• UK opposition leader calls on UK government to “get round the table and get the trains running”.
• Boris Johnson accuses Keir Starmer of siding with strikers.
• More strikes are scheduled for later this week, despite ongoing talks between unions and rail networks. The government has spent £16bn looking after the railways throughout the pandemic.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the UK opposition Labour party, on Wednesday called on the prime minister to “get round the table and get the trains running”.

On Tuesday, forty thousand British rail workers went on strike, causing disruptions throughout the network. More strikes are scheduled for later this week, despite ongoing negotiations between unions and rail networks.

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Starmer argued during prime minister’s questions that neither Boris Johnson nor transport secretary Grant Shapps had held a “single meeting, held a conversation or lifted a finger” to prevent the strikes.

“If he is genuine about preventing strikes will the Prime Minister tell this House how many meetings he or his transport secretary have had with rail workers this week to actually stop the strikes,” Starmer said.

In response, Johnson accused Starmer of siding with the strikers, noting that approximately 25 Labour MPs participated in Tuesday’s strike.

“The leader of the Labour party hasn’t even got the gumption to speak out against the rail strikes that are doing so much damage to the people up and down this country,” the prime minister told the House of Commons.

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Boris Johnson added: “We are making sure that we do everything we can to prevent these strikes. He knows it is up to the railway companies to negotiate, that is their job. We’ve spent £16bn looking after the railways throughout the pandemic. That’s cost every household £600.”