Nigel Farage and Reform have come under fire after vowing to rip up legislation that gives workers new rights and tackle rogue landlords if they get into power
Nigel Farage has been accused of siding with bad bosses and rogue landlords after unveiling plans to strip millions of workers and renters of vital protections.
His deputy, Richard Tice, announced that a Reform government would tear up Labour legislation to tackle abuse of tenants and employees. Mr Tice pledged to scrap two landmark acts passed last year – the Renters’ Rights Act and the Employment Rights Act.
These include new provisions on parental leave, unfair dismissal and protection against unfair evictions. Measures to prevent another tragedy like the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak – who died from respiratory problems after living in a mouldy rented home – would also be lost.
Following the announcement Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: “The mask’s off. Reform UK has shown what it really thinks of working people. The millionaires calling the shots in Reform don’t think those putting in a hard day’s graft deserve basic rights or fair pay.
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“The party’s out-of-touch MPs have consistently voted against every measure to improve fairness and rights at work.”
Mr Tice – who was last week announced as Reform’s business spokesman – said he would put forward a Great Repeal Bill if his party gets into power. This would undo the new legislation championed by former deputy PM Angela Rayner, as well as ripping up Britain’s Net Zero commitments.
And a Reform government would also spell an end to more generous pension schemes for public service workers, he said. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “They call it the Great Repeal. It’s actually the Great Steal.
“Reform wants to strip power from ordinary people and hand it to bad bosses, rogue landlords and climate-denying corporations. This isn’t cutting red tape – it’s cutting you loose so vested interests can do whatever they like. Axing workers’ rights, renter protections and net zero won’t cut bills.
“It will slash standards, kill jobs and scare off investment. Every ‘regulation’ they hate is a rule that stops you being ripped off. This is Reform rigging the system for their corporate backers.”
Keir Starmer lashed out at the right-wing party, stating: ” Nigel Farage has declared war on the interests of working people.” Changes introduced by Labour mean workers will be entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) from the first day of absence from April.
And minimum earnings requirements are being scrapped, expanding SSP coverage to lower-paid and part-time staff. Tom Darling, director for the Safe Sick Pay campaign, said: “Removing these vital sick pay measures would do huge harm to millions of workers.
“Our woeful sick pay system forces many lower-income workers to choose between their health and financial security. It is not good for employers, workers or the nation.”
The Renters’ Rights Act, passed last year, will bring an end to no fault evictions and restrict rent rises when it comes into force in May. There will also be a decent homes standard to ensure homes are safer, and a new landlord Ombudsman to make sure standards are met.
The new laws – which Mr Tice says are unacceptable – apply ‘Awaab’s Law’ to landlords, setting out strict rules for landlords to fix issues with homes.
Mr Tice said Labour’s legislation is reducing the number of properties on the market, driving up price. Asked why he wanted to tear up the Act, Mr Tice said: “The issue is that many landlords are now concluding that it’s too risky to be able to remove an occupier, a tenant, if they want, for example, to sell the property or if they’re not paying.
“There’s a balance of risk and reward and too many landlords have said enough is enough.” And Mr Farage denied siding with exploitative business owners over their staff, saying: “This idea that you’re either on the side of the worker or the business owner, frankly, is outdated.
“It belongs to a different time, a different political argument.” Mr Tice also said Reform would end more generous defined pension schemes for new local government workers.
These schemes are often linked to final or average salaries. The Reform business supremo said his party will block new entries to these, instead putting new starters onto defined contribution schemes.
But the move has sparked fury, with the Prospect trade union claiming taxpayers would be worse off. The union claims the move would create a fiscal black hole of around £4billion to 6billion per year after five years.
This would rise to tens of billions in the medium term, with savings not materialising for decades. Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said: “Reform’s proposals for public sector pensions are a terrible deal for both workers and the taxpayer.
“Reform are still refusing to admit that these pension changes will add billions to public spending in the medium term, money that would need to be found from cuts or tax rises.
“Their plans to attack employment rights are completely out of touch with what voters want, and would plunge millions back into precarious work. Reform’s offer to working people is now clear; insecurity at work and poverty when you retire.”
Mr Tice branded Britain’s legal commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 “stupid”. He said Reform would increase domestic oil and gas production if it gets into power.
Labour argues the move risks up to a million jobs in the clean energy sector. Friends of the Earth’s head of policy, Mike Childs said: “Scrapping UK climate action won’t build a better Britain or reduce energy bills – it will sell off our children’s futures by locking the country into expensive, volatile and polluting fossil fuels.”
And he added: “The only winners from rolling back climate action are polluters, billionaires and the vested interests cashing in on fossil fuels. Everyone else is left to foot the bill.”
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