Keir Starmer Sacks The Pass

The Tories are so busy fighting among themselves that the business of Government is barely functioning: an increasing sense of drift and unrest is taking hold, more and more of those hardworking people who supported alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson are realising that he did not have their best interests at heart. Blaming others isn’t making it.

The business of opposition should be a straightforward one. So what will Labour do in response? What would a sensible opposition party have done? What would Nietzsche have done? Sadly, Labour under Keir Starmer has taken its eye off the ball and has prioritised not offending the right-leaning part of our free and fearless press. It wants to show that it is disciplined.

And so it came to pass that junior shadow transport minister Sam Tarry did what one might expect of someone representing the party of Labour: he joined a picket line, specifically at London’s Euston station. He was then sacked from his front bench role. This move generated severely adverse comment. So there had to be justification, which only made matters worse.

Sienna Rodgers, formerly of LabourList, had the official line: "Labour sources saying key reasons for sacking Tarry were him speaking on party policy and doing media without approval, rather than joining picket line”. Jon Stone was unimpressed. “The idea Sam Tarry was sacked for freelancing on policy doesn’t make a lot of sense given Rachel Reeves did it with rail nationalisation on the Today programme just yesterday”. And it got worse.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite The Union, was scathing: “another insult to the trade union movement. Quite frankly it would be laughable if it were not so serious … [Labour] has opted to continue to indulge in old factional wars … [Labour] is becoming more and more irrelevant to ordinary working people who are suffering”.

And one hates to come over all Neil Kinnock, but many of Labour’s own MPs - Labour’s own MPs - backed Tarry. Like Rachael Maskell, who represents York Central. “Every [Labour] politician should visit rail workers on the [RMT] picket lines & listen to why they are asking for job security, better safety & decent pay. Labour politicians are in Parliament to be their voice. [Sam Tarry] has shown leadership today ... a real Labour MP”. There was more.

Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) added “The Labour Party is the political wing of the Trades Union movement.In the midst of the Tory cost-of-living crisis, the Labour movement should be united in standing shoulder to shoulder with striking workers … Solidarity Sam Tarry”. Zarah Sultana (Coventry South) was on the same page: “Labour MPs should be proud to stand with workers. The clue is in the name”. She also asserted solidarity with Tarry.

Sam Tarry

Worse still for Labour, the party, which had been flush with cash when Jeremy Corbyn was leader, is now in a reportedly parlous financial position. It is, whisper it quietly, heavily dependent on union funding to keep it afloat. It was a point that some were not backward in bringing forward.

Lynda Keen was one of them. “Why on earth is any trade union still giving the 'Labour' party funding? A 'Labour' party that refuses to support labour shouldn't be getting anything from unions”. To which Ava-Santina added “Sacking Sam Tarry could be disastrous for Labour funding. Already nearing bankruptcy, the party could fold if all unions pull their funding”.

It comes back to the question I keep asking, and which thus far has not been attempted, let alone answered: what is Labour for? As Richard Murphy put it, “Since it would seem as though Keir Starmer is not interested in representing the best interests of working people in parliament could he let us know who he thinks might best do so instead?” The situation for Labour is grim.

Gone are the voices from the Corbyn era sneering that “with any other leader, Labour would be 20 points ahead”. More and more voters are indicating a preference for Lib Dems and Greens. Labour is strangely reticent in calling for disgraced Tory MP Chris Pincher to stand down and for there to be a by-election in Tamworth - yes, it would be on Labour to overturn his majority.

Inflation is taking off. Prices of food, energy, travel, and much else are climbing almost by the day. Living standards are falling. We have a Government that is more interesting in criminalising protest and propping up the rich and greedy than serving the electorate that put them there. People are crying out for leadership, yet from Labour there is timidity and silence.

Appeasement of the press barons isn’t going to work. Labour has to show what it is for: for working people, for reducing poverty and homelessness, for the NHS, for greener and better public transport, and yes, for fundamental rights like that to protest, to join a trade union, in pursuit of a better life.

If Keir Starmer and his pals can’t, or won’t, provide that leadership, maybe they should quietly leave the stage. And hand over to someone who will.

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