Keir Starmer sacks shadow transport minister who backed rail strikes

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has sacked his junior shadow transport minister who joined striking rail workers on a picket line.

Ilford South MP Sam Tarry attended the protest at London's Euston station despite Sir Keir saying his frontbench MPs should stay away.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Tarry said "any Labour MP" would have "absolute solidarity with striking workers".

Labour said he had been fired for making unauthorised media appearances.

In a statement the party said Labour would "always stand up for working people fighting for better pay, terms and conditions at work".

"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."

Trains services have been disrupted throughout the day after 40,000 rail workers in protest at pay, pensions and working conditions.

Negotiations between the RMT union and Network Rail have failed to find a solution to the dispute.

Several Labour MPs have expressed support for the strikes including five junior frontbenchers.

Talking to the BBC on Wednesday morning, Mr Tarry said he was "here as a shadow transport minister backing transport workers who are on strike" and "backing the travelling public".

Asked if he should be on the picket line he said "any Labour MP, any Labour member, will have absolute solidarity with striking workers."

He argued that under a Labour government in office "this dispute would not be happening" because a "fair pay deal would have been in place".