“Fundamental mistake” to ban Labour MPs from picket lines, Tarry says
JVL Introduction
What on earth does Starmer think he is up, sacking Sam Tarry from the Shadow Cabinet for joining an RMT picket line?
LabourList, reposted below, quotes Tarry saying in an interview “I thought it was about time that we were really clear about whose side we’re on.”
John McDonnell described the decision to sack Tarry as a “severe mistake” by Starmer’s advisers and urged Labour to “come off the fence and be on the side of a just cause – the workers”.
Brian Reade in the Mirror, says Starmer has “has gone against one of the key tenets of his own party”. He adds:
- “Well, during Wednesday’s rail strike the BBC sent a reporter to Leicester Central Station to gauge people’s anger. Here’s what she reported: “I did ask the question how they felt about the strike and not one person condemned it. There was quite a lot of support for the right to strike actually.”
Which seems to be the mood of the nation. But not the Labour leadership. Why is it picking a fight with MPs who show solidarity with workers on picket lines? What possessed Keir Starmer to sack a junior minister for voicing support for striking RMT members to TV reporters the way those Leicester commuters did?
What a hill to be prepared to die on. This country has some of the most restrictive anti-trade union laws in Europe and its workers are enduring the biggest fall in living standards since rationing in the 1950s.”
Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, tweeted that “Labour is becoming more and more irrelevant to ordinary working people who are suffering. Juvenile attacks on trade unionists will do absolutely nothing to further Labour’s prospects for power.”
Is the tide finally turning against Starmer?
This article was originally published by LabourList on Fri 29 Jul 2022. Read the original here.
“Fundamental mistake” to ban Labour MPs from picket lines, Tarry says
Sam Tarry has said it is a “fundamental mistake” to ban Labour MPs from picket lines and added that he is “absolutely certain” that other shadow ministers will be joining members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) on strike today.
The MP for Ilford South was removed from his shadow minister role after he joined members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) on a rail strike picket line on Wednesday.
Interviewed by Sky News from a CWU picket line, Tarry said he had not been expecting to be sacked. He told viewers: “I didn’t have an intention of giving TV interviews. I went there and was asked my opinion. And at the end of the day, I thought it was about time that we were really clear about whose side we’re on.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer declared on Thursday that Tarry was sacked because he “booked himself on to media programmes without permission” and “made up policy on the hoof”.
On Sky News this morning, Tarry stressed that he was “on the side of ordinary British workers” and “on the side of people going on strike”, adding: “I think it’s really clear, whether it be rail workers, whether it be communications workers, that the Labour Party is on their side.”
The Labour MP continued: “I didn’t make up policy. All I said is that surely it should be right that we offer workers in this country to match inflation at least.
“Because otherwise all they’re getting offered is a real-terms pay cut, and that’s simply not good enough after tens years of austerity and on top of that, spiralling inflation over the past few years.”
Asked whether more Labour MPs could be sacked for the same reason, Tarry said: “I hope that they’re not, but I am absolutely certain that other shadow ministers – and I’m now a former shadow minister – will be on picket lines with the Communication Workers Union. I guess we’ll see how the day pans out.”
He added: “It’s a fundamental mistake to ban Labour MPs from being on picket lines. It shouldn’t happen, never happen. It’s caused a complete car crash of a week, and we should have been talking about what we’re going to do to raise wages for the British people.”
Commenting on Wednesday about the decision to sack Tarry, a Labour spokesperson said: “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.”
In an interview with Sky News on Thursday, John McDonnell described the decision to sack Tarry as a “severe mistake” by Starmer’s advisers and urged Labour to “come off the fence and be on the side of a just cause – the workers”.
The former Shadow Chancellor added: “We’re told he’s been sacked not because he went on the picket lines, but because he made statements on the picket lines. But what was he supposed to do? Go on there and wear a gag? It’s a silly, silly situation to get in to.”
Speaking to BBC News on Thursday, Diane Abbott declared: “Everybody knows Sam Tarry wasn’t sacked for what he said in interviews. He was sacked because he went on a picket line. And that’s extraordinary.”
The Labour backbencher added that it was “quite wrong” and “completely unprecedented” to sack shadow ministers for joining striking workers, stressing: “It’s always been the case that shadow ministers can go on picket lines.”
Thousands of CWU members working for BT and Openreach are expected to take part in industrial action today and Monday in a dispute over pay – the first national telecoms strike in 35 years.
Commenting on Tarry’s sacking and Labour’s stance on the strikes, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: “The actions of the Labour leadership is disgraceful. We will have to deal with that.
“I think what will happen is that people will see through Labour unless they change their position because it seems to me that Labour want to win an election without any principles or any policies, and people won’t accept that.”
