Labour’s North of Tyne mayor has spoken out in support of an MP sacked from his frontbench post after joining striking rail workers on the picket line.
Jamie Driscoll said that politicians should “stand up for what they believe” after Sam Tarry was axed as the party’s shadow transport minister, having earlier appeared alongside RMT union members in London on Wednesday. Sir Keir Starmer has insisted that Mr Tarry was sacked for conducting media interviews without permission and making up policy “on the hoof”, rather than for defying a ban joining rail strike picket lines.
The sacking has sparked a furious reaction from unions and the left wing of the Labour Party, with GMB general secretary Gary Smith calling it a “huge own goal” for Labour to “turn a Tory transport crisis into a Labour story”. Train services across the country are set to be crippled once again when thousands of workers stage another walkout this Saturday in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.
Read More: Jamie Driscoll and Northern mayors urge next Prime Minister to meet them on rail plan
Mr Driscoll, who himself joined the RMT picket outside Newcastle’s Central Station on Wednesday alongside MPs Emma Lewell-Buck and Ian Mearns, posted on social media to express “solidarity” with Mr Tarry. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Thursday: “Politicians should be honest and stand up for what they believe. But I’ll leave the bitter party infighting to the Tories.”
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has warned his party to be “careful” that it does not undermine working people “fighting to protect their incomes”. He told GB News: “Labour needs to be careful here. We can’t ever be a party that undermines working people fighting to protect their incomes and a cost-of-living crisis. If we’re not careful, that’s how we might come over.”
During a visit to Birmingham on Thursday, Sir Keir insisted that Mr Tarry was sacked “because he booked himself onto media programmes without permission and then made up policy on the hoof”. It is understood Mr Tarry was reprimanded for calling for workers to be given a pay rise in line with inflation.
The Labour Party leader added: “Of course, as far as the industrial action is concerned, I completely understand the frustration of so many working people who’ve seen the prices go up, seen inflation through the roof, and their wages haven’t gone up. So the Labour Party will always be on the side of working people, but we need collective responsibility, as any organisation does.”
In a statement, Mr Tarry said it has been a “privilege” to serve in the front bench and that he was still “committed to supporting the striking rail workers”.
Read More:
- 'Leave us alone' – Fire bosses' plea to government after inspectors praise Tyne and Wear service
- North East's levelling up fears as Boris Johnson slammed for 'deciding to go on holiday and play with jets'
- Northumberland council chief executive to controversially receive six-figure payout
- Public spending in North East falling behind national average, study says
- Conservative leadership hopefuls told: "Don't turn your back on the North"
