Sam Tarry, shadow transport minister and MP for Ilford, was sacked as a Labour frontbencher on Wednesday after taking part in broadcast interviews from a rail strikes picket line.
Keir Starmer has previously warned shadow ministers not to join picket lines, although several did so during the last rail strikes in June and did not lose their jobs. However, unlike Tarry they did not take part in media appearances unapproved by the Labour party.
Here, readers share their views on the sacking and Labour’s policy on the strikes.
‘Labour run the risk of taking the left’s votes for granted’
Seems to me that [Tarry] was sacked due to the unplanned/unapproved media pieces, rather than for just joining the strikes as many other Labour MPs have done, without being sacked. That being said, I still disagree with it. Keir’s Labour is blatantly trying to woo dismayed and disappointed Tory supporters, and in doing so are not taking a typical and expected Labour stance of supporting the unions, and supporting strikes over what are real-term pay cuts.
However they run the risk of taking the left’s votes for granted. They expect the left-leaning person to vote for them as they’re the only real chance to get the Tories out, but they’ve become so centralist, their lack of support is almost anti-left, and anti-working class. Josh Olivero, 29, video games producer, Portsmouth – Labour supporter
‘Tarry needed to be disciplined’
Sam Tarry’s interview was a piece of self-indulgence which undermined the carefully crafted messages by the Labour frontbench on the strikes. At a time when the whole team should be focused on the governments current shambles he needed to be disciplined.
Trying to phrase it as anti-union plays into the hands of this trying to undermine Labour and its successful efforts to become a credible government in waiting after the Corbyn debacle. Dave Tiplady, retired, Sheffield – occasional Labour supporter
‘Labour needs to be in power’
The British public, rightly or wrongly, want their PM and cabinet to not be standing next to a lot of union people on a picket line. They want them to lead for the benefit of the wider public. To be standing with union officials just misses the point. Corbyn and his cabinet did that over and over again and the country repaid Labour with their worst defeat in almost a century.
Starmer is dull but Labour needs to be in power – to do that they need to look and feel like it. Penny Smith, retired, Marazion – occasional Labour supporter
‘Labour leadership’s distancing from unions is an abandonment of Labour principles’
The Labour party’s roots are in the labour movement. It’s totally incomprehensible to me that anyone on the frontbench should be castigated for supporting the unions. After years of austerity and a real drop in income for the lowest earners, it’s the unions’ job to defend workers’ rights.
The vilification of the unions by today’s rightwing Tories is totally out of touch and outdated. And the Labour leadership’s distancing from the unions is an abandonment of Labour principles, which may well come back to bite them at the next election. Kate Roberts, international development consultant, Hampshire – Labour supporter
‘Labour needs to show discipline and unity’
If the shadow cabinet, and the Labour party, want to be taken seriously as a party of government they need to show discipline and unity. The government is in disarray but rather than taking advantage of this, the Labour party factions are fighting among themselves.
Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have made the Labour party electable but they are undermined by those who fight the leadership more ferociously than they fight the Tories. It would be an enormous betrayal of the British people if the Labour party is unable to provide a powerful credible alternative to a corrupt incompetent government. Lloyd Davies, 66, small business director, Stevenage – Labour party member
‘Labour lacks the courage to actually support workers’
The Labour party stopped being a workers’ party a long time ago. Keir Starmer seems to want to play it safe in order to win elections – he is good at attacking the Tories, but under his leadership the Labour party lacks the courage to actually support workers.
I believe it was wrong of Starmer to sack Tarry for joining strikers on the picket line and to do so under a flimsy excuse. Starmer ought to ask himself if and how he can restore what ought to be the essence of the Labour party: standing with workers. Sonja Wolf, 47, Academic researcher, London – doesn’t support any political party
‘I’m worried Starmer has gone too far to the right to attract votes’
At a time when, more than ever, people claim there’s no difference between Labour and Conservatives, this was a chance for Starmer to show that Labour support the working class, back the strikes, and legitimise the claims for better pay and conditions for everyone. Instead, he sacks Tarry for attending a picket line (even though it’s dressed up as a policy matter) in an attempt to convince fringe Tory voters that he’s someone they can vote for.
I’ve always supported Starmer, even though he’s far more centrist than I want in a Labour leader. He’s sensible, intelligent, honest, and ethical, all qualities I’d hoped could win Labour a general election. Now though, I’m worried he’s gone too far to the right in a bid to attract votes. We need a leader who can convince workers in all fields that Labour will be looking out for their rights. Hugh Parker, 51, Architect, Ayrshire – Labour party member
