HONG KONG (AP) — A verdict is expected Friday in the case of two organizers of an annual Hong Kong vigil to remember the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown who are being tried under a China-imposed national security law that has stifled Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged in September 2021 with inciting subversion and face a maximum jail term of 10 years if convicted.

The activists pleaded not guilty when their trial opened in January and are expected to appear in court Friday. If convicted by three government-approved judges, they likely will be sentenced at a later date.

For three decades, the now-disbanded alliance organized the only large-scale, public commemoration in China that attracted tens of thousands annually until the event was banned in 2020 following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Observers say the activists’ prosecution and the disappearance of the vigil symbolized the loss of freedoms that Beijing promised to maintain for 50 years when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The government said its law enforcement actions were evidence-based and strictly in accordance with the law.

Here’s what to know about the case:

Pair organized China’s only large-scale memorial for massacre

The 1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square were one of the biggest challenges to the Communist Party’s rule in China. The government sent tanks into the heart of the capital city and troops opened fire on the student-led demonstrations in a bloody crackdown that killed hundreds, possibly thousands.

The event immediately became an official taboo in mainland China. But the alliance held annual vigils in Hong Kong to keep memories alive across the border until authorities banned the public remembrances during the pandemic, citing risks to public health.

Weeks after the ban, Beijing imposed the national security law that was later used to prosecute Lee, the alliance’s former chairperson, and Chow, a former vice chair. Authorities deemed the legislation crucial for Hong Kong’s stability following anti-government protests in 2019.

The alliance voted to disband in the same month as the pair was charged.

Beijing-imposed security law used to charge activists

Many other leading activists are now also jailed under the 2020 law, including the pro-democracy former media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Dozens of other civil society groups also disbanded following its introduction.

In the Lee and Chow trial, prosecutors argued they incited others to use unlawful means to topple China’s fundamental system and central political bodies, including inciting the overthrow of the Communist Party’s leadership through calls for “ending one-party rule,” which was one of the alliance’s core demands.

The defense denied they meant to end the party’s leadership, arguing the slogan was about moving toward democracy and urging the party not to enforce “dictatorship.” It insisted the alliance had not asked people to adopt any illegal means.

Chow, a barrister who defended herself, cautioned that if the court fails to gatekeep over the reasonable effects of their statements, it could easily become an accomplice by tolerating the crimes committed by those in power.

Albert Ho, their co-defendant and former vigil organizer, earlier entered a guilty plea in a move that typically results in a reduced sentence. His sentencing is pending.

Observers say trial is a bellwether for city’s civil rights

The government earlier said all accused have the right to a fair trial and the courts exercise their power independently. But critics consider this case and its result a litmus test of Hong Kong’s civil rights and judicial independence.

The existence of the alliance and the city’s annual vigil have been considered key characteristics of Hong Kong under China’s “one country, two systems” governing framework in the past, said Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law.

They were symbols of the city’s autonomy, Lai said.

He noted the charge of inciting subversion was commonly used in mainland China to criminalize the acts of human rights lawyers, activists and intellectuals, including late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo.

“We can see to what extent the court in Hong Kong falls into the level of the party-led judiciary in the mainland through the criminal verdict,” Lai said.

At around 7pm tonight, Wednesday, August 19, firefighters were called to a fire “involving a large quantity of wood.”

The service said the fire broke out at a derelict building on Bella Street in Bolton, and crews used two hose reel jets to extinguish the flames.

They left the blaze after around an hour, and photos from the scene show billowing smoke in the air.

Firefighters at the scene on Bella Street tonight (Image: Supplied)

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 7.02pm on Wednesday 19th August 2026, three fire engines from Bolton Central, Bolton North and Atherton fire stations were called to attend a fire involving a large quantity of wood at a derelict building on Bella Street, Bolton.

“Crews arrived quickly and used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.

“Firefighters made the scene safe before departing after approximately 1 hour.”

Six years after sensationally exiting from royal life and leaving for the United States, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the UK.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are understood to be returning for an ‘extended period’, with Archie and Lilibet set to enrol at a British school. 

But there will be no coming back into the royal fold, and the family is set to move into a non-royal residence.

Experts speculate the couple’s return comes amid the ending of lucrative TV deals, financial constraints, PR mishaps and fractious relationships with Hollywood’s elite, with some suggesting Meghan had ‘burnt her bridges’ in the US. 

Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, are thought to have already enrolled at a British school – and the family are reportedly planning to stay until the children finish their education. 

The couple’s latest move will bring them full circle back to the country they left in 2020. So just what have the couple been up to since they parted from royal life? 

From London to California…and back again 

January 2020: The couple stun Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family by announcing their intention to step back from senior roles, become financially independent and spend more time in North America.

After 10 days of talks between senior family members, it is agreed the couple will no longer be working royals and will give up their ‘Royal Highness’ titles.

March 2020: Harry and Meghan carry out their last official engagement at the annual Commonwealth Day service in London. They move with their young son, Archie, 10 months, to Montecito, California in what papers dub ‘Megxit’.

September 2020: Streaming service Netflix – which made the hit TV drama ‘The Crown’ based on the life of Queen Elizabeth and her family – announces the couple have signed a multi-year deal to produce films and series ranging from children’s shows to scripted content.

November 2020: Meghan announces she has had a miscarriage in an essay for The New York Times. 

She wrote: ‘After changing his [Archie’s] diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.

‘I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.’ 

December 2020: Meghan and Harry strike a multi-year deal with Spotify through their company Archewell Audio, named after their son. Meghan’s show Archetypes starts airing in 2022.

It comes as: 

Meghan revealed she had experienced racism while in the UK, including someone from the royal household speculating about the colour of their future child’s skin, during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021

February 2021: The couple announce they are expecting their second child by releasing a photograph taken by a friend showing them relaxing under a tree, while Meghan gently rests her arm on her pregnancy bump.  

On Valentine’s Day, they said in a statement to US Weekly: ‘We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother.’ 

The following day, it is announced that they will give an in-depth interview to US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

Four days after that announcement, Buckingham Palace releases a statement confirming the couple’s split as working members of the monarchy is permanent and they will lose their royal patronages.

February 2021: Harry tells James Corden, British host of The Late Late Show, that he stepped away from royal duties because the ‘toxic’ British press was destroying his mental health and he wanted to protect his family.

March 2021: Buckingham Palace says it is ‘very concerned’ about a report in The Times newspaper detailing allegations of bullying made by former staff of Harry and Meghan and will launch an investigation.

March 7, 2021:  The couple sit down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan reveals she had experienced racism while in the UK, including someone from the royal household speculating about the colour of their future child’s skin.

Meghan also shared the mental health struggles she had endured, recalling at one point that she ‘just didn’t want to be alive anymore’.

Harry meanwhile said that he felt ‘really let down’ by his father, King Charles and feels distanced from his brother, William. 

Buckingham Palace responds that the issues raised would be taken seriously, while saying that ‘some recollections may vary.’

Harry and Meghan are in Britain when Queen Elizabeth II dies in September 2022. They attend the funeral and other events related to the period of mourning

Harry and Meghan attended events in Whistler, British Columbia, for the Invictus Games training camp, in February 2024

June 4, 2021: Meghan and Harry welcome Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor in honour of her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and late grandmother, Princess Diana.

June 2022: The couple return to the UK to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee amid a prolonged dispute with the Government over police protection. Lilibet celebrates her first birthday in the UK and meets members of the Royal Family.

Late 2022: Harry becomes more involved in projects connected with veterans and mental health initiatives.

September 2022: Harry and Meghan are in Britain when Queen Elizabeth II dies. He attends the funeral and other events related to the period of mourning. 

December 2022: Harry & Meghan, a six-part documentary, launches on Netflix detailing events from their courtship to their engagement and exit from royal life. 

January 2023: Harry releases his explosive memoir, Spare, which becomes one of the biggest selling books of the year. He reveals highly personal details of his childhood, relationship with William, drug use and experience as a member of the Royal Family.

May 2023: Harry attends the coronation of King Charles III, but sits separately from senior working royals. 

June 2023: The couple end their deal with Spotify and Archewell Audio.

August 2023: A source tells People that the couple are ‘really happy together’ in California.

September 2023: The couple were spotted enjoying a secret holiday in Portugal. There was speculation they visited Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, who have a property there.

January 2024: Royal biographer Omid Scobie refutes reports that the couple did not have the permission of Queen Elizabeth II to name their daughter Lilibet. 

According to Robert Hardman, a former member of the queen’s staff said the monarch was ‘as angry as I’d ever seen her’ after the couple said they had consulted her over the name.

February 2024: Harry briefly returns to Britain after King Charles announces his cancer diagnosis to meet with his father.

