The Labor leader now faces a dilemma over whether to sack shadow transport secretary Sam Tarry, who joined rail workers outside Euston station in London. Senior Labor sources claimed one of Tarry’s motivations was to position himself to help his local constituency battle – where he faces de-selection in Ilford South. Starmer told shadow ministers not to join the picket lines, stressing that Labor is a governing party that should aim to resolve disputes. Several shadow ministers who took part in the picket lines during the latest strike did not lose their jobs, despite the warning. Tarry, a former TSSA union officer who helped run Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership campaign, has not previously stood as a shadow minister, although he tweeted a photo of himself alongside workers on a previous day of strike action. Ruth Jones, shadow environment secretary, has also posted pictures supporting the strike. A shadow cabinet source said they believed Starmer’s position on the picket lines would become unsustainable as the number of disputes intensified – with possible strikes planned by postal workers, NHS staff and teachers. “There will be other frontbenchers who will want to support striking workers in their constituencies,” they said. Tarry told ITV News it was not his intention to defy Starmer and said the disputes would not happen under a Labor government. “I’m here supporting these striking workers because it’s important that we get a pay deal and resolve as soon as possible so the traveling public can get back to work,” he said. “The reality is that this is a failed government, this is a dispute that is happening across the country. We probably have doctors, nurses and communications workers.” Tarry said, “Nobody said anything to me about whether or not I should be on a picket line today.” A Labor source said the advice to party whips not to join picket lines had not been reissued since the first strikes but was still party policy. Asked if he expected to be sacked, Tarry said: “If Labor were in power and I was secretary of state for transport, this row wouldn’t be happening.” No other shadow ministers have been sacked for taking part in the protests, although Tarry is the first to give multiple interviews since the strikes. Senior Labor sources said they were skeptical of Tarry’s motives and linked it to his re-election battle in Ilford South. Wards in Tarry’s constituency voted unanimously for a full re-election – meaning he is likely to lose the seat. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST They suggested that Tarry actually dared Starmer to fire him. One said: “He didn’t go to the first picket, but he turned up now. So what changed?’ Tarry said after the interviews that he stood by the striking rail workers, posting a photo on Twitter that said he was “on the side of the members, not the establishment.” He had previously written to Labor party general secretary David Evans saying he had seen evidence of electoral malpractice in his selection battle. Tarry won the east London seat in 2019 after local council leader Jas Athwal was suspended from the party ahead of the vote amid allegations of misconduct. Athwal, an ally of neighboring MP Wes Streeting, was subsequently cleared in an internal investigation. Tarry’s is one of a number of potential ballots underway, with left-wing Labor MPs also calling for the re-selection process against Apsana Begum in Poplar and Limehouse, east London, to be suspended over alleged misconduct by party members. Labor did not respond to requests for comment.
