Andy Burnham’s growing stature has fuelled hopes of a Labour revival – but ALAN SIMPSON warns that Britain’s crisis runs far deeper than just its leadership and traces its roots to decades of financialised capitalism
ANYONE walking past Parliament in the week the Labour leadership candidates faced off in a televised debate would have seen hundreds of workers protesting against legislation set to make them poorer.
A familiar sight in these times. However, the more observant would have noticed the absence of any trade union paraphernalia. Missing were the usual assortment of paper-sellers, flag wavers or other labour movement conventions.
The contentious legislation drew no attention from the Labour leadership contenders hoping to instal themselves in that place, little attention from the wider trade union movement and almost total silence from much of the left.
The unions are unhappy with the Employment Rights Act 2025 and with good reason. KEITH EWING and Lord JOHN HENDY KC take a close look at why the Bill promised more than it delivered
Labour must not allow unelected members of the upper house to erode a single provision of the Employment Rights Bill, argues ANDY MCDONALD MP
The Bill addresses some exploitation but leaves trade unions heavily regulated, most workers without collective bargaining coverage, and fails to tackle the balance of power that enables constant mutation of bad practice, write KEITH EWING and LORD JOHN HENDY KC
Ben Chacko talks to RMT leader EDDIE DEMPSEY about how the key to fixing broken Britain lies in collective sectoral bargaining, restoring unions’ ability to take solidarity strike action and bringing about the much-vaunted ‘wave of insourcing’


