A Scottish trade union leader has quit Labour in protest over the sacking of a shadow minister who joined a rail strikes picket.
Kevin Lindsay, Scottish Organiser at the train drivers’ ASLEF union, blasted Keir Starmer’s performance in charge and called for him to be removed.
He claimed Starmer is offering voters a choice of "blue or light blue" and backed calls for ASLEF to sever its ties with Labour.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer faces backlash after sacking Labour frontbencher for appearing on rail picket line
Starmer sacked shadow frontbencher Sam Tarry after he defied a ban on joining picket lines in support of striking rail workers.
The party said Tarry, the shadow transport minister, had been “removed from the frontbench”, saying it took seriously “any breach of collective responsibility”.
Tarry said during an interview that "every" worker deserves a pay rise in line with inflation, a commitment that is not Labour policy.
However, his sacking has triggered a huge backlash on the Labour Left and throughout the wider labour movement.
Lindsay, who played a central role in the recent dispute with the Scottish Government over drivers’ pay, has now ripped up his party card.
In a statement, he said: "It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to resign from the Labour Party. Yesterday’s events when Sir Keir Starmer decided it was appropriate to sack Sam Tarry, from his role as junior Transport spokesperson for attending a picket line and standing alongside striking workers is just a step too far.
"Under his leadership the party is moving to the right and is becoming unrecognisable from the party I joined and have stayed loyal too."
He praised Scottish Labour under Anas Sarwar, but added: “I strongly believe Starmer’s actions and his failure to stand up for working people means that the Labour Party will remain a party of opposition for the long term.
"The Labour party was and is meant to be the political wing of the trade union movement but now it’s more interested in trying woo Tory voters in the shires of England than representing working people.
“As a democratic I respect that Keir Starmer has been elected the leader but I truly believe his performance and policies are making it impossible for the Labour Party to return to power and that he should be removed from his position immediately.
"There needs to be a change in leadership and political direction but I sadly can’t see this happening and we will end up with PM Truss for several years.
“Therefore I have made the decision not only to resign from the Labour Party but now also support the proposal for ASLEF to disaffiliate from the party.”
A Labour 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.”
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