The Labour MP Sam Tarry is facing an imminent reselection battle before the party conference, with his supporters accusing figures close to the leadership of fast-tracking the process out of “revenge”.
The Ilford South MP was sacked as a shadow transport minister in July after attending a picket line in support of RMT workers, but Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, later said the reason he was removed from his role was for making up policy “on the hoof” in television interviews.
Unlike during previous rail strikes, shadow ministers were not banned from attending picket lines.
Tarry will now see a battle for his seat start on Friday, with nominations opening for Labour candidates to fight the next election. Tarry will automatically be one of the candidates but he is likely to face at least one rival, with the whole process expected to be over within weeks.
The reselection process was triggered after all 10 branches in his area voted for a new contest, but his supporters claim the process was rigged. Some of Tarry’s backers within the trade unions tried to stop the national executive approving the reselection contest, but it was ultimately passed by a majority on Monday.
One supporter of Tarry said the decision had been “steam-rollered through” and “it looks directly like a revenge manoeuvre” against him.
If Tarry were to be deselected, the move could further deepen divisions between the leadership and MPs on the left of the party.
After the reselection battle was triggered, Tarry released a statement saying he had submitted evidence of “rule-breaking, concrete evidence of voter fraud, voter impersonation, widespread voting by party members not on the electoral register, and the dangerous whipping up of community tensions to undermine the democratic reselection process” to the party.
On Wednesday, Tarry said: “Ilford South Labour party members and voters in the constituency need an MP who stands alongside workers defending their jobs, pay and conditions, and who will fight for properly funded free public services to be funded by taxing the rich. An MP with a powerful track record standing up for all of Ilford diverse communities, and its workers.
“As the Labour MP for Ilford South, I am proud to join rail workers on the picket line, and will do likewise with the postal service employees, BT staff and any other union members standing up to this rightwing Tory government’s attacks on workers. Ilford South needs a voice – an MP – proud to stand up for workers in parliament.”
Labour declined to comment, but a party source said: “The process is being followed in the same way it is for any reselection.”