It's under fire from left and right but Labour's workers' rights bill is a huge achievement | Polly Toynbee

"The wall of sound shouting liar at the chancellor is a bizarre Westminster frenzy. Stand back from the hysteria and ask this question: how can Rachel Reeves be accused of raising more money than necessary when there is still pitifully little to go round in every department at her cabinet table? It's a weird Tory ramp that she lied about a black hole when we can see it everywhere in the real world. She could have raised more."

"Shamelessly stymied by the Lords' Tory majority, the government watered down a clause on so-called day-one rights that would have given workers protection from unfair dismissal from the day they walked into a job. That legal right will now kick in at six months still a lot better than the current two-year wait. Business has been ferocious, urging Tory peers to hold up and reform the bill with an avalanche of hostile amendments."

Rachel Reeves was accused of raising more money than necessary even though departments face widespread shortages. The Conservatives' accusations that she lied about a 'black hole' contrasted with visible fiscal constraints across government. Keir Starmer defended Labour-flavoured budget measures while Labour secured a compromise on the flagship employment rights bill. A proposed day-one protection against unfair dismissal was watered down to take effect at six months rather than immediately, improving on the current two-year threshold. Business exerted heavy pressure through hostile amendments in the Lords, and unions including Unite and Unison debated concessions to avoid the bill's defeat and ensure passage before Christmas.

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