Starmer balks at sacking MP rebels who joined pickets

SIR KEIR STARMER yesterday did not fire any of the four front-bench rebels who defied his orders by joining striking rail workers on the picket line.

The Labour leader discussed possible disciplinary action with Alan Campbell, the party chief whip, but no sackings had been announced by the evening.

It came after Simon Fletcher, a former senior adviser to two Labour leaders, warned Sir Keir that there would be a “huge explosion” if MPS who joined the picket line were punished.

The Labour leader could face a new wave of rebellious MPS today with the second day of nationwide rail strikes taking place.

Ahead of Tuesday’s strike, Sir Keir wrote to all of his shadow cabinet urging them not to join the picket line, with the message expected to be passed on to MPS in their teams.

Yet four front-bench Labour MPS – Kate Osborne, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to shadow Northern Ireland secretary; Paula Barker, a PPS to shadow defence secretary; Navendu Mishra, a Labour whip responsible for keeping discipline in the party; and Alex Sobel, a shadow environment minister – defied orders.

In total, more than 20 Labour MPS joined picket lines on Tuesday, as well as Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader.

A Labour spokesman said Mr Campbell would make a decision on what will happen to the frontbenchers in the “next few days”. The spokesman would not be drawn on what form any action might take, but said: “The chief whip is aware of Keir’s wishes.”

“I think the right way is for the process to go ahead as it should, and that is for the chief whip to speak to the individuals concerned,” they added.

The Labour leader is attempting to balance the party’s traditional support of and ties to the trade union movement with his public stance that the strikes should not be going ahead.

Sir Keir has sought to move the Labour Party towards the centre ground after he took over the leadership from Jeremy Corbyn in April 2020.

Sir Keir had been silent on the strikes on Tuesday, choosing not to issue a single public comment via TV, social media post, speech or press release.

His spokesman defended him, arguing that he had outlined his position a number of times in the preceding days, including in a speech on Sunday.

Mr Fletcher told LBC’S Tonight with Andrew Marr: “There would be a huge explosion if there was disciplinary action threatened against people.”

Labour MPS privately described the picket line ban to The Guardian as “imbecilic”, “pointless” and “dumb”.

Boris Johnson criticised the Labour leader, saying his party was “backing the strikers while we back the strivers”.

Sir Keir responded: “[He] and his Transport Secretary haven’t attended a single meeting, held a conversation or lifted a finger to stop these strikes.”