Later that month, he and Meghan attend events in Whistler, British Columbia, for the Invictus Games training camp.

May 2024: Harry and Meghan visit Nigeria for a three-day visit.

August 2024: The couple are invited to Colombia and attend events around online safety, young people and women’s issues. 

In May 2024, the couple were invited to on a three-day visit to Nigeria

Advertisement

With Love, Meghan launched on Netflix in March 2025 – and received largely negative reviews from TV critics

Harry became embroiled in a highly-public dispute with Dr Sophie Chandauka (right), chair of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded in 2006

January 2025: The couple were seen visiting residents displaced by wildfires in California, helping distribute meals and donating supplies.

February 2025: the couple share a kiss on stage at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. 

March 4, 2025: With Love, Meghan, launches on Netflix. The show features Meghan welcoming friends and celebrity guests to share cooking, gardening and hosting tips – but has received largely negative reviews from TV critics.

March 25, 2025: Harry quits Sentebale, a charity he co-founded in 2006 to support vulnerable children, after stating the relationship between the board and the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, had broken down. 

Dr Chandauka in return accused Harry and the former trustees of attempting to remove her because she had raised concerns about bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir.  

April 2, 2025: Meghan launches her lifestyle brand As Ever, originally called American Riviera Orchard. Her  first official product collection, including jams, teas and baking mixes, sell out in under an hour.

June 2025: The As Ever brand is expanded to include alcoholic beverages. 

August 2025: The Charity Commission found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying, misogyny or harassment.

However, it criticised both sides for allowing the dispute to become public and said the conflict damaged Sentebale’s reputation and risked distracting from its work

April 2026: The couple embark on a four-day visit to Australia. 

July 2026: Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, stayed on the Scottish island Tanera Mor.

The private island is said to have inspired The Wicker Man, the cult 1973 film starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland.

Harry is thought to have previously visited the island, which was bought for £1.7million in 2017 by billionaire Ian Wace, co-founder of hedge fund giant Marshall Wace.

They also had a secret meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, when father and son exchanged words in the first public in-person meeting in four years. 

Charles had not seen his youngest grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, since 2022, when they were just three and one. 

Later in the month, Prince Harry surprised his wife Meghan Markle with a FaceTime call during her appearance on MasterChef Australia on Sunday night. 

August 6, 2026: Meghan made quite the splash as she marked her 45th birthday by sharing photos on social media of herself jumping into an outdoor pool – as she thanked her followers ‘for the birthday love’ on social media. 

The A172 was closed for the majority of Wednesday as officers examined the scene following the discovery of a body, believed to be Tracey Smith, in a crashed car

The body of a missing woman has been found in a crashed car down a roadside embankment.

Tracey Smith, 57, vanished on July 24 after she was last seen leaving her home in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, driving a black Fiat Panda. Police launched a search effort to locate Tracey but almost a month later the search has come to a tragic end.

However, following North Yorkshire Police’s latest appeal on Tuesday, a member of the public called to say they had noticed a black vehicle crashed in undergrowth down an embankment on the A172 near the Cleveland Tontine.

The vehicle’s driver was tragically found dead inside and while formal identification is yet to take place but North Yorkshire Police believe the deceased to be Tracey.

An update from North Yorkshire Police yesterday confirmed an investigation is underway.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Last night (18 August 2026) North Yorkshire Police were called by a member of the public after they noticed a black vehicle had come to rest in undergrowth down an embankment on the A172 at its junction with the A19 near the Cleveland Tontine.

“Sadly, the sole occupant of the vehicle was found deceased inside. While formal identification is yet to take place, officers believe the deceased to be missing Tracey Smith from the Stokesley area.

“The road was closed and remain closed for most of the day. This was to allow investigators to examine the scene and to recover the vehicle. Due to the location of the vehicle, forensic examination and recovery took longer than usual. The road is expected to reopen later this evening (19 August).

“Our thanks go to members of the public who responded to appeals for help to find Tracey, including the person who called in after noticing a vehicle in the undergrowth.

“An investigation will be carried out to determine how the car came to leave the road. Our thoughts are with Tracey’s family and friends at this very sad time.”

The popular TV and radio presenter, known for his unmistakable Northern charm, was a guest judge on tonight’s episode, the second in the new series.

Keeping to his northern roots, Paddy asked the contestants to cook him a delicious pie, saying that despite trying foods from around the world, he was still a fan of the old-school staples.

