Trade Union Funding Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Trade Union Funding

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts
Wednesday 29th February 2012

(12 years, 9 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Alec Shelbrooke Portrait Alec Shelbrooke
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I would not say that my hon. Friends are on a different planet from me; their arguments just have a different emphasis. Many Government Members believe in trade unions, and find it demeaning to be compared to the Third Reich. It demeans the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr Anderson), who said that we were going the same way as Hitler by trying to remove the trade unions. That devalues the debate today, which is about where the funding comes from.

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Portrait Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con)
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Is my hon. Friend aware of the Warwick I and Warwick II agreements? To get the policies that they wanted from a Labour Government, the trade unions dictated the policies to be enacted by a Labour Government in return for union funding.

Alec Shelbrooke Portrait Alec Shelbrooke
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There are indeed many stories, but I want to return to the specific—