# Legislate on non-compete clauses for start-ups

> “So, I can confirm today we will legislate to make sure that non-compete clauses will no longer be a barrier to hiring for our most promising startups and scaling firms.”
>
> — Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, Labour Party; Speech at the Innovation Nation Summit, Manchester, 9 October 2026

- **Status:** Promised
- **Status ladder:** Promised → In plan → Legislated → Funded → Delivering → Delivered
- **Policy area:** [Transport & economy](https://ledgergov.uk/promises/area/transport-and-economy)
- **Speaker:** [Andy Burnham](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/andy-burnham), Prime Minister
- **Party:** [Labour Party](https://ledgergov.uk/actor/labour)
- **Made on:** 9 October 2026
- **Where:** Speech at the Innovation Nation Summit, Manchester
- **Cost a year:** No costing published
- **Who it affects:** Workers bound by non-compete clauses, and the start-ups and scaling firms that want to hire them
- **When:** Not stated
- **Paid for by:** Not stated when it was announced
- **Quote source:** https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-the-innovation-nation-summit-9-october-2026 (checked word for word at its source on 20 October 2026; Open Government Licence v3.0)
- **Last updated:** 20 October 2026
- **Card:** https://ledgergov.uk/promise/uk-non-compete-clauses-law-2026

## Where it stands

The Prime Minister said non-compete clauses stop workers joining a rival or setting up their own firm after leaving a job. In the same speech he said workers in the everyday economy would not be prevented from moving jobs either, and that the government would bring forward options on the wider use of restrictive practices. No Bill or date is named. The card moves when a Bill with the change is introduced.

## Timeline

- 9 October 2026, Promised: The Prime Minister says the government will legislate so that non-compete clauses no longer stop start-ups and scaling firms from hiring

## About the cost

No cost has been published.

## Sources

- [Prime Minister's Office: PM speech at the Innovation Nation Summit, 9 October 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-the-innovation-nation-summit-9-october-2026)

## Checks

- Checked automatically by AI Journalist, not yet verified by an editor.
- Checked by AI Journalist (automated) on 20 October 2026.

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