Clause 18
Employment Bill [Lords]
1:00 pm
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley, Liberal Democrat)
The principle in amendment No. 17, which is that only trade union membership in the immediate year before or during the membership period should matter, is reasonable. It is the drafting that is problematic. I understood the amendment to apply only to membership of a political party during the 12-month period prior to applying to be a member of a union, so if someone was a member of the union and then joined the party that would disqualify them, that would not count. I cannot back the drafting of the amendment, but its principle is good.
Amendment No. 18 is also good because that again refers to a form of conduct, but membership of a political party or standing for a party is a definable act. The Committee knows that I am sympathetic with the underlying principle of freedom of association. I have no problem with that. As the hon. Member for Broxtowe explained, people can take other routes if they do not like that one. The principle of amendment No. 17 is good, even if the wording needs to be sorted out. Amendment No. 18 is very good.