On Wednesday evening I voted for the Employment Rights Bill 2024-25 to continue its journey into law, with this landmark Bill now moving on to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

The Bill is pro-worker, pro-business and pro-growth and will give workers a raft of new right, including protection from unfair dismissal, strengthening sick pay, day one rights to paternity leave, bereavement leave for miscarriage and an end to both fire and hire tactics and zero-hour contracts that have blighted employment in Britain for too long.

One million of the lowest paid workers will be guaranteed sick pay worth 80% of their wages from the first day of their sickness. Those currently on zero hour contracts will benefit from the guaranteed hours policy boosting pay by up to £600, giving working people more money to spend in the local economy.

The vote was passed 333-100, with Conservative MPs like Suella Braverman and Reform MPs including Nigel Farage showing their true colours in voting against a Bill that backs working people and helps protect them from exploitative practices. Only Labour stands up for workers by backing the rights that the opposition spent so long attacking and eroding.