Employment Bill [Lords]

I welcome new clause 4, which the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) tabled. The idea of workplace environmental representatives constitutes reasonable and balanced policy, which is in line with our party's ethos on environmental sustainability, health and safety and the importance of corporate social responsibility. I note that the hon. Gentleman tabled a related amendment to the Climate Change Bill, which was not picked up. However, my party is very happy to support his new clause. New clause 6 would repeal outright those provisions in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 that provide for individuals employed in industries that require union members not to be unreasonably excluded or expelled from any trade union. I have a great deal of sympathy for the comments that the hon. Member for Manchester, Central (Tony Lloyd) made, but the proposal ignores the European Court of Human Rights judgment in ASLEF v. the UK, to which he referred at some length. I will not go into that, but noble Lords from all parties in the other place worked hard to construct the current law, including the noble Lord Morris, so unfortunately we are not in a position to support new clause 6. Clause 19 may not be perfect, but the best brains from all parties in the Lords worked hard to draft amendments that were acceptable. Therefore, we cannot support amendment No. 3. Amendment No. 10 calls for an individual's membership of a political party to become relevant only if it fell within the 12 months prior to their application for membership of a trade union. I can completely understand the reasoning behind the amendment. If someone became a member of an unacceptable party such as the BNP when they were 15 and then wished to join a trade union at 40, it seems unfair that they should be penalised. However, there is another side to the argument. A trade union should have the right to expel whomever it feels it wants to expel. Imposing conditions such as those in amendments Nos. 10 and 11 would amount to the Government telling trade unions whom they could and could not have as members. If the Government starting telling political parties whom they could and could not have as members, they would not countenance such interference.