Boris Johnson to put workers’ rights bill in Queen’s Speech after being accused of abandoning new voters The Prime Minister was criticised for changing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill

Boris Johnson will use the Queen’s Speech to protect workers’ rights after being criticised for cutting employment measures out of the Brexit Bill.

The Prime Minister will include an Employment Bill in his programme of legislation announced on Thursday. It will safeguard the rights of workers so they do not fall behind those in EU law, according to allies.

The decision comes after Mr Johnson sparked a backlash by revealing the new Withdrawal Agreement Bill would not contain provisions on employment rights, unlike the previous version published in October.

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His spokesman said: “The Prime Minister was clear that he’s determined to make the UK the best place in the world to work. The issue will be dealt with in its own legislation. Once Brexit is done, we will continue to lead the way and set a high standard building on existing employment law with measures that protect those in low-paid work.”

‘Sacrifice our basic rights’

The Employment Bill is likely to state that the UK Government cannot lower employment standards without the express permission of Parliament. After winning dozens of seats in the North and Midlands, Mr Johnson has promised to keep voters’ support with a string of economically left-leaning measures.

A No10 source said: “The PM is not going to degrade workers’ rights – you heard his words about voters whose hands wavered over their ballot papers.”

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Critics of the Prime Minister accused Mr Johnson of breaking his promises after it emerged the clauses on workers’ rights would no longer be included in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said: “This is a sign of things to come from a Government that will sacrifice our basic rights and certainty for business at the altar of turning the UK into a Trump-supporting tax haven.”

Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens called the announcement “the least surprising news ever”, while shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon added: “Day in, day out for a decade as a trade union lawyer I saw why you can never trust the Tories with workers’ rights.”

The full contents of the Queen’s Speech will be announced by the monarch on Thursday, but the bills promised will not come to the House of Commons until next year. All non-Brexit legislation will be paused until mid-January at the earliest so Parliament can pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill first.