He added: “Clearly, Labour are in a position now that I think they’ve set out their path. It’s not the same path that we’re going down.”
I’ve a feeling there is a sea change going on. ALL OF A SUDDEN lots of different groups are saying “enough is enough” to Starmer AND the Tories. There’s a subtext to their messages “… and there’s nothing you can do to stop me BECAUSE I’ve stopped hoping you’ll sort out any of my problems and I’m no longer listening”.
The change in attitude tsunami is probably due to the hike in energy prices. People of ordinary means think they won’t survive the cash crisis facing them and their political leaders don’t give a damn.
Sam Tarry is correct, Starmer is the worst leader labour has had in its history, even worse that murdering blair, he should resign immediately,
I didn’t think I would ever say this, but do listen to today’s Any Questions on Radio 4. The audience in High Wycombe was clearly furious about the cost of living and deeply unsympathetic to worker/union bashing. Ash Sarkar of Novara Media did a hatchet job on the claim that Tarry was sacked because of his media statements and got a great response.
By contrast, Thangam Debbonaire for Labour was unimaginably depressing. She gave an astonishing insight into the way a Labour Shadow Minister (and maybe any willing Labour MP?!) is prepared by the Party for question time to ensure they are totally on message about being ‘responsible and prepared for government’. Astonishing not so much for the content – utterly Stalinist in its control freakery and determination to wipe out any individuality in a Labour participant – but in her clear failure to realise how daft, boring, vision-free (and rather scary) she managed to make the Labour Party sound.
She also demonstrated the Labour culture of ‘helping’ the working class via good legislation, but running a mile from that working class when it decides to get up and collectively fight for its rights. Again, she clearly was ‘on message’ and lacking all sense of how awful her message and tone – repeating endlessly the same officially sanctioned mantras – sounded.
Most of all, the programme underlined how far from reality are the Tories, and even more so, the Labour leadership. This is the time even timorous Labour could be standing up for striking workers. But it isn’t. Labour should be streaking ahead in the polls. It isn’t. If it wins, it will be by default, and if the Tories get back – nowhere near impossible – it will because of Labour’s default.
PS: Also listen to the heartbreaking first contributor to Any Answers, and to the way the presenter Anita Anand responded. She always strikes me as rather good.
Utterly obvious foot shooting, and then even worse blatant backpedalling deception to excuse the stupid decision to sack Tarry, “on the hoof policy making in public” what, like Rachel Reeves just did live on TV? Sack her then.
If Sir K. had had any legitimate concerns about Tarry he should have taken him to one side and had a chat. No,Tarry was sacked for SOMETHING ELSE. Probably had a picture of Jeremy in his locker ?
This is so stupid – Tarry is sacked for stating
something which is not even new – that there
should be justice for workers and they should
receive a wage sufficient for they and their
families to live on.
In fact it is what the Labour Party is built on!
.. and further – among the tenets of most of the
worlds religions ..
I’m fed up with the unions playing footsie with starmer. Either cut funding then disaffiliate or advise MPs to put their careers first like SCG.
Labour Party Shadow Minister sacked for defending worker’s rights………can you really believe this? What is even more sad is that more Labour MPs aren’t there on the picket line with him.
This is but the latest establishment-style action by our dear Leader, although it is in line with how most recent LP leaders (apart from one) have reacted to strikes: ooh, let’s not annoy/inconvenience anyone, especially the Daily Mail and such like. I don’t recall Blair, Kinnock etc. supporting any strike, nor any leader going all the way back to the General Strike of almost 100 years ago? Support for effective worker’s action has usually been at best muted to the point of pointlessness. ‘Mustn’t frighten the horses’, better ‘play it safe’. At a time when the jugular should be gone for with a vengeance, we get confused and contradictory announcements from the Shadow Cabinet. At least it does suggest the Stalinist grip is being challenged.
Red Tories behaviour in 2017 sabotaged the General Election
Fast forward and you have to ask in the face of the Tory Cost of Living Crisis if people have no democratic solution what do you expect them to do
Poll Tax on steroids
Keir Starmer can do nothing right. Certainly not within our Labour Party. Keir is fundamentally the wrong sort of person to be Labour Party Leader. Starmer has no concept of the productive leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Keir is a coward and a bully. Keir Starmer imposes his authority for the sake of it and to keep in line with the Conservative Establishment Media.
Keir Starmer has little Labour background. I believe that Keir Starmer was not a Labour Party member before he was given the safe and convenient London constituency. Keir Starmer is a classic parvenu. Keir Starmer is modelling himself on a caricature establishment politician who twists and gets away with it (largely thanks to the establishment media).
We might ask ourselves how this parody became imposed on us.
