MP Slaughter blasts insurance industry

Labour justice spokesman Andrew Slaughter has told the insurance industry to put its own house in order before demanding wide-ranging changes to the legal system.

Slaughter, speaking at an ABI fringe event at the Labour Party conference last night, said: “I don’t accept that all insurers are losing money, “ he said, citing Admiral as an exampl e of an insurer that was making a healthy profit from the motor market.

“We should not be seeking to subsidise an industry that is not operating terribly well. They should put their own house in order before we make major changes to the system of justice.”

“We have spent 100 years building up the safest workplaces in the world and that is potentially at risk. “

But he also said that he backed the proposed ban on referral fees and was exploring how other countries dealt with whiplash injuries.

Slaughter also said he was keen to probe abuses of personal data by claims companies and that he was not on the side of the claimant solicitors or the insurance. I am on the side of the victim,” he said.

AXA Commercial director of claims and underwriting David Williams said that he was glad that the government was implementing its Jackson review inspired changes to civil legal costs.

He said: “I feel like I’ve been spent a lifetime whinging about the compensation system. Unless this gets derailed, this will be a really good step.”