Keir Starmer sacks shadow transport minister who backed rail strikes

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked a junior shadow transport minister who joined striking rail workers on a picket line.

Ilford South MP Sam Tarry attended the protest at London’s Euston station despite Sir Keir calling on his frontbench MPs to stay away.

Labour said he had been fired for making unauthorised media appearances.

Mr Tarry said he had been “standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with striking workers”.

In a statement Labour said it would “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 front bench 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.”

Responding to his dismissal, Mr Tarry – a supporter of the former leader Jeremy Corbyn – thanked Sir Keir for “the last two and a half years” on the front bench, but said it was “a real shame” he had been removed for “joining a picket line”.

He said he wanted to be “part of a Labour Party that stands in solidarity with workers in their disputes, wherever that may be in this country”,

“Real solidarity means not turning our backs on the people that created and made our party and make us strong on a daily basis,” he added, warning Labour would struggle to win back power without providing a “really clear.. economic alternative”.

He said he had not been told not to appear on a picket in the past day or so.

The TSSA rail union – whose picket line Mr Tarry joined – said it was “ashamed” of Labour.

General secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Whatever excuses the Labour Party makes about the reasons for Sam being sacked, the reality is that Sam has shown solidarity with his class and we applaud him for that. The Labour Party needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

“If they think can win the next general election while pushing away seven million trade union members, they are deluded.

“We expect attacks from the Tories, we don’t expect attacks from our own party. As a Labour-affiliated union, our union is ashamed of the actions of the Labour Party leadership and the anti-worker anti-union message it is sending out.

“If Keir Starmer doesn’t understand the basic concept of solidarity on which our movement has been built then he is not worthy of leading our party.”

Sam Tarry’s sacking risks bringing tensions within the Labour Party to the fore.

The party is pointing to rogue media appearances this morning as the reason – rather than his presence on the picket line itself – but the leadership doesn’t want to take the side of striking workers in this dispute.

Labour wants to be seen as a government-in-waiting.

Both Tory leadership candidates are talking tough on cracking down on strike action – and Sir Keir Starmer knows he needs to win over Tory voters at the next general election.

But Labour distancing itself from striking workers and unions risks alienating its traditional support base and the left of the party – and it needs support from all corners to get into government.

Train services have been disrupted throughout the day after 40,000 rail workers walked out in protest at pay, pensions and working conditions.

Negotiations between the RMT union – which is not affiliated to Labour – the TSSA and Network Rail have failed to find a solution to the dispute.

Several Labour MPs have expressed support for the strikes including five junior frontbenchers.

Talking to the BBC this morning, Mr Tarry said he was “here as a shadow transport minister backing transport workers who are on strike” and “backing the travelling public”.

Asked if he should be on the picket line he said “any Labour MP, any Labour member, will have absolute solidarity with striking workers.”

He argued that under a Labour government in office “this dispute would not be happening” because a “fair pay deal would have been in place”.

His appearance at the picket line came despite previous warnings from Sir Keir that frontbench Labour MPs should not join the protests,

Speaking to the Today programme earlier this week, the Labour leader said: “A government doesn’t go on picket lines, a government tries to resolve disputes.”

Labour has not officially supported the industrial action, but instead focused its attacks on the government which it says should get involve in negotiations.