All 1 Debates between Lord Judd and Lord Leigh of Hurley

Thu 25th Feb 2016

Trade Union Bill

Debate between Lord Judd and Lord Leigh of Hurley
Thursday 25th February 2016

(8 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Leigh of Hurley Portrait Lord Leigh of Hurley
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Yes, I thank the noble Lord—I have taken the point. The point that I was making was that the direction of travel, in the market and clearly by the unions, is towards direct debit, which is a direction of travel that we should encourage.

Lord Judd Portrait Lord Judd (Lab)
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My Lords, this has been a fascinating debate, and I have begun to feel a bit sorry for the Minister, because she totally lacks any kind of support whatever. If I am allowed to say so without being out of order, I also feel very sorry for her officials in the Box and elsewhere, who have to witness the slaughter of their Minister on a completely unacceptable Bill.

I want to make just one simple point: this Bill has a significance way beyond the issue itself. This country desperately needs a strong economy. It desperately needs the most effective, harmonious, productive economic system that we can ensure. There is simply no room whatever for a culture of confrontation. We need co-operation between self-confident people who feel that they really matter and have a stake in the process. This Bill does nothing whatever to promote such a positive approach in the interests of the British economy and British society. There is no place for it. This debate has left no doubt whatever about that.