Today I voted against the Government’s Trade Union Bill. Trade unions give people a voice and a degree of control over their working lives.

They are key partners in building a modern, competitive economy where work pays, rights are respected and workers are never treated as mere commodities. The huge amount of success we’ve had recently in the car industry, for example, is a direct result of constructive trade union and employer engagement, supported by government. Throughout our economy, we need to spread the success of the trade union movement.

A strong economy requires our trade unions to meet new challenges with the same energy and imagination as they have shown in the past – instead the Tories want to restrict their rights for petty party political gain.

I will continue to champion strong rights for working people in Leicester and oppose this Government’s attempts to weaken workers’ voices.