Labour might be keen to portray themselves as a government-in-waiting but today’s rail strikes show the problems that still remain. Sir Keir Starmer told his party’s MPs that they should not join the industrial action by the RMT yet his shadow transport spokesman Sam Tarry has directly defied his orders to do a round of media interviews from the picketline, in support of the union.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain today: ‘If we don’t make a stand today, people’s lives could be lost. Some of the lowest-paid workers are on strike today in the rail industry, safety critical workers, workers who make sure our railways get people to work and do so safely.’ Asked whether he expected to be sacked by Sir Keir, Tarry 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.’
Hmm. Who is Tarry you might ask? None other than one of Angela Rayner’s staunchest allies in parliament. He ran her campaign to be Labour deputy leader and is reported to have had a relationship with her, after being photographed leaving her home with a toothbrush in his pocket. Tarry is also facing a reselection battle in Ilford South, prompting some to suggest that the former TSSA union official is hoping to get his old job back if he’s deselected as an MP.
It’s not the first time Starmer and allies of the deputy leader have clashed of course. Back in December, Rayner’s communications chief Jack McKenna was suspended in an escalation of the hostilities between her and Starmer. He was placed under investigation on suspicion of a personal data breach involving another Labour staff member; McKenna denied the allegations.
Faced with open revolt, how will Sir Keir resolve another Rayner-related mess?
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