Author Archives: wonkypolicywonk

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About wonkypolicywonk

Wonkypolicywonk is a recovering policy minion, assigned wonky at birth.

Bogus news stories about ET claims reach record high

Posted on August 3, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

Yes, it’s the Silly Season, which Wikipedia helpfully defines as “the period lasting for a few summer months typified by the emergence of frivolous news stories in the media”. So, naturally, a ‘news story’ that the Covid-related trend towards working … Continue reading →

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So. Farewell then, BEIS minister Paul Scully

Posted on July 9, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

With apologies to EJ Thribb Update, November 2023: Sadly, Minister Scully did not get to do much, if any, levelling-up as Minister of State at the DLUHC, as in October 2022 he was demoted back to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State … Continue reading →

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Employment Tribunal stats: Welcome back, we’ve missed you!

Posted on June 10, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

As noted previously on this blog, the introduction of a new Case Management System in March 2021 has led to a dearth of official statistics on Employment Tribunal receipts and disposals. And, in January this year, the President of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice, Workers' rights | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Maternity leave: Lies, damn lies and statements by BEIS minister Paul Scully

Posted on June 1, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

In recent years, BEIS minister Paul Scully – a strong contender for the hotly-contested title of Most Idiotic Minister in the Johnson Government – has repeatedly and brazenly claimed that “the UK’s maternity leave system is one of the most … Continue reading →

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The Taylor Review is dead, long live the Warman Review!

Posted on May 16, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

So, just two days after shelving a repeatedly promised Employment Bill intended to deliver a raft of policy pledges made as long ago as February 2018, Boris Johnson has launched a new review into the future of work. Because the … Continue reading →

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Workers’ rights: delivery delays

Posted on May 3, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

Now that Boris Johnson has put his lockdown-busting partying behind him and just wants to “get on with delivering”, perhaps he and his Government will use next week’s Queen’s Speech to finally start delivering on some of their many outstanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Workers' rights | Tagged | 4 Comments

Employment Bill: other legislative vehicles are available

Posted on April 4, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

Three weeks ago on this blog, I suggested – with a little help from the great Tracey Thorn and Ben Watts – that ministers have shelved their long-promised Employment Bill (again). And on Friday a (rather thinly evidenced) story in … Continue reading →

Posted in Workers' rights | Tagged | 1 Comment

Missing: the Employment Bill

Posted on March 17, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

[With apologies to Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt] I step into HansardI’m wonking down your street againAnd past your door, but you don’t live there anymoreIt’s two years since you were in the manifestoAnd now you’ve disappeared somewhere, like outer … Continue reading →

Posted in Workers' rights | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Four-day week: sagas of Icelanders

Posted on February 15, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

There being an R in the month, there is a new report making the case for a four-day week. This month, the focus is on Wales, with a report by think tank Autonomy, commissioned by the Future Generations for Wales … Continue reading →

Posted in Workers' rights | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Overdue: a Labour Party policy on equal parenting

Posted on January 20, 2022 by wonkypolicywonk

Recently on this blog, I noted that pretty much all that Labour’s otherwise impressively ambitious September 2021 ‘green paper’ on employment rights had to say about securing a much-needed societal shift towards more equal parenting – a shift essential to ending the … Continue reading →

Posted in Parental rights, Workers' rights | Tagged , , | Leave a comment