Political Monitor UK | September 1st Edition

Since the last monitor, public discourse on immigration has been on the rise. It was found that in the year ending June 2025, the UK saw 134.8 million arrivals, with most non-British visitors coming for short stays, while visas for work, study, family, and humanitarian purposes fluctuated, illegal arrivals and asylum claims rose, and grants of settlement and citizenship increased.

Other Key News

The Prime Minister is undertaking a restructuring of his core team at Downing Street:
- appointing Rt Hon Darren Jones MP (currently Chief Secretary to the Treasury) as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister instead.
- Appointing Baroness Minouche Shafik DBE as his Chief Economic Adviser.
Following these appointments, there have been a few ministerial changes at HM Treasury:
- James Murray MP is promoted from Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury to Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
- Daniel Tomlinson MP (a 2024 entrant to Parliament) is appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.
In addition, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also appointed John Van Reenan has her new Growth Adviser, to provide support to Rachel Reeves on productivity, innovation, investment, and growth. The day before the statistics above were announced, the Government declared its strategic partnership with Iraq to deter illegal migration, including small boat crossings, by formalising repatriation processes, enhancing border security, and expanding broader diplomatic and trade cooperation.

Reform UK has proposed deporting up to 600,000 migrants over five years, including those arriving on small boats, by creating detention centres, offering financial incentives for voluntary returns, and overturning key human rights and refugee protections.

European Affairs Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds outlined a vision for the UK’s future relationship with the EU, emphasising sovereignty, trade facilitation, border security, and tangible benefits for businesses and citizens without rejoining the Single Market or Customs Union.

Torsten Bell, a former adviser and Resolution Foundation chief now serving as Pensions Minister, is set to take a leading role in shaping the 2025 Autumn Budget, pushing for progressive tax reforms and navigating politically sensitive issues like the triple lock pension.

As of April to June 2025, an estimated 948,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were not in education, employment, or training (NEET), up from 923,000 in January to March, reflecting continued volatility in these figures despite improved Labour Force Survey methods.

The Government has also published advice on how UK Visa and Immigration physical documents will be replaced with digital eVisas.

The Government extended the Youth Guarantee trailblazer scheme with an additional £45 million to provide tailored support and training for 18–21-year-olds, aiming to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment, or training and help them access skilled, future-proof careers.

GCSE and vocational results were found to have stabilised post-pandemic, allowing millions of young people to progress to A levels, T Levels, or apprenticeships, though regional and socioeconomic disparities persist.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero argued that offshore wind developers fund local skills training to help workers, apprentices, and school leavers access secure, well-paid jobs in the growing UK offshore wind industry while strengthening workforce protections and union access.

Read our News and Blogs page on the website for APSCo’s latest Policy Talks (an update on policy activity).

APSCo News

Following a well-attended bi-annual policy meeting last week, we are submitting our concerns to Treasury this week on the new umbrella legislation (Chapter 11) wording and principles. As well as members’ drafting concerns on this strict liability provision we are criticising HMRC for its failure to issue timely guidance, leaving a vacuum for speculation, and failing to offer any support to the supply chain in terms of visibility of real time payments to HMRC.

With red tape threatening to throttle the sector, the APSCo Bullhorn August research and the CBI Pertemps August update show an economy and labour market keeping its head above water, with a slightly more positive picture than earlier in the year. However, it is a fragile recovery and in our Budget submission to HMT which we are now drafting we are making the arguments to avoid over-regulation for professional staffing sectors and to speed up delivery of policies on planning approvals and AI to start kickstarting innovative recovery.

You know the legislative process is complex if you’ve been following the Employment Rights Bill. Read our new Legislation Explainer where we simplify the process for you, and explain how APSCo UK and OutSource ensures new legislation avoids inadvertent consequences and makes operating environments as conducive to business growth as possible for members like you.

The Week Ahead

Both Houses of Parliament return from recess today (1st September), so there will be a clear uptick in Government activity this week.

Parliament & Regulation

Employment Rights Bill:

With Lords Report Stage now completed, the Third Reading of the Employment Rights Bill has been scheduled for Wednesday 3rd September, immediately after recess. The House of Commons will need to consider Lords amendments, but it is likely that the legislation will secure Royal Assent by October.

English Devolution Bill:

The Second Reading of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will take place on Tuesday 2nd September, where the principles of giving Mayors new powers over skills and apprenticeships will be discussed.

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