【Text by Observer Net, Chen Sijia】According to a report by the UK's The Guardian on November 19, the UK House of Lords recently tried to vote in favor of an amendment to block the Labour Party government's plan to pass the Employment Rights Bill to enhance workers' rights. The majority of members of the UK House of Lords are life peers and hereditary peers, and their actions have been strongly criticized by British trade unions and Labour Party members.

Since coming to power, the Labour Party has been pushing for the Employment Rights Bill to fulfill its campaign promise of enhancing workers' rights. However, the UK business sector has recently increased lobbying efforts to persuade Parliament to oppose the Labour Party's policies. Business leaders said that due to the possibility of tax increases in the upcoming autumn budget, some businesses have started to lay off staff and raise prices.

To counter the Labour Party's policies, the Conservative Party is promoting an amendment to the Employment Rights Bill aimed at limiting the Labour government's commitments to provide British workers with guaranteed working hour contracts and protect them from unfair dismissal from the moment they start work. On the evening of the 17th local time, the UK House of Lords voted for the amendment for the third time.

It was reported by UK media that the amendment had previously been rejected by Labour MPs in the House of Commons, but due to cross-party support in the House of Lords, it was brought back to the agenda.

Among the supporters of the amendment in the House of Lords are 47 hereditary peers, 93 barons, 16 earls, and 7 viscounts. Charles Wellesley, the 9th Duke of Wellington, is one of the supporters of the amendment. He is a descendant of the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, who led his army to victory over Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The Guardian stated that among the House of Lords members opposing the Labour Party's policies, there are dozens of high-level figures in the UK business sector and millionaires. For example, Ian Livingston, former CEO of BT Group, and beer magnate Karan Bilimoria are non-affiliated members of the House of Lords. James Lupton, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, is a multi-millionaire.

House of Lords Chamber, The Guardian

According to the BBC, the House of Lords is part of the UK Parliament, responsible for reviewing the government's work and providing opinions on proposed legislation, but it has no power to veto bills passed by the House of Commons. The House of Lords does not have fixed seats. According to data from the UK Parliament website, as of the current session, the House of Lords has 825 members, including 85 hereditary peers and 716 life peers.

Seats in the House of Lords are not elected. The BBC stated that there are three main ways to enter the House of Lords: most members are appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister, some hereditary peers become members through inheritance of their titles, and some specific positions - such as the Archbishop of York and the Archbishop of Canterbury of the Church of England - can also enter the House of Lords.

These actions by the British nobles have caused strong dissatisfaction among British society, especially among trade union organizations and Labour Party members. Paul Nowak, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: "The image of hereditary peers, who have not been elected, hindering millions of people from obtaining stronger rights should only appear in the last century, not in modern Britain."

Labour MP Justin Madders said: "These unelected nobles have lifetime positions and should not continue to hinder and delay our plans to provide proper job security for everyone. We have democratic authority to enhance workers' rights, and the members of the House of Lords need to realize that their obstruction only makes them look out of touch with the people and opposed to the rights of British workers."

A Labour source told The Guardian that the amendment supported by the House of Lords was "highly inappropriate," as the Employment Rights Bill was a commitment in the Labour Party's election manifesto. Usually, the House of Lords has an "unwritten agreement" not to oppose such measures. This source believes that the nobles of the House of Lords do not represent the broader population of Britain.

The Guardian reported that although the House of Lords' actions have made some people within the Labour Party government uneasy, the Labour Cabinet has pledged to reject the amendment of the House of Lords. A government spokesperson said: "The Labour government clearly promised in its election manifesto to make work more valuable, which is what we are about to achieve. Over 15 million workers across the UK will directly benefit from our Employment Rights Bill, and we look forward to it becoming law as soon as possible."

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development pointed out that the Labour Party's Employment Rights Bill is now in the final "negotiation stage," with the House of Lords proposing amendments and the House of Commons responding. After resolving the differences, the bill will be introduced in stages and eventually become law.

However, due to the chaotic policies of Prime Minister Starmer on issues such as immigration since taking office, and the failure to meet campaign promises to promote economic growth, the Labour Party government is facing a difficult situation. The UK government is scheduled to release the 2025 Autumn Budget on November 26, but whether the Labour Cabinet will increase income tax rates remains unknown.

When the Labour Party came to power, it promised not to tax "workers," including increasing income tax rates. However, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves recently stated, "Everyone must contribute," which has sparked speculation that the UK government may increase income tax. However, according to reports by BBC last week, sources indicated that due to better-than-expected economic forecasts, Reeves has canceled this tax increase plan.

Sky News in the UK pointed out that the problem of living costs for British citizens has not been effectively improved. Although the UK's inflation rate dropped to 3.6% in October this year, this only indicates that the speed of price increases has slowed down, and many families in the UK still face the problem that food prices are rising faster than wages. "People are still feeling economic pressure."

UK Prime Minister Starmer, Visual China

The Labour Party's support has continued to lag behind the far-right party, the Reform Party of the UK. A recent survey commissioned by The Times of London from the polling company YouGov showed that nearly half of the surveyed Labour voters believe that Starmer should resign before the next election.

However, Starmer told the Daily Mirror on the 17th that he would lead the Labour Party into the next UK general election. He warned the Labour Party internally not to waste time on leadership struggles. Starmer said that he clearly knows that the cost of living is the top concern for British people now, and he will continue to "focus on solving the cost of living issue."

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574450343975715368/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking the [Up/Down] buttons below.