Emily Campbell, Jason Mohammad, Shakira Khan, Joe Pasquale, Jay McGuiness, (Image: BBC/Shine TV)

He said: “Well, being a northerner, this food is in our very DNA. I want you to bake me the most beautiful, the most glorious pie.”

Read more news on Paddy McGuinness here

He said he loved pies because no matter where you go in the country, you can have a cheese and onion pie in Scotland and it will taste different to a cheese and onion pie in Birmingham.

Paddy said: “You tuck in and it is always a treat.”

Although primary judging duties lie with the formidable Grace Dent and Italian Michelin-starred maestro Giorgio Locatelli, this series has invited celebrity guest judges, including Paddy and Zoe Ball, who can trace her family back to Bolton.

Tonight, celebrity contestants Emily Campbell, Jason Mohammad, a colleague of Paddy’s, Jay McGuiness, Joe Pasquale and Shakira Khan served up proper pies that did not disappoint.

He sampled everything from mushroom and lamb pies to sweet dessert pies.

With his northern charm fully on show, Paddy had something positive to say about every pie he was served, even giving a Paul Hollywood-style handshake to Jason for his pie.

He described Joe’s pie as “proper”, with the contestant explaining he had made a roux.

It was then, during the judging of the final pies, Paddy reminded Giorgio he did know a thing or two about cooking when the chef began describing what a roux was.

Giorgio started to explain that it was flour and butter, but before he could finish, Paddy said: “Oh, I know I’m from Bolton, but I know some things, Giorgio!”

He then gave him a hug.

Giorgio said: “You looked a little puzzled when he said that.”

Shakira’s sweet pie reminded Paddy of his local Bolton pie shop, which he used to go with his mum.

The winning pie was as Paddy thanked the celebrity chefs for feeding him, stating the judges had a very tough task.

To find out which was favourite pie, watch the episode on BBC iPlayer.

A guide for asylum seekers published by the Home Office has told them not to rape or sexually harass people, including partners and children.

The document tells people arriving in the UK after fleeing other countries that women are allowed to “earn their own money” and “make their own decisions about their lives”.

Men appear to be the primary target for the instructions, although there are also resources for asylum seekers who think they may be victims of illegal behaviour.

Politics Live: Funding questions over Burnham’s rough sleeping plan

The guidance states that people are expected to not make sexual remarks about someone “even if you think it is a compliment”, whistle or make “kissing sounds” at someone, follow someone or “block their path”, make rude or offensive gestures, or “verbally abuse someone because of their gender, religion, or how they look”.

The guidance warns throughout that breaking the law can lead to trouble with law enforcement, lead to someone losing accommodation or support, and could affect an asylum claim.

People are warned it’s a serious crime to take or share sexual images without someone’s consent. As well as the guidebook, a series of posters have been designed by the Home Office to inform asylum seekers.

The guidance was published in a nine-page document titled “Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK: A guide for asylum seekers”.

Sections include: gender equality, domestic abuse, sex and consent, and respect in public – as well as getting help and living in the UK.

Illegal migration and the visible issue of people crossing the Channel in small boats is a policy area the government is determined to look tough on, and these documents are understood to be part of a plan to ensure not knowing the law is not an excuse for illegal actions.

It has also been focused on by parties like the Conservatives and Reform UK, and there have been a series of high-profile criminal cases involving asylum seekers.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants behave in a civilised way towards women, they should be deported.”

Some 101,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending December 2025, 4% less than the previous year, with around 46,000 detected arrivals coming to Britain via illegal routes, such as small boats or other clandestine routes.

Read more:
Asylum seekers jailed for rape on Brighton beach
Asylum seeker jailed for abducting and raping 12-year-old
Asylum seeker jailed for seven years for raping woman in Staffordshire

Examples of the guidance in the document include a section stating that “everyone in the UK is expected to treat men and women equally” – and “even if you are a family member, like a husband, father or brother” you must never do things like stop a woman working or studying, control what she wears or where she goes, or make decisions for her without her agreement.

Domestic abuse is defined in the guidance as physical violence, threats, controlling behaviour, emotional abuse and taking away someone’s documents.

Asylum seekers are told they are expected to treat family and their partners with respect, let them make their own choices, and never physically or verbally abuse or control them.

The sex and consent page explains that both people must consent to sex without threat or pressure, someone can change their mind at any time even if they agreed previously, and someone “asleep, drunk, or unable to respond” cannot consent.

