Employment lawyer, Senior Editor at Practical Law. Own views.https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mqp3flfw5k23Following a discussion with local townspeople over municipal health and safety matters, a policeman goes boating, tries to catch a fish and then has a swim. [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Jul 2026 15:54 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqp3flfw5k23https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mqf55omul22rPerhaps Binface isn’t the joke. [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Jul 2026 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqf55omul22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mpxyadippc2wI didn’t stay up to watch the game. I have no regrets. Nothing is worth being more sleepless than I already am. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.06 Jul 2026 11:26 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpxyadippc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mklhlwxhy22cWeirdly, I think the reason many of us still prefer a constitutional monarchy is because of the relative downsides of a system in which that other man, and men like him, are able to come into absolute power. [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Apr 2026 20:51 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklhlwxhy22chttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mdsg7awibk24As someone who grew up in Oxfordshire in the 70s 80s and 90s, cars were not then (and are not now) the easiest way to get into Oxford. Congestion was terrible and we took the bus or used one of the cheap and convenient park and ride schemes. [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Feb 2026 13:18 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdsg7awibk24https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mdkxnwnldc26Minor bugbear of mine when people call House of Lords “undemocratic” for holding up Commons legislation. It is the will of the Commons, as expressed in the Parliament Acts, that HoL has power to revise and delay but not prevent HoC legislation. That they use this power is part of our democracy.29 Jan 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdkxnwnldc26https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3mcmn5xhrfs2sThat’s not so much a “law” as an absence of law, from a bygone colonial era. These days international law is based on an underlying respect for sovereignty, and alliances between states for, among other things, mutual defence against aggressors. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Jan 2026 12:41 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcmn5xhrfs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3ma4it2j63s24Settling down to listen to the Lords pinging the Employment Rights pong again.16 Dec 2025 15:51 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma4it2j63s24https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3ma3lbenzbs2jI think this guardian headline misrepresents what the letter (which is addressed to the minister, not Tory peers) is saying. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-from-business-groups-on-the-employment-rights-bill [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Dec 2025 07:02 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma3lbenzbs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m7o5uyk2vs2vEmployment Rights Bill: if I’m reading this right I think the Lords have (rightly) rejected the proposed last minute removal of the unfair dismissal cap and instead proposed a review of the cap, subject to proper consultation. Back to the Commons we go… https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-12-10/debates/C518F161-CB15-4F6A-99BD-6B587B33985E/EmploymentRightsBill10 Dec 2025 22:58 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7o5uyk2vs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m7j4iusilk2xCommons passes govt’s latest amendments to the Employment Rights Bill including 6 month unfair dismissal rights and abolishing compensation cap. I rather expect to see further fireworks in the Lords over the latter. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-12-08/debates/434DC2DB-D3C3-41F6-9D75-10A8F0B8DA34/EmploymentRightsBill08 Dec 2025 22:50 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7j4iusilk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m7addbhrhs2hLatest government Employment Rights Bill amendment paper just dropped. Includes plan to repeal unfair dismissal compensation cap entirely. My head has exploded. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0333/amend/employment_rights_rm_cclm_1205.pdf05 Dec 2025 10:58 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7addbhrhs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m6ou6ynep224Easy to say in hindsight but the gov may have had an easier time getting day-one unfair dismissal through the lords if they had already published a fully formed proposal for probationary periods (and edge cases such as spot contracts) rather than treating that as an afterthought.28 Nov 2025 12:12 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6ou6ynep224https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m6mvwdrvu22mFacing repeated opposition from the Lords, the government has dropped day one unfair dismissal rights from the Employment Bill. They will go with a six month qualifying period instead, in order to get the Bill passed. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/an-update-on-the-employment-rights-bill #ukemplaw27 Nov 2025 17:37 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6mvwdrvu22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3m2algz7qsc2502 Oct 2025 22:17 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2algz7qsc25https://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3lsy34e6mnc2oStudents from my kids' school will collectively attempt to row 346km, the length of the Thames, in a single school day on indoor rowing machines, to raise money for Vineyard Community, a local homelessness/poverty/foodbank charity. Please help if you can https://www.justgiving.com/page/rowthethamesforrichmondfoodbank02 Jul 2025 11:07 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsy34e6mnc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3lssq3wqqos2jI think some people may be forgetting how the economy actually works.30 Jun 2025 08:07 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3lssq3wqqos2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3lri6zfoqe22hLatest addition to newspeak dictionary. Political theatre: asking a question at a government press conference. Not political theatre: holding a press conference to declare your intention to “liberate” people from their elected representatives, then handcuffing a senator in front of cameras.13 Jun 2025 10:09 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3lri6zfoqe22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3ljnebej3322x“Unchecked power”? The court IS the check. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Mar 2025 16:05 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljnebej3322xhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3ldqzjovmhs2dLast day of work before Christmas break and I’ve spent several days amending our materials for the new Employment Tribunal Rules.20 Dec 2024 18:32 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldqzjovmhs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3lbwiat7zg22mOh no, a 53 page list of mainly government amendments to the Employment Right Bill to be debated in committee. 😫https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0011/amend/employment_rights_rm_pbc_1127.pdf27 Nov 2024 11:49 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3lbwiat7zg22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3la4axixwzo2lIt was just an invitation to tweet. [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Nov 2024 08:04 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3la4axixwzo2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3l65rbpr4vv2fEmployment rights Bill #ukemplaw bills.parliament.uk/bills/3737 https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/373710 Oct 2024 11:38 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3l65rbpr4vv2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3l65mrqtdyr2jLucy Powell MP has just announced to parliament that the first substantial debate on the Employment Rights Bill (ie Second Reading debate) will be on Monday 21st October. #ukemplaw10 Oct 2024 10:18 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3l65mrqtdyr2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/marktarran.bsky.social/post/3l5jilactni2j👋 [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Oct 2024 10:09 +0000at://did:plc:ick7tkcsskrze2ek433wezry/app.bsky.feed.post/3l5jilactni2j