London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Rail strike: Labour MPs defy Keir Starmer's picket line plea

Rail strike: Labour MPs defy Keir Starmer's picket line plea

A number of Labour MPs have shown support for this week's rail strikes by appearing at picket lines outside stations, despite warnings from Sir Keir Starmer's office.

Senior Labour MPs were told not to show support for the strikes.

However, frontbenchers Kate Osborne, Paula Barker and Navendu Mishra are among those to have tweeted pictures of themselves at picket lines.

The Scottish Labour leader also offered "solidarity" to the strikers.

Anas Sarwar tweeted a picture of himself at Edinburgh Waverley station saying: "The workers don't want strikes. The unions don't want strikes. The public don't want strikes" and added: "This is a crisis entirely of the government's making."

Asked about the subject in the Senedd, Welsh Labour leader Mark Drakeford said: "No inhibition exists on members of my group demonstrating their support for the trade union movement", adding that Sir Keir was working in "a different context", with Conservative criticism of his position.

At least 15 backbench Labour MPs have also expressed support for the unions.

Beth Winter, who represents Cynon Valley, posted a photo of herself and other MPs at London's Victoria station with the message: "The trades unions are the organised working class. In the words of Mick Lynch, 'If you're not bargaining, you're begging, and the British working class should not have to beg'."

And veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott tweeted: "On the RMT union picket line at the Seven Sisters depot. (But don't tell Keir Starmer)."

It is understood that Labour may take disciplinary action against frontbench MPs who defy the call not to appear on picket lines, but it's not expected immediately.

Millions of rail passengers in England, Scotland and Wales have been hit by the strike, which started on Tuesday and is due to continue on Thursday and Saturday.

The RMT union - whose members voted to strike - is asking for a pay rise of at least 7% to offset the rising cost of living, but it says employers have offered a maximum of 3%, on condition they also accept job cuts and changes to working practices.

The Conservatives have repeatedly accused Labour of failing to condemn the industrial action - and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the party had "actively encouraged the inconvenience commuters are suffering".

Responding to the strikes, Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "Workers have been left with no choice.

"No one takes strike action lightly - I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work."

Birmingham New Street station on the morning of the first day of rail strikes


She argued that Boris Johnson's government had caused the situation adding: "Now they must solve it."

Labour's stance has frustrated many trade unions, which are among the party's biggest donors.

Sharon Graham - head of the Unite union - said: "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?"


Labour insiders say the party was clear it did not want the strikes to go ahead, so it was logical to warn frontbenchers off the picket lines.

The party leadership doesn't just blame the RMT for the industrial action, but the government for not reaching an agreement.

The Labour party seemed to escape relatively unscathed from the Conservative attack that it hadn't condemned the strikes.

But more harm is likely to be inflicted on its leadership by friendly fire.

Predictably, some junior frontbenchers have taken to social media to highlight their support for the RMT.

Less predictably, the pro-Starmer Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has joined them.

But what might do the most damage is criticism of the leadership's stance not by the RMT, but the giant Unite union.

Its leader, Sharon Graham, has already threatened to withdraw funding from Labour over other disputes.

Clearly the Labour leadership thought that appearing to be too close to a striking union would exact a political cost.

But discouraging its MPs from standing on picket lines could come potentially at a heavy financial cost.


WATCH: Ros Atkins on… Why rail strikes are happening


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×