New headache for Keir Starmer after his MPs meet union bosses behind rail chaos

• Senior Labour MPs held talks with Aslef bosses, the union behind train strikes
• Sir Kier Starmer faces fresh questions about the influence of unions on the party
• The Labour leader has repeatedly failed to condemn striking rail workers
• Aslef has donated £404,897 to Labour since 2017 

Sir Keir Starmer was facing fresh questions about the influence of union barons on his party last night as it emerged that three senior Labour MPs have held talks with bosses of Aslef – the train drivers’ union behind Saturday’s rail strikes.

Louise Haigh, the party’s transport spokesman, posted online about holding talks with Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan over the weekend.

Barry Gardiner, the former international trade spokesman, visited Aslef’s central London head office in May for talks with the union’s senior officials.

Meanwhile, Tan Dhesi, Labour’s rail spokesman, held talks with Mr Whelan in his office last year. 

Sir Keir Starmer was facing fresh questions about the influence of union barons on his party last night as it emerged that three senior Labour MPs have held talks with bosses of Aslef – the train drivers’ union behind Saturday’s rail strikes. Pictured is an ASLEF picket line; left to right is Dawn Butler MP, Mick Whelan and Barry Gardiner

Labour leader Sir Keir has repeatedly failed to condemn striking rail workers, with his party divided over the issue. Aslef has donated £404,897 to Labour since 2017.

The union brought vast swathes of the rail network to a halt on Saturday in a row over pay, with Mr Gardiner and fellow Labour MP Dawn Butler joining Mr Whelan and striking workers on a picket line at Willesden Junction in north London.

Tory MP Chris Loder said: ‘This should show Labour up for what they really are – on the side of unions, not passengers.’

Fellow Conservative Andrew Bridgen said: ‘We talk about paid lobbying, but it’s clear the transport unions have bought Labour’s silence on this issue while their extremist leaders seek to undermine our economy and democracy.

‘Labour is always in the pockets of their paymaster trade unions and it’s important that media outlets such as the Mail point this out to the commuting public, who will rightly be angry.’

Mr Gardiner, a frontbencher under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, posted several pictures of himself on rallies with multiple trade union bosses, including RMT boss Mick Lynch, Unite boss Sharon Graham and UNISON chief Christina McAnea.

He posted: ‘I’m proud of my party’s links to [the Trades Union Congress] and will always support working people standing up for their rights to protect their families.’ Mr Whelan gloated that he was ‘proud’ of Mr Gardiner in a responding tweet.

Mr Dhesi and the Labour Party did not respond to requests for comment.

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