Sam Tarry, Angela Rayner’s “soul-mate” and deselected MP has announced he won’t be running as a Labour MP this morning. He’s waved the white flag on trying be selected – his fight “till the very last to be a Labour candidate in this election” over. Even Rayner couldn’t make Starmer back down on this one. Though Guido’s sure he’ll find some comfort in the Deputy Leader, with whom he’s reportedly getting cosy.
His two-year-long battle against Labour HQ for what his allies call “dirty tricks” in the selection process appears not to be over. The Corbynista signs off his statement with a rather ominous line: “My work for the people who need that transformative Labour Government is not done”. Sam’s not a bad looking bloke, has he thought of getting into the family business?
Read Tarry’s statement in full below:
It is with a heavy heart I write this statement. More than anything I wanted to continue as a Labour Member of Parliament, to represent our diverse and wonderful communities, and to serve our country as part of the Labour Government we so desperately need.
I have fought to the very last to be a Labour candidate in this election. I want to express the deepest thanks to all those in the Labour and Trade Union movement who have battled by my side. You know who you are – you are the best of our movement.
I am, and have always been, loyal to Labour and a proud Trade Unionist. I believe sincerely that we need working class and trade union movement representatives in Parliament as we seek to fix the catastrophic disaster the Tories have inflicted on our country. I believe our party is at its strongest when it is pluralist, deep in its thinking and accommodating many traditions.
Ilford has been my hometown for nearly four decades, and the work I have done for my community as their MP over the past five years makes me immensely proud. My team and I have run huge campaigns, helped tens of thousands of constituents, changed lives and won the toughest battles as we sought to help some of the most vulnerable in society. I am so proud of you all.
In Parliament, I look back with pride to the issues I have taken a stand on and the victories achieved over the Tory Government. I was honoured to serve on the front bench for over two years, under Ed Miliband as his PPS and then for Louise Haigh as a Shadow Transport Minister. I thank them both for those opportunities to take on the Tories from the despatch box and learn my craft in Parliament. I was privileged to have visited Pakistan and Bangladesh as an MP to represent some of our diaspora communities in East London and represent our party alongside Shadow Ministers in Washington DC and at the White House.
I did not come into politics for myself, instead I believe in grassroots movements and I take my strength in what we have built in East London.
Serving the people of Ilford South I saw the movement we built support so many, especially through the dark days of Covid, and tackling devastating social injustices – the generosity and warmth of our communities in the face of such challenges lifts me every single day.
This will not change me. I will never stop standing up for workers, against racism, and for the most vulnerable in our communities. I will never walk on by on the other side of the road. I will continue to work with, and support, the wonderful communities of East London who have shown me such solidarity and strength and made me who I am today I will continue to stand up for human rights in Kashmir, for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, the Punjabi Farmers, and be assured I will never ever flinch from standing for freedom for the Palestinian people.
Our country desperately needs a Labour Government, and I will play my part over the weeks ahead campaigning for Labour across the country to ensure that change happens.
My work for the people who need that transformative Labour Government is not done.
Sam.
