WE are now eight months into the new Labour government and our priorities and direction of travel are very clear.

By an overwhelming majority people voted for change and change is what we are delivering.

Whether that’s in education (by raising money from private schools to rebuild our state schools), the NHS (by scrapping management overload in NHS England to invest in front line NHS staff), or workers’ rights, (a Bill, which we said we’d introduce in the first 100 days of a Labour government, and we did) this Labour government is very much on the side of working people.

On that last point, last week I was delighted to vote through the new Employment Rights Bill. This landmark Bill will update the UK’s outdated employment laws and turn the page on an economy blighted by insecurity, poor productivity and low pay. Some of the most eye-catching aspects of the Bill are the ending of exploitative ‘zero hour’ contracts and the end of ‘fire and rehire’ practices – as well as the extension of sick pay to 1.3-million of the lowest paid workers.

This extension will ensure that one-million of the lowest paid will be guaranteed sick pay worth up to 80 per cent of their wages from day one of their sickness. The changes will not only deliver a tangible improvement to people’s quality of life, by putting more money in their pockets, but it will also boost productivity as people will feel more secure in their jobs.

The Employment Rights Bill will also bring into effect the Autumn Budget’s promise of increasing the minimum wage for at least three-million people at the start of April, again demonstrating that Labour is truly the Party of working people.

It should be noted that the four Reform MPs chose to vote against these changes, demonstrating quite clearly that they have no interest in backing Britain’s workers, and are instead focused on sowing division and fear in some of our poorest communities.

The changes implemented in the Employment Rights Bill are not only the right thing to do morally, but also economically, as this Bill puts money in the pockets of working people. These people will be far more likely to spend this money in local businesses and on local high streets – directly stimulating the local economy of Camborne, Redruth and Hayle.

Finally, another key element of the Employment Rights Bill is the deployment and strengthening of the Fair Work Agency, which has the power to bring civil proceedings against non-compliant employers – ensuring that all employees feel that their rights and needs are respected from the moment they become employed, regardless of their role or their seniority.

It was a proud moment to see this Labour government enacting the change that the country voted for, truly championing working people after 14 years of failure and exploitation from a Conservative government that just didn’t care. The Labour Party was built by working people for working people. There could not have been a clearer demonstration of that heritage than the Employment Rights Bill.