Keir Starmer’s resignation has created another period of political uncertainty in the UK. For employers, HR teams and employees, the immediate issue is not simply who occupies Number 10 Downing Street next, it is whether a change in Prime Minister changes the direction of employment law reform already moving through the system.
This is a sensible question, especially because employment law is rarely shaped by one event alone.
It is affected by politics, economic pressure, business lobbying, trade union influence, public opinion, tribunal decisions and the practical realities faced by employers trying to manage people fairly while keeping their organisations financially stable.
The important starting point is this: a Prime Minister resigning does not wipe away existing employment rights, nor does it automatically stop legislation that has already become law.
The real question is more specific. Could Andy Burnham’s expected move into Labour leadership affect the timetable, tone, and detail of current employment law reform?
The answer is yes, but probably not in the simplistic way some headlines may suggest.
Political change does not usually stop employment law reform
The UK has had several changes of Prime Minister over the past decade. David Cameron left office in July 2016, and Theresa May became Prime Minister. Theresa May left office in July 2019, and Boris Johnson took over. Boris Johnson gave way to Liz Truss in September 2022, before Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister less than two months later.
Those changes were politically significant, but they did not create a blank page for employment law.
After David Cameron’s resignation, employment-related obligations continued to develop under Theresa May’s Government. Gender pay gap reporting came into force in 2017 for large employers, requiring organisations with 250 or more employees to publish annual data. The Apprenticeship Levy also took effect in 2017, creating a payroll-based charge for larger employers to fund apprenticeship training.
After Theresa May’s resignation, the Good Work Plan did not disappear. It had been published under May’s Government in December 2018, but a number of changes associated with it came into force under Boris Johnson’s Government in April 2020, including changes to written statements of employment particulars and the holiday pay reference period for workers with irregular pay.
After Boris Johnson’s resignation and the short-lived Truss premiership, employment law continued to move. The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 received Royal Assent under Rishi Sunak’s Government.
The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 also became law, with the right to unpaid carer’s leave taking effect in April 2024. Enhanced redundancy protections for pregnant employees and those returning from family leave also moved forward during this period.
This does not mean Prime Ministerial changes are irrelevant. They clearly matter. But the historical pattern is more measured than the political commentary sometimes suggests.
Employment law reform can slow, shift or be re-prioritised after a leadership change, but it does not usually stop altogether where legislation is already advanced, politically embedded or supported by wider policy objectives.
That is the context employers need to understand now.
The Employment Rights Act is already beyond the manifesto stage
The current position is different from a vague policy promise during an election campaign. The Employment Rights Act 2025 has already become law, with major changes being introduced in phases during 2026 and 2027. This is significant because there is a legal and administrative process already underway.
Government guidance has made clear that the Act introduces additions and amendments to existing employment legislation, including the Employment Rights Act 1996.
Many of the changes are not yet in force, but they are not simply ideas sitting in a campaign document. They are part of a legislative programme that employers are already being told to prepare for.
This distinction is important.
A new Prime Minister may decide to review parts of the timetable. Departments may need time to settle under new ministers. Secondary legislation and guidance may be delayed. Consultations may be extended or reframed.
But where Parliament has already passed primary legislation, the more realistic question is not whether reform vanishes. It is how the new leadership handles commencement, detail, and implementation.
For employers, that is where the practical risk sits.
It would be unwise to assume that Starmer’s resignation means the Employment Rights Act is no longer a live issue. It would be equally unwise to ignore the possibility that Burnham’s leadership may bring a different emphasis to the way these reforms are delivered.
What might change under Andy Burnham?
Andy Burnham’s political identity has long been associated with devolution, public services, regional inequality, and a more direct appeal to working people. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he has often framed economic policy around dignity, fairness, and the quality of work, not just headline growth.
That does not automatically mean every employment law reform will be tougher, faster, or more union-led. A Prime Minister has to govern across the whole economy.
Employers are dealing with rising wage costs, recruitment pressure, sickness absence, productivity issues, increased National Insurance costs and uncertainty in several sectors. Any serious employment law programme has to take those realities into account.
However, Burnham may be less inclined to frame employment reform as a burden on employers and more inclined to present it as part of a wider economic settlement. In other words, better rights, better management, better retention, and better workplace standards could be positioned as part of rebuilding trust in work.
That would be a notable shift in tone.
The practical question is whether that tone produces firmer implementation or more careful compromise. On some reforms, such as statutory sick pay, paternity leave, parental leave, flexible working and enforcement, the direction already appears fairly settled.
On more contentious reforms, including unfair dismissal protection, zero-hours contracts, guaranteed hours, fire and rehire, trade union access and collective consultation, the detail is likely to matter far more.
Employers should watch those areas closely.
The biggest pressure point may be unfair dismissal
Unfair dismissal reform is likely to remain one of the most closely watched issues.
For employers, this is not an abstract legal debate. It affects recruitment confidence, probationary periods, performance management, dismissal risk, and the way managers deal with concerns during the early months of employment.
For employees, it speaks to job security and whether protection from unfair treatment should depend on length of service.
The original political language around day-one rights created significant concern among employers.
More recent reporting and legal commentary suggests the Government has already moved towards a more cautious position, with unfair dismissal protection linked to a shorter qualifying period than the current two years rather than immediate full protection from day one.
That is a good example of how employment reform often develops in practice. The headline promise sets the direction. Consultation, lobbying, parliamentary scrutiny, and economic pressure then shape the final design.
Under Burnham, the question will be whether the Government holds the current compromise, moves closer to the original worker-protection position, or allows further concessions to employers concerned about hiring risk.
