John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, has slammed Sir Keir Starmer for sacking Sam Tarry, saying it has caused a “completely unnecessary row”. The senior Labor MP said Sir Keir and his advisers had made a “serious mistake”.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “I don’t know who is advising Keir Starmer, but this is a completely unnecessary row that has been invented just at a time when the Tories are falling apart and we have the greatest opportunity, I think , to get an edge in the polls, build the support to take us to government, we are having this completely unnecessary dispute.
“Sam went on the picket line as minister after minister, shadow minister after shadow minister, over the years in support of workers demanding a decent pay rise, it’s a just cause.
“Now we’re told that he was fired not because he went to the picket lines but because he made statements on the picket lines. But what was he supposed to do, go there and wear a gag? It’s a silly situation, silly I think we just have to accept that now there will inevitably be a wave of union action from union after union because their members overwhelmingly vote for union action because they say “we can’t take a pay cut” and we have to to get off the fence and be on the side of a just cause, the workers, I think they’ve got it right.
“This is an unnecessary row and I regret it, whoever advised Keir Starmer on this I think made a serious mistake.”