phone ban on its campus, there were multiple reasons for the crackdown. Peer conflicts between students were escalating online, students were struggling to focus and teachers observed “notification-driven code-switching” in their students.“When a phone is within reach, a student’s mind is only ever half in the room,” the school’s principal, Caleb Peterson, says. “We wanted their whole attention back
Georgia’s story: how a domestic abuse victim’s suicide was ruled an unlawful killing by her partner
On 26 April 2020 Georgia Barter, a long-term victim of domestic abuse, died in hospital after taking a fatal overdose of painkillers. Last week, in an extraordinary verdict, a coroner ruled that Georgia, 32, was unlawfully killed by her abusive partner.A court heard how GPs, nurses and police officers all had chances to intervene in Thomas Bignell’s violent campaign against Georgia, but failed to do so.At the conclusion of the hearing, there were gasps in the courtroom. It is believed to be only the second time in English legal history that a coroner has reached such a conclusion in the case of a suicide following domestic abuse, and the first time without a jury
Revealed: Labour-run council using legal loophole to serve families with no-fault evictions
A Labour-run council is using a legal loophole to issue dozens of families with no-fault evictions, despite Keir Starmer’s manifesto pledge to outlaw the practice.Scrapping no-fault evictions “immediately” was one of Labour’s main manifesto pledges before its 2024 election win, but more than a year on, the party’s flagship renters’ rights bill has not been made law.Local authorities cannot normally carry out no-fault evictions – known officially as section 21 evictions – as they apply to tenancies issued by private landlords.However, Lambeth council in south London has been able to start eviction proceedings against 63 households because it created an arm’s-length body to manage some of its housing stock.Five families have already been issued with possession orders via the courts and two of those have had their homes repossessed by bailiffs
Gen Z women in the US: do you identify as liberal?
Gen Z women are the most politically left-leaning group in the US, according to a poll which suggests that women 28 and younger skew substantially more left than the national average on issues such as abortion and gender-affirming care.The 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll found that 17% of gen Z women identify as Republicans, compared with 30% of gen Z men.We would like to hear from younger women in the US about their thoughts on this survey – and whether they identify as “liberal” or not.You can share your thoughts on the poll using this form.Please include as much detail as possible
High street slot machine shops pay staff bonuses linked to how much gamblers lose
High street slot machine shops are paying their staff bonuses linked to how much gamblers lose, the Guardian has learned, prompting condemnation of the “appalling” reward scheme from MPs and campaigners.A network of 1,451 “adult gaming centres” (AGCs), most of which are open 24 hours a day, has spread through the UK in recent years, concentrated in the most economically deprived areas.Amid booming revenues, the German-owned Merkur posted a £15m profit for 2024, while Admiral Slots paid its Austrian owner a £10m dividend last year, according to accounts posted at Companies House this week.It can now be revealed that the growth of at least one of the sector’s leading players has been partly fuelled by incentive schemes that unlock bonuses in return for hitting key targets. At Merkur, these targets include revenues from punters’ losses on highly addictive slot machines
Millions of over-50s have undiagnosed sight and hearing problems, UK study suggests
Millions of people aged 50 or over in the UK have undiagnosed sight or hearing problems, according to research, prompting calls for that age group to have checkups more regularly.Doctors involved in the research said the findings were “deeply concerning” and warned that those affected were at risk of falls, mental ill-health and of leading socially restricted lives.One in four people aged 50 and over – 6.7 million people – cannot see clearly out of one or both eyes, according to a pilot stage of the UK national eye health and hearing study.And three in four older Britons – 20
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