This is where employers need clarity because uncertainty itself creates operational difficulty.
Previous resignations show one clear lesson: detail matters more than drama
The history of recent Prime Ministerial resignations does not support the idea that employment law suddenly stops when leadership changes. It also does not support the idea that leadership changes have no impact.
The more accurate lesson is that employment law reform tends to be shaped by the stage it has reached.
Where a reform is only a political promise, it is vulnerable to being dropped or diluted. Where it has been introduced as a Bill, it may be amended, delayed, or narrowed. Where it has already become an Act, attention usually turns to commencement dates, regulations, guidance, and enforcement.
The Employment Rights Act sits in that final category. That makes it harder to abandon, but still open to practical adjustment.
For employers, this means preparation should continue, but it should be intelligent preparation. Contracts, handbooks, sickness absence processes, flexible working procedures, family leave policies, probationary documents, and dismissal processes should be reviewed now.
At the same time, employers should avoid overreacting to headlines before regulations and guidance provide the necessary detail.
This is the balance Magara Law would encourage employers to strike: do not panic, but do not pause.
Roy Magara: employers should prepare without assuming the final detail
Roy Magara, Founder and Employment Solicitor at Magara Law, says employers should treat this moment as a reminder to stay alert rather than a reason to stop preparing.
“Political change can create uncertainty, but it does not remove the legal responsibilities employers already have. The Employment Rights Act is not just a political slogan; it is now part of the legal landscape, even though many of the changes are being introduced in stages.
“Employers should not assume that a change in Prime Minister means reform has gone away. The better approach is to prepare carefully, keep watching the detail and take advice before making decisions that could expose the organisation to avoidable risk.”
That is the sensible position.
Employment law is moving, but it is moving through a process. The organisations most likely to manage that process well will be those that understand both the legal direction and the practical pressures sitting behind it.
What employers should do now
Employers should start by separating current law from future law. Existing rights remain enforceable. Discrimination law, whistleblowing protection, redundancy obligations, statutory leave, working time rules, unfair dismissal rights and contractual duties continue to apply. Nothing about Starmer’s resignation changes that.
The next step is to identify where future reforms are most likely to affect the organisation. For some employers, that will be sickness absence and statutory sick pay. For others, it will be probationary periods, casual working arrangements, zero-hours contracts, flexible working requests, family leave, trade union engagement, or dismissal processes.
The third step is to review management practice, not just written policies. Many employment disputes arise not because an employer has no policy, but because managers apply it inconsistently, communicate poorly or rush decisions. If the legal framework becomes more protective, weak management processes will become a bigger risk.
Finally, employers should keep a close eye on commencement dates, Government guidance, and consultation outcomes. The law may already be passed, but the operational detail still matters.
What employees should understand
Employees should also avoid assuming that political change immediately alters their rights. Existing legal protections continue. If an employee is facing discrimination, unfair treatment, redundancy, dismissal, harassment, whistleblowing concerns, or issues around pay and leave, those matters should be assessed under the law as it stands now.
At the same time, employees should stay informed about forthcoming changes. The next two years are likely to bring meaningful developments in workplace rights, but not every reform will arrive at the same time and not every headline will reflect the legal detail.
This distinction is important. Employment law is precise. Advice should be based on the law, not speculation.
A serious moment for UK employment law
Keir Starmer’s resignation and Andy Burnham’s expected rise to Labour leadership come at an important point for UK employment law. The country is already part-way through a major reform programme. Some changes have started. Others are due to follow. Many employers are still working out what the reforms will mean in practice.
The strongest lesson from previous Prime Ministerial changes is that employment law reform is not usually controlled by one resignation speech. It is shaped by legislation, consultation, economic pressure, parliamentary time, and the wider direction of government.
Burnham may bring a different political tone to employment rights. He may place greater emphasis on dignity at work, regional labour markets and worker protection. But he will also face the same practical challenge as any Prime Minister: creating stronger workplace protections without making it harder for employers to hire, manage, and grow.
For employers, the message is clear enough. Do not treat political uncertainty as permission to delay preparation. Use it as a reason to get your house in order.
For employees, the message is equally important. Existing rights remain in place, and further reforms may strengthen protection in the years ahead, but individual situations still need careful legal advice.
Employment law is entering a period where the detail will matter. The employers and employees who understand that detail early will be in the strongest position.
Speak to Magara Law
Political uncertainty does not remove your responsibilities as an employer. If anything, it makes clear employment law support even more important.
With the Employment Rights Act now on the statute book and further workplace reforms expected during 2026 and 2027, you should not wait until every detail is finalised before reviewing contracts, policies, and people management processes.
Magara Law advises employers across the UK on employment law compliance, workplace disputes, HR strategy, Tribunal claims, and forthcoming legal changes.
Through our Employment Law Support annual retainer, you can access ongoing legal guidance throughout the year, giving you the reassurance of knowing that you have experienced employment law support available when decisions need to be made.
Whether you are reviewing your contracts, updating your staff handbook, managing a disciplinary issue, handling sickness absence, responding to a grievance or preparing for future reforms, Magara Law can help you make informed decisions with confidence.
In a period where the political detail may continue to shift, having the right legal support in place can help you protect your organisation, support your people, and reduce avoidable risk.
To find out more about Magara Law’s Employment Law Support annual retainer, contact the team today.
Call 01869 325 883, email hello@magaralaw.co.uk or book your consultation direct. Once you have scheduled your consultation, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media for all the latest employment law updates and information you need.