As the tour is,

the tour is frightened to ban rail strikes,

Tiestama has sacked a front-bencher for turning up to a picket line.

Is it now the unions versus the government and the opposition?

That's our main story tonight. We'll also be discussing Starmer's bizarre response to the

Ford report and living with COVID when you are disabled.

I'm joined by Dahlia, Gabriel, big news night today.

How are you doing?

Yeah, not bad.

I mean a disappointing news night, especially with what's coming out from the Labour Party, but yeah, doing all right.

You can guess what's going to happen tonight, my audience. Lots of videos of Mick Lynch. We know you can't get enough of him, and obviously

it being a strike day he's been all over all the networks.

Forty thousand rail workers have been on strike today in a continuing dispute with network rail and 14 train operators.

The dispute is over pay conditions and redundancies, but has become symbolic of a general battle

against the cost of living crisis.

Rail workers are not alone in being offered reduced conditions and below inflation payoffers,

but they are some of the first to fight back.

The workers on strike today are all represented by the RMT and this morning their

assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey spoke to Jeremy Vine about the current state

of negotiations.

Now the network rail Chairman has just been saying that they've offered you 8% now over two years,

as well as a 75% discount on travel, family members traveling at low cost and a bonus and no compulsory

...