Does the change in government spell change for employment law reforms?
With Andy Burnham MP now firmly installed in Number 10 and his cabinet shake-up complete, we are still awaiting any official announcement about the future of ongoing employment law reforms.
However, all signs point toward continuity. The cabinet shake-up has seen the return of Angela Rayner and Jonathan Reynolds, the key architects of the Employment Rights Act 2025, to cabinet, with Jonathan Reynolds returning to his role of Secretary of State for the newly expanded Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (formerly the Department for Business and Trade, or DBT). We have also seen the promotion of Kate Dearden, who oversaw the employment rights brief within DBT under the Starmer government, to Minister of State. We would therefore be surprised to see any significant departure from existing proposals.
It is possible that we may see delays in the implementation of some of the more complex reforms slated for 2027, as government priorities are re-evaluated and the disruption of yet another departmental merger (of DSIT and DBT) settles. However, that is speculative and employers should, for now, proceed with preparations based on currently anticipated timeframes.
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