Keir Starmer is facing a backlash from trade unions and Labour politicians after sacking a frontbench MP for joining a rail strike picket line.
Sam Tarry MP, the shadow minister for buses, defied Starmer’s order for Labour frontbenchers not to appear on picket lines and joined striking rail workers at London’s Euston station on Wednesday morning.
He was sacked on Wednesday evening, provoking anger from Labour MPs as well as trade union leaders.
Labour former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said whoever advised Starmer on the sacking of Sam Tarry has made a “severe mistake”.
READ MORE: Starmer under pressure to sack picket line MP
The MP Hayes and Harlington told Sky News: “This is a completely unnecessary row that’s been invented just at a time when the Tories are tearing themselves apart, and we’ve got the maximum opportunity I think to gain an advantage in the polls that will build the support to take us into a government.”
As well as opening up internal Labour divisions the Corbyn ally went on to back calls for a general strike proposed by RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.
McDonnell said: “If you look at the ballots that are taking place across the trade union movement, we are talking about millions of workers now voting for industrial action. So, naturally, what people are saying as well, why not co-ordinate that?
He added: “You can understand why unions are saying that if we are going to strike, we might as well co-ordinate that action. So co-ordinated action, I think, is going to be inevitable, and I just hope that the Government starts listening.”
Sharon Graham, the head of Unite union that funds Labour, called the sacking “another insult to the trade union movement. Quite frankly, it would be laughable if it were not so serious.”
She added: “At a time when people are facing a cost of living crisis, and on the day when the Conservative government has launched a new wave of attacks on the rights of working people, the Labour party has opted to continue to indulge in old factional wars.”
The TSSA general secretary, Manuel Cortes, said he was ashamed of the party.
He said: “If they think can win the next general election while pushing away seven million trade union members, they are deluded.”
Gary Smith of the GMB union said: “It’s a huge own goal for to turn a Tory Transport crisis into a Labour story”.
Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon tweeted solidarity with Tarry an South of Scotland MSP Carol Mochan joined an RMT picket line on Wednesday.
Last month Anas Sarwar joined strikers as did some UK Labour frontbenchers who were disciplined but not sacked.
But Starmer defended sacking Sam Tarry, accusing him of making up “policy on the hoof”.
In an interview on Thursday, Starmer said: “Sam Tarry was sacked because he booked himself onto media programmes without permission.
“And then made up policy on the hoof, and that can’t be tolerated in any organisation because we’ve got collective responsibility. So that was relatively straightforward.”
A Labour spokesperson maintained Tarry was dismissed as shadow buses Minister for an unauthorised media appearance as he spoke to tv cameras about above inflation wage settlements which is not Labour policy.
The sacking of Tarry is given added complexity because he is in a relationship with Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner and faces a re-selection battle in his Illford South constituency.
The move will also fuel left-wing discontent with Starmer, who ruled out re-nationalisation of public utilities this week in a further breach with the Corbyn era.
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