(Paisley and Renfrewshire
North) (SNP): Last week, my hon. Friend the Member for
Glasgow East () and I proudly supported
picketing workers at Glasgow Central. Not only did we not have to
ask for permission, but nobody was photoshopped out of the
photograph. Avanti West Coast and Transpennine can
barely deliver a minimum service as it is. The Smith commission
could have devolved employment rights to ensure that the right to
strike was sacrosanct and fire and rehire was banned, but Labour
blocked it. Mick Lynch has said that Scottish Ministers “want to
resolve” issues, but “politicians down here” want to “exacerbate”
them. Is it not therefore the case that Scottish workers will be
fully protected only with independence?
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial
Strategy (): Well, I never expected that
contribution from the SNP Benches. I should just point out to the
hon. Member that I would never knowingly remove the former Prime
Minister, whom I served enthusiastically, from anything I put
out. He makes a point about Scottish independence, somehow
shoehorned into a statement about minimum safety levels, but his
constituents will be among the first to benefit when there are
national strikes and we are able to run a minimum safe level of
service, for example, between ambulances and the hospitals.
To read all the exchanges, CLICK HERE
