Labour Peers Defend Business-Crushing Banter Ban – Guido Fawkes

Labour Peers Defend Business-Crushing Banter Ban

Labour peer Baroness Jones insisted the banter ban “is required for employees to be able to seek legal redress where they have experienced third-party harassment, and to ensure that employers are clear about their responsibilities”. Labour’s Baroness Carberry claimed she was “struggling to understand why [the amendments] are thought necessary,” before concluding she was “still none the wiser.” A feeble excuse…

Lord Young raised the alarm over the threat to free speech in the workplace, asking: “Who will bother to pop into their local for a drink if there are banter bouncers in every beer garden, a pronoun policy on every wall and the need to produce proof that you have had DEI training before you can get served?”  He also cited the EHRC’s warning that “the interaction of the third party’s protection from discrimination and the employee’s protection from harassment is complex and is likely to be challenging for employers to navigate.” In other words, a legal headache for businesses already drowning in compliance paperwork…

Meanwhile, the employment tribunal system is groaning under pressure, with nearly 50,000 cases already in the queue. Employment minister Justin Madders admitted last week that the government is scrambling to hire more judges in anticipation of a spike in claims: “We’re recruiting more judges and we’re employing additional legal caseworkers. But we do want to go further.” As the Free Speech Union founder put it, the banter ban will be the “final nail in the coffin” for many small businesses. Labour’s insistence on its pro-growth won’t wash if this banter ban goes unamended…