Labour frontbencher Sam Tarry has been sacked as shadow transport minister after defying Keir Starmer’s order to stay away from rail strike picket lines.
The Ilford South MP showed his support for the RMT union’s walkout over pay and redundancies by joining strikers at London’s Euston station just a day after the Labour leader warned his frontbench not to do so.
On Wednesday, Sir Keir told his senior MPs: “The Labour party in opposition needs to be the Labour party in power. And a government doesn’t go on picket lines, a government tries to resolve disputes.”
But Mr Tarry, a former officer of the TSSA transport trade union who helped run Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, flouted his leader’s orders by conducting a TV interview from a picket line as strikes got under way this morning.
“I’m here supporting these striking workers because it’s important we get a pay deal and get to resolve as soon as possible so the travelling public can get back to work,” Mr Tarry said.
“The reality is this is about a failing government, this is about dispute happening all across the country. We’ve got potentially doctors, nurses and communication workers.”
Asked if he feared the sack, the shadow minister replied: “I’ve no idea what Keir will decide to do but I know this – if Keir was in government right now, this dispute wouldn’t be happening.”
His decision put Starmer under significant pressure, after the Labour leader failed to discipline frontbenchers who joined pickets on a previous dispute. Transport secretary Grant Shapps described his action as “direct defiance”of the Labour leadership, adding: “If Labour frontbenchers are going to join them on the picket line, people will come to their own conclusions.”
Announcing his dismissal several hours later, 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.”
Mr Tarry said: “As a Labour politician, I am proud to stand with these striking rail workers on the picket line in the face of relentless attacks by this Tory government.
“These key workers kept our train services running throughout the pandemic, and were among Britain’s Covid heroes alongside the NHS and other public services.
“Those same workers have been forced to take action because they’re faced with a cost of living crisis and rampant inflation caused by the government’s mismanagement of our economy, leaving millions struggling to pay their bills and provide for their families, made worse by the fact that callous and incompetent ministers refuse to even negotiate with their trade unions.“”
Mr Tarry said that the rail dispute would not be taking place under a Labour government.
He added: “It has been a privilege to serve on Labour’s frontbench for the past two years and to have had the opportunity to speak up for hard-pressed workers who deserve so much better than the treatment they’ve received from this corrupt and out-of-touch government.
“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.”
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Sam is one of us. He grew up in the trade union movement and trade unionism is in his blood. Today Sam did the right thing and stood shoulder to shoulder with rail workers striking for fairness and safety at work.
“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 7 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.
“This is a bad day for our movement. And 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.”