Keir Starmer sacks Sam Tarry for being interviewed on rail strike picket line

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Sam Tarry has been sacked by Labour as a shadow transport minister for doing broadcast interviews from a rail strike picket line.

Keir Starmer has told shadow ministers not to join picket lines, stressing that Labour is a party seeking to govern that should aim to solve disputes. Several shadow ministers who joined picket lines during the last strike did not lose their jobs, despite the warning.

A Labour party spokesperson said the dismissal was because Tarry had conducted multiple broadcast interviews from the picket at Euston. “The Labour party will always stand up for working people fighting for better pay, terms and conditions at work,” the 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.”

Tarry, a former officer of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union who helped run Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, has not previously joined picket lines as a shadow minister, though he had tweeted a picture of himself alongside workers on an earlier strike day.

Ruth Jones, a shadow environment minister, has also posted pictures supporting the latest strike.