Employment Bill is another kick in the guts for business

RISKY MOVE: Employers will be far less likely to take on new staff, it is argued

- Duncan Barkes

THE WORLD of British business and commerce is suffering at the hands of this Government in a way that many thought impossible. In the run-up to last year's general election, Labour spent a great deal of time courting the business community, with Rachel Reeves going out of her way to reassure leaders that her party was fully behind UK PLC.

Then came her Budget last October, which was a proper kick in the guts to anyone who runs a business and employs people. Raising the minimum wage and increasing the amount employers pay in National Insurance contributions left businesses wondering how they could continue. Add to this a rejig of business rates that sees most enterprises paying more and the picture was grim.

While the Chancellor was doing everything possible to make running a business even harder, Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Minister Angela Rayner had collaborated with her friends in the unions to create the Employment Rights Bill.

This legislation is currently making its way through Parliament and has been widely condemned by business leaders as something that will not only add even more costs to their operations but will increase bureaucracy.