It adds: “Consent is needed in every situation. This means even if you are married or in a relationship with someone, they must consent to sex every time.”

The chapter says that people are expected to never use “threat, force or pressure” to make someone have sex, never try to have sex with someone who is asleep, drunk or unable to consent clearly, and to stop if someone says no or changes their mind.

It is mentioned that anyone under the age of 16 is considered a child and therefore legally cannot consent to having sex.

How to behave in public is also covered, with asylum seekers “told that people have different beliefs, religions, cultures, relationships and ways of life” and they must “treat others with respect, even if you disagree with their beliefs or how they live”.

Tap to never miss an episode: Follow Cheat Sheet here

Support numbers for victims are provided at the bottom of each section and in a chapter at the end of the document.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We expect everyone who comes to the UK to abide by our laws. If they do not, they will face consequences, including the refusal of their asylum claim and removal from the UK.”

The airline operates five direct routes from Leeds Bradford to Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Paris, Barcelona, and Belfast.

The popular budget airline has assured travellers that flight schedules up until that date will continue as normal.

What the airline had to say

An easyJet spokesperson said: “Following a review of our routes from Leeds Bradford Airport, we have made the decision to no longer operate flights from the airport after January 5. Our focus is on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers.

“We have contacted customers with bookings beyond this date to provide them with advance notice and inform them of their options, including a free transfer to flights from an alternative airport or a refund, and we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Launch of the Paris service (Image: easyJet)

“We value the relationship we have built with Leeds Bradford Airport and we always keep options for our network under review, with the aim of providing more choice and connectivity where we see demand.”

easyJet taken over by another firm

Eight other airlines continue to operate from Leeds Bradford, including Ryanair and Jet2.

The announcement comes just two weeks after easyJet confirmed a £5.7 billion takeover by private equity firm Apollo.

It has also been reported that increased expenses in jet fuel and lower bookings have also caused a 70 per cent fall in profits for the firm.

LBA has been contacted for a comment.

Councillors and a body representing bus users said allowing disabled bus pass holders to travel for free all day from April would give them more freedom and independence.

But a local disability rights activist said that although the move was welcome her and others were concerned any savings could be wiped out by future welfare cuts.

It follows a Government announcement on Tuesday, August 18 that restrictions on what times disabled people can use their passes would be removed in a move backed by £60m.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said it was not right that disabled passengers could only use passes at certain times and the move also aimed to ease cost of living pressures.

It follows calls to scrap time restrictions including from Liberal Democrat Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon.

York councillors backed a call in November for the Government to change concessionary bus pass hours.

Passes are currently only valid nationally from 9.30am to 11pm, though morning hours in York were previously extended to 9am.

More than 3,500 people in York are set to benefit from April’s change, according to York Council estimates.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the move on Tuesday, August 18 (Image: James Manning)

City of York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Kate Ravilious said disabled people did not live their lives according to bus timetables and had to get to work, hospital and meet other commitments.

Cllr Ravilious said: “For many disabled people buses aren’t just one transport option among many, they can be absolutely essential for getting around and living independently.

“This is about fairness, but it’s also about independence, disabled people should have the same freedom as anyone else to get on a bus and go where they need to go, when they need to go.

“There’s much more to do to make public transport genuinely accessible for everyone, but removing this restriction is a very welcome step forward.”

Opposition Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Cllr Stephen Fenton said the move was a huge victory for Mr Gordon and others who had campaigned hard for the changes.

Cllr Fenton said: “Disabled people already face additional costs as part of their day-to-day lives, which made the time restriction on use of the bus pass even more difficult to understand.

“Hopefully this change will make it easier for disabled people to access work, education and social activities.”

Doreen Magill, chair of the York Bus Forum, said it would help disabled people leave their homes and participate more fully in the life of the city.

The chair said: “Many disabled people rely on buses to access work or group sessions and these frequently necessitate travel outside of the time-restrictions which were imposed.

“This is a vital step in helping those with disabilities.

But disability rights activist Flick Williams said she hoped savings on bus fares would not be cancelled out amid fears ministers could be planning further welfare cuts later this year.

She added 291 Labour MPs had voted against the measure, including York Central’s Rachael Maskell and York Outer’s Luke Charters, when it was previously tabled in Parliament in September.

Ms Williams said: “This suggests it is not about the merits of a policy rather who is proposing it, which at that time was the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough who has long campaigned on this issue.

