London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Keir Starmer tells Labour frontbench they should not join rail strike pickets

Keir Starmer tells Labour frontbench they should not join rail strike pickets

Unions critical of leader’s instruction to senior MPs to ‘show leadership’ by not publicly siding with workers

Labour’s frontbenchers have been warned to stay away from picket lines on the eve of the biggest rail strike since 1989.

As staff get ready to take part in the RMT strike on Tuesday, Keir Starmer’s office told shadow cabinet members that to “show leadership” frontbenchers “should not be on picket lines”.

The order from the leader’s office said: “We have robust lines. We do not want to see these strikes to go ahead with the resulting disruption to the public. The government have failed to engage in any negotiations.

“However, we also must show leadership and to that end, please be reminded that frontbenchers including [parliamentary private secretaries] should not be on picket lines.

“Please speak to all the members of your team to remind them of this and confirm with me that you have done so.”

The reported memo, published by Politics Home, comes on a day that the general secretary of the RMT said that the country was facing a “wave” of industrial action and that Labour should be in harmony with it.

The RMT’s industrial action begins on Tuesday, with further stoppages on Thursday and Saturday meaning only a fraction of services will be running on the UK’s network. London Underground services will also face huge disruption on Tuesday as staff will walk out in a different dispute.

On Monday Mick Lynch told journalists that “[Labour] have got to find a way to connect to working-class people in working-class communities so they can get their votes back. They’ve got to find their message. They’ve got to find some policies that get back to where working people are.

“So Keir Starmer and his team have got to work a way how they can connect with that and how they can ride that wave of resistance and are in harmony with it. Rather than standing to one side and waiting for somebody to tell them what to do.”

The move represents Labour trying to further publicly distance itself from trade unions under Starmer’s leadership, a contrast to under Jeremy Corbyn where the party was closely tied to Len McCluskey’s leadership of Unite.

The rail union Aslef and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have voted this year on whether to disaffiliate from Labour, but both have chosen to continue the association.

Some backbench MPs, including Zarah Sultana and Paula Barker, have said that they will be supporting striking workers on picket lines, but no shadow ministers have indicated they will break the order.

The general secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, told PA Media: “The Labour party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. To instruct Labour MPs not to be on picket lines with workers speaks volumes.

“You don’t lead by hiding. No one respects that. It’s time to decide whose side you are on: workers or bad bosses?”

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, whose members have already balloted for strike action later this year, said: “This is ridiculous nonsense from the party which was created by trade unions. Solidarity is what our movement is all about.”

The Labour party declined to comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×