"My Lords, I am pleased to move this amendment. I understand that the night is getting on and we have all been here for many hours. I say in the nicest possible way that, as the hour gets later, the noble Lord, Lord McNally, seems to get a bit more …..." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"My Lords, I am very pleased that the noble Lord has said that he hopes to bring in a defamation Bill. That at least is something, because my worry is that there is a great imbalance. I will not detain the House any longer. I beg leave to withdraw the …..." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"My Lords, I wish to speak to Amendment 146 in my name. In doing so, I declare an interest as I have been a member of the Unite union for a long time. I am not having a go at the media on this matter but, often when trade unions …..." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"I know it is late in the evening and I thank the noble Baroness, but I am sure she would agree that not every union or every solicitor would conduct their affairs like that. Tomorrow, there will be unions that refer their members to a solicitor, and they will do …..." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"On that point, does the noble Lord agree that government departments and health services all turn up with lawyers when they are defending an unfair dismissal? The Government will use lawyers, but they are saying that those who are seeking to fight their case do not need lawyers...." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"My Lords, Amendment 166ZB is in my name and those of the noble Lords, Lord Elystan-Morgan and Lord Collins of Highbury. Of course, I am supportive of the other amendments that have been moved and spoken to.
"I may have failed to declare an interest in that I am a member of Unite. It used to be the metalworkers’ union and then it became another union. When I looked today, it was still called Unite, but it might change its name tomorrow...." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"My Lords, I support the amendment and the noble Lords who spoke. My thoughts turn to a lawyer, the late Frank Maguire, who died recently. He was a campaigning lawyer on behalf of asbestos sufferers north of the border. He took on very difficult cases. Many of them were test …..." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech
"I know that the hour is late. There might have been abuse from lawyers but there was no abuse from the victims...." Lord Martin of Springburn - View Speech