Employment Rights Bill

John McDonnell Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2025 Commons Chamber

The Salisbury convention applies. The unelected Chamber should not block mandates, and the Government should not capitulate to such pressure. Given a majority of this scale, the authority lies in this House. Ministers who can intervene overnight to save the steel industry—quite rightly—can intervene to honour a manifesto commitment. We on this side campaigned for the full package. We would vote for all provisions of the Employment Rights Bill, without any dilution.

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab)]

We have worked on this legislation for more than 20 years. I just want to put it on the record for my constituents that I wish to abide by the manifesto commitment of day one rights, and I believe it is breaking a promise not to do so. However, other matters will be consulted on now. Some in the House of Lords may take confidence from the Government’s acceptance of this; can we send them the message that we will not in any way compromise any further on this legislation, that we will dig in, and that, as my hon. Friend the Member for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough (Justin Madders) has said, we will sit for as long as possible, if necessary, to see it through?

[Andy McDonald]

I wholeheartedly agree with my right hon. Friend. I think that this episode highlights, again, flaws in the upper House, but even with the convention of double insistence, the concession goes too far.