I am wondering if this is yet another small sign of a tipping being passed. Stepping back, and looking all around, I am also left with the feeling that perhaps mere politics is nothing other than a finger in the dyke. James Lovelock seemed to suggest that when the centre cannot hold, greater forces of correction come into being. One can almost hear the unearthly powers saying, enough is enough. You have had your time!!
What I don’t understand is why Sam Tarry didn’t resign from the shadow cabinet before going on to the picket line. He accepted collective responsibility when he was appointed. What has happened is that the factionalism that Forde wrote about is on show and perhaps that is what Tarry wanted?
I think it’s time for the major trade union affiliates to the Labour Party, including the CWU, the GMB and UNITE, to say to the NEC — “if you expect us to continue to support the LP financially, we expect the leadership to declare its support for our efforts to win inflation proof wage increases for our members, and urge CLPs to mobilise support for our picket lines”.
“Fundamental mistake”? No mistake at all. A concerted ploy by the right-wing, band of political back-stabbers to garner support from that backward element of “floating voters” that Tony Blair was so intent on currying favour with in his quest to throw a few reformist crumbs their way (not to mention downright lies as per the reasons for supporting the Iraq War), in return for votes to enable him and his ilk to succeed in their main goal of lining their own pockets in pursuit of life peerages, knighthoods and cosy, well paid jobs for the rest of their lives after Westminster and becoming well-heeled millionaires like Blair, the Kinnocks and numerous others.
No, not a mistake, the logical outcome of the rotten to the core, failed, reformist ideology that’s been peddled by these political scoundrels since the 19th century. Starmer and his supporters are able to carry on with this treachery because for some on the “Left” the penny still hasn’t dropped that the Labour Party’s right-wing may as well be conscious agents of the Tories in the labour movement and are merely carrying out the orders that their ideological position is the product of, so what else can be expected of the likes of Starmer? The days of talking about Labour being a “broad church” are well and truly over, that ship has sailed!!
If Labour forms a Government it won’t be with any enthusiasm from the electorate. It will be because people have had enough of the Tories.
Well three well known members of the Labour Party
have spoken out in criticism:
John Prescott – who simply posted a picture of himself
in the 1980s on a picket line – he was shadow Transport
Minister at the time. He has previously spoken in defence
of Corbyn – saying that the accusations of anti-semitism
are ridiculous. He unfortunately had a stroke – in 2019
I think?
Gordon Brown and Andy Burnham and John Prescott have
both criticised Starmer for sacking Tarry.
Irony of Ironies – the Labour Party have finally expelled pensioner Audrey White who tackled Starmer in Liverpool recently. She had been under suspension since 2020 for
supporting an organisation retrospectively banned. We
might justifiably contrast Starmer’s stony indifference to
the woman – with Browns apology to woman pensioner
Gillian Duffy who confronted him in 2010. He visited her
at home to apologise after he made a gaff – calling her
“bigoted” and this was overheard.
I’m being proven right about Starmer. He showed very early on that he was in the Party to do a job. He supported Owen Smiths challenge against Corbyn for the Leadership, Starmer had only been an MP for a couple years, so why would he do that, Smith’s background showed that he was a lobbyist for a Private Health Company.
Everything Starmer has done, has weakened the Socialists (the Left) tens of thousands of them have been suspended or expelled, the NEC is full of Rightwing anti Corbyn people etc. I could go on but I’ll finish by saying, Starmer is a Liar, a Traitor to Socialism and the People.
I am of the firm belief now that Starmer & his mob of hypocritical so called Labour MPs are being paid to UTTERLY DESTROY THE LABOUR PARTY. The tactics they all used to remove the Genuine Labour Leader was & is dispicable.
Now their tactics have become abhorrent. Starmer must be removed & those who follow him because they are NOT TRUSTWORTHY to hold office in Labour.
Starmer’s entire mission has been to destroy the Labour Party as an effective voice for the many and not the few.
Presumably you deemed my comment about Angela Rayner too flippant to publish. It wasn’t in the least bit flippant, but directly relevant to the Labour Party’s catastrophic mess. If Tarry and Rayner are close friends, what influence do they have on each other? How serious is Tarry’s challenge to Starmer? Rayner threatened to hunt down “thousands and thousands of anti-semites” in the LP. She is Starmer’s loyal deputy.
McDonnell’s latest contribution is directly connected. Like the vast majority of MPs, both he and Rayner are dominated by careerism. As Tony Greenstein says, McDonnell needs to “sample some very large portions of humble pie”. He is also of course a friend and defender of Dame “f…ing anti-semite and racist” Hodge.
More importantly and definitely seriously what are the chances of the aforementioned MPs initiating meaningful challenges to the status quo?