Trade Union Bill: Lib Dems to help Labour prevent bill from stifling party funding

Last Updated: January 17, 2016By

westminsterfromwater

Liberal Democrat peers are to help Labour water down the Trade Union Bill, which will dramatically reduce the party’s funding, in an amendment on Wednesday.

The support should give Labour enough votes to pass an amendment that would mean parts of the Bill that relate to political funding will be separated out and examined by a cross-party committee of peers. This was originally drafted by Lord Tyler, the Liberal Democrat constitutional reform spokesman, who wants the committee to examine broader political funding.

Baroness (Angela) Smith, Labour’s House of Lords leader, is now sponsoring the amendment. She believes there is a case for a committee to scrutinise political funding specifically, because the Government admitted it had not evaluated how the bill will affect Labour’s finances.

Labour believes it is a partisan attempt to secure the Conservatives’ financial dominance and has estimated it could lose as much as £35m in an electoral cycle. The Bill requires members of Labour-affiliated unions, for example, to opt in to paying a levy to the party, when they currently can opt out – making a costly psychological difference.

Source: Trade Union Bill: Lib Dems to help Labour prevent bill from stifling party funding | UK Politics | News | The Independent

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No Comments

  1. Mr.Angry January 17, 2016 at 11:42 pm - Reply

    Words fail me what a disgusting shower they are, lowest of the low.

  2. Lorfarius January 18, 2016 at 8:01 am - Reply

    Well this will be something especially seeing as Nick Clegg rarely votes these days. I think there should be a full investigation or piece on him! Hardly ever there.

    • Mike Sivier January 18, 2016 at 12:17 pm - Reply

      Nick Clegg is still an MP – he doesn’t sit in the Lords.

  3. John Bruce January 18, 2016 at 10:17 am - Reply

    What about the SNP? all parties should stand together against this..

    • Mike Sivier January 18, 2016 at 11:58 am - Reply

      My understanding is that the SNP has no members in the House of Lords. According to at least one commenter on This Blog, the party does not want anything to do with the Upper House. This Writer believes that is akin to cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face, but there it is.

      • Joan Edington January 18, 2016 at 1:09 pm - Reply

        The SNP has no members in the House of Lords because they do not believe it is a suitable 2nd chamber. If there was a democratic Upper House, then they would take their places, if elected. They are not hypocrites like so many of those sitting in the Lords (if they bother to turn up and stay awake) who were strongly against that chamber before they lost their seats in the commons.

        • Mike Sivier January 19, 2016 at 2:34 pm - Reply

          Yes indeed. The problem with that is, of course, that they have no voice in the Upper House and cannot affect the debates that take place there.

  4. mrmarcpc January 18, 2016 at 3:50 pm - Reply

    Sounds like tory ideals have rubbed off on the lib dems!

  5. Terry Davies January 18, 2016 at 11:39 pm - Reply

    get rid of the tories and drop the union bill completely.
    A vote of no confidence in the government by a coalition of all opposing parties should ensue with all bills delayed their passage to the Lords.

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