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A Tory MP's "attack" on striking workers has been defeated at its very first hurdle in Parliament.

Chris Philp wanted to ban rail, NHS and other state workers from striking unless their actions were labelled "reasonable and proportionate" by a High Court judge.

His law would have also set out a "minimal required level of service to the public" during strikes.

But his backbench Bill was defeated today after just 20 minutes in Parliament thanks to an effort by Labour and SNP MPs.

Mr Philp's Croydon constituents have been hit by the Southern Rail strike, and he said his Bill would protect "critical infrastructure".

Yet critics warned his bid came just months after Tory ministers had already restricted the right to strike in the Trade Union Act.

(Image: AFP)

Labour MP Kevin Brennan said: "It's an attack on a fundamental British liberty - the right to withdraw labour in a legal trade dispute with an employer.

"It's not as if we haven't already experienced a full-frontal attack on the rights of workers who are in dispute with their employer under this government already.

"Dogs bark, birds fly and Tories attack workers’ rights."

Mr Philp's Bill, which would have also included firefighters, ambulance workers and bus drivers, was defeated by 206 votes to 127.

Just one Tory, former health minister Dan Poulter, voted against it.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

He tweeted: "Thank you to the 127 MPs who supported my bill - huge for PMB. Lost because Labour & SNP whipped against, and Govt Ministers cannot vote".

During the short debate he acknowledged unions had a "long history" of campaigning for rights including maternity pay and set hours.

"I applaud those achievements... and I respect what trade unions have achieved in the last 150 years," he said.

But he added: "I must also recognise that strikes have a profound effect on the wider public, especially where those strikes occur on critical national services.

"It is time to consider again the impact that strikes have on the wider public and to protect the public as well as upholding the right to strike."

Labour's shadow labour minister Jack Dromey said after the vote: "Instead of pushing their Government to sort the terrible Southern Rail situation out, Tory backbenchers tried to use the failure over the rail franchise to push their own agenda, threatening draconian laws to cripple worker organisation.

“The Tories paint themselves as the party of the working class. Yet in a country where trade unions are already heavily regulated, and the world of work is increasingly precarious, they want yet further restrictions to rob workers of their right to take industrial action, leaving millions of workers badly treated and essentially powerless.

”Today’s defeat confirms that Labour is the only party that can be trusted to fight for the interests of working people.”