Sam Tarry’s Sacking is self-defeating and “pathetic”
JVL Introduction
Phil Burton-Cartledge exposes Keir Starmer’s hypocrisy and double-dealing over the sacking of Sam Tarry from the Shadow Cabinet.
He finds Starmer’s position (“it’s about discipline”) both self-defeating and “pathetic”.
“History teaches us where labour movements are strong, societies tend to be more equal, democratic, and pleasant to live in. Enough, you might think, for the most milquetoast Labourite to make the link between victorious strikes, stronger trade unions, and a fairer society.”
This article was originally published by A Very Public Sociologist blogspot on Wed 27 Jul 2022. Read the original here.
On Sam Tarry's Sacking
Riddle me this. If cabinet (or shadow cabinet) collective responsibility is so sacrosanct, why did Keir Starmer go before Labour Party conference in Autumn 2018 and, against the agreed line, call for a second refendum on Brexit? If it’s not the job of a party of government to visit picket lines to offer workers support, then why in December 2019 did the Labour leader-to-be visit striking higher education workers and give them words of encouragement? And if Labour is in favour of nationalising the whole kit and kaboodle of the railways, why is Sam Tarry – sacked by Starmer for visiting a picket line and therefore breaking shadcab discipline – being accused of making policy up on the hoof?
Looking at the farce of the Tory leadership contest, how out of touch both candidates are with the country and the complete absence of a plan to address the cost of living crisis, one might suppose Labour would dispatch either at a general election without much trouble. But remember the Tories’ secret weapon! Not the press, not the jerrymandering of constituencies, not even the inevitable pre-election bribes, but the blunderstorm of Keir Starmer’s leadership. Like a bolt from the literal blue, Starmer has unequivocally ruled out nationalisation of the utilities, despite it being a popular policy and the most effective means of bringing energy prices – now due to top £4,000 by January – under control. No budging on this, despite the Gallic Blair tribute act across the Channel doing just that to EDF Energy. And as the Tories face a blast of industrial disputes, Starmer fetches out the wind break to help them. By sacking Sam from his shadow brief, calamity Keir has detonated a major row just at the moment of maximum Conservative pain.
Starmer’s self-appointed praetorians among the press pack have repeated the lines to take. This isn’t about industrial action, they say, it’s about discipline. This argument will not and does not wash. While it’s true Labour has a long and vexed relationship to strikes, that doesn’t alter the fundamental facts that the movement the party depends on for money, activists, and votes was born out of industrial action. History teaches us where labour movements are strong, societies tend to be more equal, democratic, and pleasant to live in. Enough, you might think, for the most milquetoast Labourite to make the link between victorious strikes, stronger trade unions, and a fairer society.
What Starmer has done by sacking Sam is letting everyone know he thinks industrial action is illegitimate. If you are banning shadow ministers and bag carriers from attending picket lines, but not issuing edicts against them joining lobbies, protests, demonstrations, or occasionally taking part in stunts, you’re singling out strikes as a special case. This is not about discipline per se but the enforcement of discipline against showing solidarity. It is an expressly anti-working class move.
It’s not difficult to discern why Starmer has done this. Ever keen to show wealthy business types who still aren’t donating to Labour in anywhere near the amounts needed, he has to show them – the people who matter in Starmer’s universe – that he’ll protect their interests. Labour as the sensible B team of British capitalism now the Tories are going off the deep end. He has to placate the right wing press who, in the main, have given him an easy ride – the ludicrous incidence of Beergate notwithstanding. There are the voters Starmer is trying to chase (never mind the current ones that have to be kept on board). Lastly, let’s not forget the man’s utter cowardice. Having ridden the second referendum wedge all the way into office, he’s terrified of being seen as for something because that puts him against something. Being for nationalisation places him at odds with shareholders big and small in the utilities. Confronting transphobia on his own front bench gives the Tories a war on woke angle. And saying standing up for working people without standing with working people will, apparently, stop rightwingers from calling the Labour Party a nest of militants.
The damage is done. Leading trade unionists aren’t daft enough to fall for the “disciplinary” line, and anyone not compromised morally and intellectually from throwing their lot in with Starmer will buy it. This, more than anything else, demonstrates what to expect from a government led by him. We might get the day one rights at work he’s keen to talk about, but apart from that, nothing. It will be a return to the years of Blair and Brown, where unions were recognised as just one pressure group among many and no “special favours” were extended or even entertained. Perhaps the penny is dropping among those union leaders who’ve got Starmer’s back and supported his attacks. There will be nothing for them, because fundamentally his politics are at odds with those of our movement.
What a pathetic state of affairs.
Starmer shows his true colours yet again,
Macron, a Gallic Blair tribute act & Starmer, the blunderstorm? One out of two ain’t bad but Starmer is cynically & carefully removing the soul of the Labour Party aka Socialism. This is not being done through a series of ‘Johnsonesque’ blunders, but in conjunction with the real McCoy Blairites who have dominated the PLP for decades. Socialism is seldom mentioned in MSM & only the Guardian is acceptable to represent ‘the left’ as Jermy Corbyn’s character has been successfully assasinated & ‘Identity Politics’ replaces the Socialist agenda.
Leading Trade Unionists appear to be incapable of organising anything as a Labour Shadow Minister is removed from his post because he showed solidarity with striking workers? This is beyond a joke & Trade Unions must take responsibility for their failure to act & organise; we need another ‘New Labour Party’ to represent the interests of working people as the Starmer/Blairite’ version is not fit for purpose. Get up off of your knees because now is the hour.
Current New Labour and Starmerism spells the end of Labour as originally established. That Labour is either totally imprisoned or being eradicated by the current neo-Tory outfit. It must be liberated from those shackles and together with the trade unions and the mass pro-Corbyn membership and real Labour MPs, a true Labour Party formed that would catch the imagination of the country tired of the two outdated old parties that are not fit for purpose.
He who pays the piper calls the tune
Unions need to pick up the phone and teach Starmer a few facts of life
Members who havnt cancelled their Direct Debits hang your heads in shame for enabling Red Tories
You can always pay off the arrears if the left ever grow a spine and challenge this charlatan
Starmer’s aversion to publicly supporting striking workers’ demands for pay increases to keep up with inflation and for better working conditions calls into question what does Labour stand for. The members of the CWU, GMB and UNITE whose political levies help bankroll the Labour Party might say, “what are getting from our financial contributions?” It is time for the trade union affiliates of the Labour Party to tell Starmer et al we expect support for our struggles.