“The prime minister has presented this as a mitigation against the cost of living crisis, we have to hope that a few bus fares saved is not completely wiped out.”

Employers in certain sectors will have been concerned to read reports from the UK government that the costs of promised reforms to “zero hours contracts” under the Employment Rights Act 2025 may be anything up to £2.9 billion.

The changes, due to be implemented in early 2027, are designed to redress what are seen as “one-sided” working arrangements under which workers bear all the financial risk of fluctuations in demand for their labour.

In December 2025, the number of people working under zero hours contracts as their only or main employment was 1.23 million, with young workers and all workers in the retail and hospitality sectors being disproportionately represented in those figures.

The term “zero hours contract” first appeared in academic literature in 1997, but even then, it was still seen as a shorthand description for a collection of employment practices that had been developing from the 1980s onward.

The term was not used or defined in UK legislation until 2015. The use of zero hours contracts expanded significantly after 2008, as businesses sought flexible ways to manage employment arrangements in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. The flexibility offered to both employers and workers to plan for fluctuations in demand for and supply of labour is still seen as the primary advantage of zero hours contracts.

Controversial from the start

Zero hours contracts have been controversial from the outset. Worker representatives view “flexibility” as synonymous with “exploitation” of vulnerable and low-income workers, who are said to be disadvantaged by the lack of job security and guaranteed stable income levels. They bear the cost of last-minute changes or cancellations of shifts.

The changes in the Employment Rights Act 2025 represent a watering down of the 2024 Labour general election manifesto pledge to “ban” zero hours contracts. But nevertheless, the new statutory provisions represent the most radical change to this form of working arrangement since its inception.

The provisions are mindbogglingly complex, and the fine details are still to be worked out through ministerial regulation.

The main changes to zero hours contracts are the introduction of:

1. a duty on employers to offer guaranteed hours to workers, based on the average number of hours the worker regularly works over a “reference period” – yet to be defined, but there is a general view that this may be 12 weeks

2. a duty on employers to give “reasonable” notice of shifts and shift changes or cancellations, with compensatory payments to be made to workers in the absence of such notice

3. a right for workers not to suffer detriment or be dismissed for accepting or rejecting an offer of guaranteed hours, with any dismissal primarily for this reason being deemed automatically unfair

The duty to offer guaranteed hours would only apply to workers on contracts where the existing contractual hours were below a (yet to be decided) threshold.

Similarly, there would be no obligation to offer guaranteed hours to workers on short-term contracts which were shorter than the reference period. It must also be borne in mind that workers who are content with the zero hours contracts arrangement are under no obligation to accept an employer’s offer.

It is difficult to judge whether the costs estimate provided by the government is accurate in the absence of clear information on how notions of threshold hours, reference periods and reasonable notice are defined and measured. The higher the number of threshold hours – the government has indicated that this could be anywhere between 8-20 hours per week – the greater will be the costs to employers of the duty to offer guaranteed hours of at least that number.

Attempts to avoid triggering the duty by agreeing contractual hours just above the threshold are likely to backfire if the threshold is set at a level that is unsustainable during quiet periods of work. Employers will need to exercise caution when identifying the reference period, as calculating regular hours over a busy period may result in guaranteed hours that are unaffordable during the quieter periods that follow.

The use of contracts which are of shorter duration than the reference period may represent a cost saving, but this may be outweighed by the cost of having to prove that the use of such a contract was reasonable.

Payments of salary or compensation for last minute changes to or cancellations of shifts is likely to represent a significant cost to employers, but this is likely to be borne disproportionately by employers in sectors where such events are common but unpredictable.

Unwanted costs

For businesses which currently use zero hours contracts, some costs, such as the administrative costs of calculating regular hours of workers and the need to update payroll systems, are going to be inevitable. Other potential costs, which may not be so obvious, could include termination payments to workers by employers unable to sustain current workforce levels, or legal fees to explain the impact of the changes.

The statutory changes will impose additional unwanted costs on employers. How much those costs are likely to be can only be guesswork in the absence of further government regulation.

Employers will have to weigh up the continued advantages of flexibility against these additional costs in deciding whether zero hours contracts still meet the requirements of their business models.

This is likely to produce a different answer in different sectors of the economy. The changes also raise the question whether they will achieve the certainty of work hours and stable incomes for workers when the cost to employers may be too much to be sustainable.