Politics is always about choices, but the choice now is about as stark as it can get

While politics is always about choices, the choice now is as stark as it gets. We face a battle for the soul of our country – who we are, who we’re for. The Labour choice is a Britain that is fairer, greener and more dynamic. A Britain where we rebuild our public services to provide opportunity and security, tackle the climate emergency head on, use it to create the jobs and industries of the future, restore faith in politics as a force for good, get Britain’s hope, its confidence and its future back.

But the first step, the foundation this all rests on is respect for the working people who create the wealth that drives our country forward. Economies like France, Germany and the Netherlands, economies that do have stronger collective bargaining, do have stronger worker rights, do have a fairer share of wealth across their country.

These things are not a barrier to growth or higher productivity, they go hand in hand with it. That’s the Labour choice. We will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society. An economy that is strong for working people, cannot weaken the institutions that give working people strength, and it cannot be built on insecure foundations. Security at work is the bedrock for aspiration and opportunity, for giving people the confidence to get on.

Nobody does their best if they’re wracked with fear about the future. If their contract gives them no protection to stand up for their rights at work. Or if a proper safety net doesn’t support them in times of sickness and poor health. That’s what Labour’s New Deal for Working People is all about.

That’s why we’ll end fire and rehire, ban zero-hour contracts, extend parental leave, strengthen flexible working, better protections for pregnant women, mandatory reporting on ethnicity pay gaps, statutory sick pay for all, a single worker status, no more one-sided flexibility.

As far as I’m concerned, that’s not just a list of rights – it’s a statement of intent on social justice, on fairness, whose side we are on. More security for every worker in our country and because of that – a stronger foundation for working people to aspire and get on. That’s the economic dynamism Britain needs. That’s how you get growth. That’s the Labour choice: a choice that provides the basis for true social partnership, a modern industrial strategy where we unite to tackle the country’s challenges on behalf of working people.

The vast majority of business leaders don’t buy into the Tory trickle down-fantasy. They’re not knocking on my door saying they want to rip up employee rights. They don’t tell me the problems that they face will be solved by corporation tax cuts. They want fair taxes, high skills and the long-term stability to invest.

We can work with that – and we will work with that. We’ll set up a new industrial strategy council, a permanent part of the landscape that brings in the creative genius of science and our universities. Holds us to account for our decisions, helps businesses to innovate and grow, and delivers a real partnership between government, business and unions. This is how we can give Britain the stability it needs for higher investment.

Low pay is the biggest barrier to a fairer, more dynamic Britain bar none. A huge drag on our prospects for growth and social justice. We need a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living. And with a Labour government, that is exactly what Britain will get. But we will go further. Because ending low pay in Britain isn’t just a question of law.

It’s not just about the rules the state sets. It’s about the power working people have to shape the rules that govern their lives. So my Labour government will end the Tory race to the bottom on pay, with fair pay agreements. Agreements that will make work pay for the people who create Britain’s economic growth. Just think how this would work in social care, a sector where half a million workers are paid less than £10 an hour. Where people have to work multiple jobs and still struggle to provide for their family. With our fair pay agreements, social care employers and unions will have to get around the table and negotiate.

I will never be ashamed to say my Labour Party wants to increase worker power in our economy. I will not let this be an era of Tory chaos, stagnation, attacks on working people. Liz Truss has torn away the veil – they aren’t even pretending anymore. The battle is here – a battle with all the usual signs of Tory decay. The crumbling public services. The run on the pound. The questions about how we keep the lights on and the brutal hit to the living standards of pensioners, families, and the poorest in our society, will be turned back on us.

Our country is crying out for decisive leadership and Labour will provide it. We will work every day to earn the trust of the British people, meet their ambitions for real change, walk towards a better future and put this Tory trickle-down nonsense back in its box, once and for all. That’s the choice for Britain: a Tory Party that has lost control of itself and the economy, or a Labour government that delivers fair pay, good work, and prosperity for all. A country where aspiration is rewarded, a clean energy superpower, a fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain, where working people get the rights, respect and security that they deserve. That’s the Labour choice.

READ LABOUR’S NEW DEAL FOR WORKING PEOPLE HERE