Lords report stage fourth day. Amendment 147 agreed to on division (290 to 143). Amendment 148 agreed to on division (271 to 138). Amendment 149A disagreed to on division, there being an equality of votes, in accordance with Standing Order 55, which provides that no proposal to amend a Bill in the form in which it is before the House shall be agreed to unless there is a majority in favour of such amendment (198 to 198). Amendment 152A disagreed to on division (171 to 189). (Part 1 of 2).

Lords report stage fourth day. Amendment 147 agreed to on division (290 to 143). Amendment 148 agreed to on division (271 to 138). Amendment 149A disagreed to on division, there being an equality of votes, in accordance with Standing Order 55, which provides that no proposal to amend a Bill...

Moved by

Lord Burns

147: Leave out Clause 59

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment would retain the 2016 cross-party compromise (agreed by the House without a division) whereby new members of a union contribute to the political fund only if they have actively chosen to do so. That compromise was based on the conclusions...

Moved by

Lord Burns

147: Leave out Clause 59

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment would retain the 2016 cross-party compromise (agreed by the House without a division) whereby new members of a union contribute to the political fund only if they have actively chosen to do so. That compromise was based on the conclusions...

My Lords, my amendment proposes removing Clause 59 from the Bill. This would maintain the current arrangements whereby members joining the union since the passage of the Trade Union Act 2016 contribute to its political fund only if they give their active consent to do so. These existing arrangements stem...

My Lords, my amendment proposes removing Clause 59 from the Bill. This would maintain the current arrangements whereby members joining the union since the passage of the Trade Union Act 2016 contribute to its political fund only if they give their active consent to do so. These existing arrangements stem...

My Lords, I support the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Burns. Several noble Lords, including me, spoke at some length in Committee, so I will not repeat the powerful arguments in favour of maintaining the outcome agreed in 2016 that new members should be explicitly asked...

My Lords, I support the amendment in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Burns. Several noble Lords, including me, spoke at some length in Committee, so I will not repeat the powerful arguments in favour of maintaining the outcome agreed in 2016 that new members should be explicitly asked...

My Lords, I would like to correct, in a sense, the impression given by the noble Lord, Lord Burns, of the activity of his Select Committee at the time. I was a member of that Select Committee, along with my noble friend Lady Drake, representing the interests of the Labour...

My Lords, I would like to correct, in a sense, the impression given by the noble Lord, Lord Burns, of the activity of his Select Committee at the time. I was a member of that Select Committee, along with my noble friend Lady Drake, representing the interests of the Labour...

My Lords, this is an issue with a long history. In 1909 the Osborne judgment ruled that trade unions could not legally use their general funds for political purposes. Subsequently, the Trade Union Act 1913 was passed by the Liberal Government led by HH Asquith to allow trade unions to...

My Lords, this is an issue with a long history. In 1909 the Osborne judgment ruled that trade unions could not legally use their general funds for political purposes. Subsequently, the Trade Union Act 1913 was passed by the Liberal Government led by HH Asquith to allow trade unions to...

My Lords, I oppose Amendment 147. The compromise formula that my noble friend Lord Barber has just talked about was a very practical solution to a tricky problem in the period when the noble Lord, Lord Burns, and his committee did such good work. However, I take issue with his...

My Lords, I oppose Amendment 147. The compromise formula that my noble friend Lord Barber has just talked about was a very practical solution to a tricky problem in the period when the noble Lord, Lord Burns, and his committee did such good work. However, I take issue with his...

My Lords, it will probably not surprise noble Lords that I support the amendment. This situation has cursed the whole of the trade union movement’s relations with the Labour Party for far too long. As some of you will remember, I am the president of BALPA, the pilots’ union, a...

My Lords, it will probably not surprise noble Lords that I support the amendment. This situation has cursed the whole of the trade union movement’s relations with the Labour Party for far too long. As some of you will remember, I am the president of BALPA, the pilots’ union, a...

The speeches that have been made in this debate about an important issue are clear, and I strongly support those made on this side of the House. Because of the exigencies of where the issue arises in our consideration of the Bill, I have tabled manuscript Amendment 147A. Noble Lords...

The speeches that have been made in this debate about an important issue are clear, and I strongly support those made on this side of the House. Because of the exigencies of where the issue arises in our consideration of the Bill, I have tabled manuscript Amendment 147A. Noble Lords...

My Lords, I feel in something of a time warp, because I opposed Clause 62 in Committee and tried to get it dropped, but I want to go back to the discussion we were having on Amendment 147. I support this amendment, because I genuinely think there are very good...

My Lords, I feel in something of a time warp, because I opposed Clause 62 in Committee and tried to get it dropped, but I want to go back to the discussion we were having on Amendment 147. I support this amendment, because I genuinely think there are very good...

My Lords, I support Amendment 147, which is in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Burns. Conscious of time passing this afternoon and the fact that we have a lot to get through, I will make two points.

We debated this at some length in Committee, but it is clear...

My Lords, I support Amendment 147, which is in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Burns. Conscious of time passing this afternoon and the fact that we have a lot to get through, I will make two points.

We debated this at some length in Committee, but it is clear...

My Lords, the House will not want a legal argument between me and the noble Baroness.

My Lords, the House will not want a legal argument between me and the noble Baroness.

Not again!

Not again!

Yes, not again—we rehearsed that in Committee. However, those cases do not support the proposition that the noble Baroness advanced. The case of Young, James and Webster v the United Kingdom concerned three railway workers, who were compelled to join a trade union against their wishes—a closed shop—and the European...

Yes, not again—we rehearsed that in Committee. However, those cases do not support the proposition that the noble Baroness advanced. The case of Young, James and Webster v the United Kingdom concerned three railway workers, who were compelled to join a trade union against their wishes—a closed shop—and the European...

The noble Lord is right that that is what the case was about. However, one of the factors in the judgment was the absence of a refund mechanism. I recall a rather fun debate between the noble Lord and me in Committee, which I hope we will not exhaust everyone...

The noble Lord is right that that is what the case was about. However, one of the factors in the judgment was the absence of a refund mechanism. I recall a rather fun debate between the noble Lord and me in Committee, which I hope we will not exhaust everyone...

My Lords, the difference is that, if you are a member of a trade union, you can leave the trade union. There is no compulsion to remain a member of a trade union. If you do not like paying the political—

My Lords, the difference is that, if you are a member of a trade union, you can leave the trade union. There is no compulsion to remain a member of a trade union. If you do not like paying the political—

My Lords—

My Lords—

Can I finish the sentence?

Can I finish the sentence?

My Lords, I will intervene once more and then that will be it, because I do not want us to repeat the ping-pong we had between us in Committee—I am sure that we can take it outside, as they say. It is of course completely normal for noble Lords in...

My Lords, I will intervene once more and then that will be it, because I do not want us to repeat the ping-pong we had between us in Committee—I am sure that we can take it outside, as they say. It is of course completely normal for noble Lords in...