Justin Madders MP takes Employment Rights brief

Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port & Neston has been appointed Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and Protections, replacing Andy McDonald, who resigned in September this year.

As part of a wide-ranging reshuffle by Labour leader Keir Starmer, Madders was given the role – albeit within a slightly different framework. Under previous role-holders, Laura Pidcock MP and Andy McDonald MP, the Employment Rights brief was represented at Shadow Cabinet. In the reshuffle, however, the role was designated as a Ministerial role outside of the Shadow Cabinet. The position will sit between the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department and the newly created Future of Work department.

Madders had previously stood in for Laura Pidcock, when she was on maternity leave. Elected in 2015, he was an employment law solicitor before entering local government. He has also been a member of the Shadow Health team. As Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and Protections, he will work with Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Industrial Strategy, Jonathan Reynolds, as well as deputy party leader Angela Rayner.

Talking about his new role, Justin Madders said:

“I am delighted to become Shadow Minister for Employment Rights and Protection/Future Of Work under Jonathan Reynolds and Angela Rayner. The importance of workplace protections and substantially improving on them will be central to a future Labour Government.

There is no doubt that the workplace settlement this country has is unfair with too many people forced into exploitative and/or precarious jobs. The great work done by Andy McDonald has meant we have the most ambitious plans ever for rebalancing this.

I aim to build on that and highlight the real difference these plans will make to people’s lives – we are the party of labour and workplace fairness should be core to any future Labour Government.

I am sad after six years (minus a short break) to be leaving the Shadow Health Team which was superbly led by Jon Ashworth during hugely testing times for the NHS. I am sure that Wes Streeting will do a fantastic job highlighting the Tories’ failings in health and social care.”