General Election 2015: parties' manifesto pledges affecting employment law (News, 20 April 2015)

Article summary

All of the major UK political parties have published their 2015 election manifestos, in which they have outlined their employment proposals which they intend to implement if elected in May 2015. All three main parties are in agreement that zero hours contracts require reform. Where there is greater divide is with the UK’s relationship with the European Union, the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Conservatives seek to replace the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights with a British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. The Conservatives and Labour wish to renegotiate the UK’s position in the EU but the Conservatives plan to go further than Labour, as they also wish to hold a referendum in 2017 on whether the UK should remain in the EU. There are major employment law implications if the UK were to leave the EU, as discrimination rights, holiday entitlement, data protection regulations and a number...