A Tory gives his idea of workplace rights
A major donor to the Conservative Party proposed the dilution of workplace rights in a report which won the backing of David Cameron but was blocked by the Liberal Democrats.
Adrian Beecroft, a venture capitalist who has given £593,076 to the Conservatives since December 2006, recommended companies be allowed to sack unproductive workers at will. The businessman, whose interests include payday loans company Wonga.com, argued that “coasting” workers inhibit economic growth and deter employers from recruiting.
Many of his sweeping proposals would have gone ahead if the Tories governed alone, Lib Dem ministers claimed, because Nick Clegg’s party could not have mounted its strong rearguard action inside the coalition.
His report, submitted last autumn, remains shrouded in mystery. Unusually for a government-ordered study, it has not been published. Downing Street is coy about who commissioned it. The driving force is believed to be Steve Hilton, Cameron’s strategy adviser, who is leaving No 10 in May.
Ministers believe the report has not been published as it is too sensitive. Ideas are said to include watering down maternity rights, which would have jeopardised Cameron’s goal of making Britain the most “family-friendly” country in Europe. Another official said: “His report was full of the Tory millionaires’ philosophy that government should not interfere in anything.”