Matt Western

Matt Western

Labour — Warwick and Leamington

Speaking in the House of Commons on 27 April 2026

Debate

Ernest Bevin

Contribution

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we should commemorate that day. At the time of that amalgamation, the membership stood at 300,000 workers, but in just 15 years, Bevin would lead it to becoming the largest union in the country, with over 650,000 members. During that time as trade union leader, Bevin accelerated the rights, conditions and pay of the working class. His achievements included the introduction of a 40-hour working week, expanding holiday pay to 11 million workers and redefining the relationship between unions, Government and industry. Bevin truly was a visionary and a moderniser of industrial relations and left his mark on the UK’s political economy long after his tenure.

More from Matt Western

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

For Matt Western's full parliamentary record including voting history, expenses and all other contributions, see the Matt Western report card.