Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a potential rebellion from his party after sacking Sam Tarry for attending a rail strike.
Mr Tarry, who is in a relationship with deputy party leader and Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner, was fired from his senior role as shadow transport minister after he publicly backed the rail strikes by attending a picket line without permission from his party's headquarters. However, Sir Keir has faced a wave of backlash from both the unions and the left-wing of his own party for the move.
John McDonnell said in an interview with Sky News that it was a "severe mistake" while also accusing Sir Keir of "misreading the mood of the public". Officially, Labour does not publicly support the rail strikes, however, it has criticised the government while urging ministers to become involved in negotiations.
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The MP for Hayes and Harlington told Sky News: “I don’t know who is advising Keir Starmer, but 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.”
He added: “This is an unnecessary dispute and whoever has advised Keir Starmer on this, I think he has made a severe mistake.”
Asked about the general strike proposed by RMT general secretary Mick Lynch, the Labour former shadow chancellor 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?
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“Well, I support co-ordinated action, because if that results in a decent pay rise for people, they are protected against the cost-of-living crisis. I think that’s the most effective thing to do.”
The former shadow chancellor added: "I think mistakes have been made from the very beginning. We need to stand back and actually start trying to secure unity across not just the whole labour and trade union movement, but across the country overall.
"I think Keir and his advisers have completely misread the situation. I think they’ve misread the mood within the labour and trade union movement. But I also think they have misread the mood amongst the general public.”
In a similar wave of backlash against the Labour leader, former Labour deputy prime minister Lord John Prescott tweeted a photo of himself addressing striking miners when he was acting shadow transport secretary in 1984. Furthermore, Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) general secretary Manuel Cortes as well as RMT boss Mr Lynch and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham have all criticised Sir Keir's actions.
A Labour spokesperson announced: "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.”
In his own statement, Mr Tarry said he felt "privilege" towards serving among Labour's top brass. “I remain committed to supporting the striking rail workers, and campaigning for a Labour victory at the next general election, which I will fight for relentlessly from the backbenches,” he added.
On Wednesday, a number of other Labour MPs joined picket lines, including Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, Brent Central MP Dawn Butler, Birmingham Hall Green MP Tahir Ali, Gateshead MP Ian Mearns and South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck.
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