Top story: Good Work if you can get it, says TUC

Good morning briefers. I’m Martin Farrer and these are the top stories this morning.

The government’s overhaul of workers’ rights comes into force today as Theresa May tries to make good on her promise when winning the top job in 2016 that she would protect ordinary working class people who are “just about managing”. The Good Work Plan, which is based on the recommendations made by former Blair adviser Matthew Taylor in his review into employment, includes measures to increase fines for employers who have deliberately victimised their staff, and give workers details of their rights from the first day in their job. It will also aim to prevent businesses from opting out of equal pay arrangements for agency employees.

The business secretary, Greg Clark, will announce the plan today but TUC chief Frances O’Grady says the package does nothing for workers on zero-hours contracts and those in the gig economy. Our columnist, John Harris, picks up the theme, lamenting that the drive to replace workers with robots at Amazon and other firms may soon render the efforts of valiant trade unionists – and people’s jobs – redundant.

Promises, promises – Theresa May made another promise in 2016 – namely to deliver Brexit – but that is proving more difficult to keep. In a dispatch box appearance later today she will plead with MPs to back her Brexit deal or risk destroying voters’ faith in democracy. Facing growing calls for a second referendum after the EU refused to grant her any more concessions, May will argue that another vote will say to millions “that our democracy does not deliver”. Help may be at hand though: prominent figures including Damon Albarn and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams have suggested in a letter to the Guardian that the PM should establish a people’s assembly to break through the wretched imbroglio.

Riding high – Geraint Thomas has become the fourth cyclist to win the BBC’s coveted sports personality of the year award in the past 10 years after pipping Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton to the prize last night. Thomas, who won the Tour de France in July, follows Sir Chris Hoy, Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins in taking the out the award and said his victory felt “insane”. The ceremony in Birmingham was also a celebration of women’s sport with England’s netball team winning “moment of the year” for their last-minute win over Australia in the Commonwealth Games. Tennis legend Billie Jean King was present to accept a lifetime achievement award.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Members of England triumphant netball team receive their award last night. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Trouble ahead – Brexit is beginning to stalk all parts of the economy with Jaguar LandRover, Britain’s biggest manufacturing employer, announcing plans to cut 5,000 jobs amid uncertainty about leaving the EU and falling demand from China. The car maker employs 40,000 people in Britain. An analysis of the retail sector published today shows that footfall is expected to drop by about 3% this week as shoppers rein in spending because of nervousness about the year ahead. And the owner of an online sports clothing business has told the Guardian he is planning to open warehouses in Bucharest and Nuremburg in order to counter the threat of disruption next year.

‘Over my dead body’ – Donald Trump’s attorney has ruled out a presidential interview with special counsel Robert Mueller, telling TV shows on Sunday that it would only happen “over my dead body”. As a number of probes move closer to the Oval Office, the president and his lawyer have unleashed a fresh series of attacks on the investigators. Mueller, who is examining possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, has continued to ask for an interview with the president. Meanwhile, Trump’s adviser Stephen Miller said yesterday that the administration is prepared to shut down the government in order to get the funding it demands to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

Pupil poverty – A study of schools has revealed a “Dickensian” picture of poverty, with children going hungry and being unable to afford warm clothes this winter. The National Education Union survey of 1,026 teachers in England found almost half said more pupils were going hungry compared with three years ago and two-thirds of teachers said more families were unable to afford winter clothes or shoes. Some staff also said schools had to provide children with coats as the cold weather kicked in.

A matter of trust – The Guardian is Britain’s most trusted newspaper in Britain, the most read quality news outlet, and the most popular quality news outlet among younger readers. The industry figures show that the Guardian reaches more than 23 million British adults every month, with our articles read by 12 million Britons in a typical week and 4.1 million on the average day. “This fantastic set of results demonstrates the Guardian’s unique position in the media,” said the editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner. The Guardian was ahead of the Telegraph in second place and the Independent in third.

Today in Focus podcast

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Facebook has endured a tough 2018. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

Facebook has been hit by a series of data, privacy and hate speech scandals this year and Alex Hern, our UK tech editor, discusses how Mark Zuckerberg has responded. Plus US environment reporter Oliver Milman reports from Paradise, California, after the deadliest fire in the state’s history.

Lunchtime read: Meet the people who make our Christmas

Facebook Twitter Pinterest John Elkington. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Christmas is coming and we have been speaking to the people whose jobs are at the heart of our festive experience. From panto dame John Elkington, who is playing Nurse Nelly Noggins in Robin Hood at the Nottingham Playhouse (“some people take to it, and some people just don’t get it”), to Scottish Christmas tree grower John Junor (“we are supplying the Christmas tree to 10 Downing Street”) this time of year is their busiest time. And for Geine Pressendo, who owns the Christmas cracker maker Simply Crackers, Christmas is a time for joy with a portfolio of about 640 jokes, half of which will be printed for this year’s crackers. Sample traditional joke: What do you call a cow that plays a guitar? A moosician.

Sport

Under-pressure José Mourinho remains confident Manchester United will finish in the top four of the Premier League despite another dire performance in a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, who reclaimed top spot with the victory at Anfield. Much has rightly been made of Newcastle’s rise under Dean Richards but Sunday’s Champions Cup match underlined the excellent work being done by another former Leicester legend as Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh claimed a famous and deserved victory. For years Canelo Álvarez was hailed as the biggest star of boxing’s post-Floyd Mayweather age and after managing to fill Madison Square Garden to capacity on Saturday night for a wildly violent sparring session with the sacrificial lamb Rocky Fielding, that premise appears beyond dispute. The world No 3, Peter Wright, was knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship as Toni Alcinas pulled off a surprise 3-1 triumph. And England’s hockey World Cup campaign ended on a disappointing note as they were thrashed 8-1 by Australia in the bronze medal match in India.

Business

Asking prices for homes coming on to the market in the UK are nearly £10,000 lower than they were in October. A survey by Rightmove says the property market is headed for its worst annual performance in almost a decade.

Shares in Asia are a mixed bag this morning with Sydney and Tokyo up strongly but Hong Kong and Shanghai heading down. The pound is still in the doldrums, slipping to $1.258 and €1.112.

The papers

Guardian front page, Monday 17 December.

Talk of a second referendum is on the front pages of most papers today. The Guardian has: “New EU vote ‘would break faith with the people’ – May”. But the Telegraph looks to a different authority figure on the subject: “Boris: public would feel ‘betrayed’ by second vote.” The Express is incensed at the idea, crying: “Don’t dare steal our Brexit”, as is the Sun, which goes for the dubious referendum pun: “Ref off!” The Times has: “May urged to let MPs take control of Brexit.” The i says: “At last: a plan to end the UK’s Brexit impasse”, though what exactly that plan is is unclear, given the paper then goes on to outline there are different factions pushing for a Commons vote, no-deal Brexit and second referendum.

The Mirror’s splash is: “Let’s save free TV licence for over-75s”, while the FT has: “Jaguar Land Rover seeks to revive fortunes with job cuts in new year.” The Mail leads on plans to increase the volunteer NHS workforce in the next three years: “NHS volunteer army to double.”

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