Cammell Laird 37

Early day motion 808, tabled 14 September 2026 by Kim Johnson (Labour). Signed by 16 members.

That this House remembers the 37 Cammell Laird shipyard workers who, in 1984, were imprisoned for 30 days after occupying their workplace in protest against compulsory redundancies, privatisation and the threatened destruction of their industry; notes that they were subsequently dismissed, lost redundancy and pension rights, and that many struggled to secure stable employment thereafter; recognises that they were trade unionists defending their jobs, livelihoods, families and communities in the face of deindustrialisation on Merseyside; believes they should never have been imprisoned for standing up for their livelihoods; further notes that the occupation was conducted peacefully, without damage to property, and that Ministry of Defence inspectors were allowed access to inspect the Royal Navy frigate involved; further recognises parallels with other historic injustices involving organised labour and the state, including the Shrewsbury pickets and Orgreave; also notes with sadness that a number of the Cammell Laird 37 have died without seeing their names cleared; welcomes the continued efforts of the Justice for Cammell Laird 37 campaign, the workers, their families and legal representatives; calls on the Government to release all relevant records relating to the case; further calls for an independent public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their imprisonment, including the role of Ministers and Government departments; urges full cooperation with any legal proceedings seeking to overturn the convictions; and also calls on the Government to issue a formal apology to the surviving workers and the families of those who have died, so that justice may finally be delivered.

Signatures by party: Labour 8, Green 5, DUP 2, Labour/Co-operative 1.