Labor leader Lisa Nandy was pictured visiting the picket line

Lisa Nandy, the Labor leader, visited striking workers on a picket line, despite party leader Sir Keir Starmer’s comments that Labor needed to move on from being a “party of protest”.

A photo posted on Twitter by North West regional secretary of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) Carl Webb appeared to show the shadow rising at the level where the secretary met striking workers in Wigan, Ms Nandy’s constituency.

The image was accompanied by the caption: “Thank you @lisanandy for taking the time to visit the @cwugmersey Wigan picket line this morning (sic) to speak to #TheCWU BT & Openreach members on strike & show solidarity.”

Ms Nandy’s visit comes in apparent defiance of Sir Keir, who said Labor needed to move from being a “protest party” to one that could win elections to help workers.

The Labor leader said he supports people’s right to strike but is trying to keep a row with unions and the left wing of his party over his decision to sack Sam Tarry from the front bench after he gave interviews broadcast from a picket line.

Sir Keir, who previously banned leaders from joining strikers on picket lines, said he sacked Mr Tarry as shadow transport minister after he signed on to media programs without permission and formulated a policy “on the hoof”, defying the “collective” of the party. responsibility”.

But the move was met with fury from Labor’s left wing and the unions, with Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite, earlier saying she was “appalled” by Sir Keir’s approach to striking workers.

Mr Tarry, MP for Ilford South, tweeted: “Great to see @lisanandy on the picket line. Senior Labor politicians must demonstrate loud and clear that our party is on the side of ordinary workers fighting against this anti-Labor government.”

An ally of Ms Nandy said: “LOTO (Leader of the Opposition) was aware in advance. She came down to show her support for constituents campaigning for better pay and conditions during a very tough time, as you’d expect.

“As Keir said in the Mirror article yesterday, we support their right to do that and what they need now is a Labor government so they don’t feel they are alone when times are tough.”

The AP news agency has contacted the Labor Party and Ms Nandy’s office for comment.