Industrial action set to take place on the rail and Tube network on June 21
(Picture: PA Archive)Boris Johnson and Sir Keir Starmer clashed furiously on Wednesday at Prime Minister Questions over the series of strikes next week which will cripple the country’s rail network.
The Prime Minister hit out first, when being grilled over the cost-of-living crisis, rounding on Sir Keir by saying: “What would be useful in supporting the UK economy right now would be if the leader of the Labour Party ended his sphinx-like silence about the RMT strikes coming up.
“Will he now break with his shadow transport secretary and denounce Labour’s rail strikes?”
However, Sir Keir responded: “He’s in government.
“He could do something to stop the strikes.
“But he has not lifted a finger.
“I don’t want the strikes to go ahead but he does.
“He wants the country to grind to a halt so he can feed off the division.”
However, the Labour leader stopped short of directly criticising the Rail, Maritime and Transport union over the strikes planned next week.
Mr Johnson accused Labour of being “on the side” of the RMT strikers, adding: “We are on the side of the travelling public.”
The number of passenger services on those days is expected to be limited to around 4,500 compared with 20,000 normally.
Earlier, a Cabinet minister condemned the unions planning a series of rail strikes next week in the middle of the A-Level and GCSE exam season.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned students could be affected by the walk-outs which he also branded as having an “unacceptable effect” on millions of people trying to get to work.
MPs were due to debate on Wednesday the industrial action set to take place on the rail and Tube network on June 21 when exams include A-Level maths, religious studies and German, and GCSE history, and June 23 on rail services, when exams include A-Level chemistry and GCSE physics.
Mr Shapps put down a debate motion which states: “This House recognises the vital role of the railways in supporting people and businesses across the UK every day; condemns the decision of the rail unions to hold three days of strikes.
“(It) believes those strikes will adversely affect students taking examinations, have an unacceptable effect on working people and a negative effect on the economy; and calls on the rail unions to reconsider their strike action and continue discussions with the industry.”
An amendment tabled by Sir Keir Starmer stressed that Labour was arguing that it “does not want the national rail strikes to go ahead and therefore urgently calls upon the Government, operators, network rail and the union to get around the table and resolve the issues on pay and cuts to safety staff to avert industrial action”.
The Liberal Democrats voiced their “disappointment and frustration” that the “rail unions are going ahead with the strike” but accused the Government of “political posturing” and urged Mr Shapps to take “full and urgent” responsibility for talks to reach an agreement to avoid the industrial action.
Teachers in London have also criticised the strikes, warning of their impact on pupils taking exams.
But the Rail, Martime and Transport union has defended the walk-outs, with a spokesperson saying: “We don’t want to cause anyone disruption, but industrial action has to be effective if it is going to make the rail bosses sit up and come to a negotiated settlement with the RMT.”
