Keir Starmer has sacked a Labour frontbencher for appearing on a rail picket line. Shadow buses minister Sam Tarry defied the party leader’s orders and stood alongside striking rail workers at London Euston station on Wednesday morning.
Around 40,000 members of the RMT union staged a walkout on Wednesday in a dispute over proposed changes to working conditions, pay and job losses bringing the rail network to a halt. Another strike is expected to go ahead on Saturday.
Starmer has tried to distance the Labour party from the strike action in order to convince voters that the party is ready to govern and told frontbenchers to stay away from the picket lines.
Speaking on Tuesday, Starmer said: “The Labour Party in opposition needs to be the Labour Party in power and a government doesn’t go on picket lines.”
But Tarry made a point of appearing on the picket line and on television. The Illford MP, who is facing a re-selection battle in his constituency, told Good Morning Britain: “If we don’t make a stand today, people’s lives could be lost.”
After several hours of discussions behind the scenes, Labour announced that Tarry had been sacked from his frontbench role.
A party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party will always stand up for working people fighting for better pay, terms and conditions at work. This isn’t about appearing on a picket line. Members of the frontbench sign up to collective responsibility. That includes media appearances being approved and speaking to agreed frontbench positions.
“As a government in waiting, any breach of collective responsibility is taken extremely seriously and for these reasons Sam Tarry has been removed from the frontbench.”
Labour frontbenchers were initially warned not to join the rail picket lines last month. But in Scotland, Labour leader Anas Sarwar showed support for striking workers in a display of solidarity and to underline his separation from the UK party.
Fellow frontbenchers Kate Osborne and Paula Barker also challenged Starmer’s authority on Wednesday by joining picket lines. Tarry, who is an ally of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, is facing a an uphill battle to hold onto his Ilford South seat.
Local Labour members voted to for a trigger ballot, meaning he must go through a full re-selection contest to be the party’s candidate at the next general election.
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